a basic. blog

basic. owner lacey woodroof and designer szeki chan at szeki's studio

a basic. blog

designer spotlight - 7115 by szeki

by Lacey Woodroof on Apr 16, 2020
every 7115 piece is designed in new york (and now copenhagen!) and expertly crafted in small batches by their in-house production studio in guangzhou city, china. because szeki owns 100% of her production outright, she controls every step of the garment-making process from the first cut. her production studio is a well-appointed space, and her mom (so awesome!) is her production manager. szeki's sustainability approach encompasses crafting well-made clothes that rarely need replacing, limiting excess waste, and sourcing fibers that are both environmentally and animal friendly. she's currently repurposing fabric scraps into reusable masks, and she's always looking for ways to improve her footprint.
symone shaw for basic.'s black history month feature

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black HERstory - symone shaw

by Lacey Woodroof on Apr 16, 2020
WORDS TO LIVE BY:“Present. Patient. Peaceful.” I love to be truly present in every moment. It took a while for me to learn how to be patient but everyone’s journey in life moves at a different speed and I learned to be so content with having patience regarding my aspirations and the process they require to achieve them.
maya drake for basic.'s black history month feature

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black HERstory - maya drake

by Lacey Woodroof on Apr 16, 2020
"I believe that knowledge is wisdom, but I don’t mean educational knowledge, I mean life knowledge. The more you see, the more you know, the more questions you ask, the more you learn. To earn wisdom, seek knowledge." - Maya Drake
michele jenkins-utomi for basic.'s black history month feature

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black HERstory - michele jenkins-utomi

by Lacey Woodroof on Apr 16, 2020
MY PERSONAL STYLE:Classic, but with a definitive edge!! At this point, I’m shouting out basic. and one of its staple designer’s, Kaarem ...beautiful fabric, well-made, clean, elegant lines with a little bit of drama in each piece. What else can I say? She gets me.
maacah davis for basic.'s black history month feature

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black HERstory - maacah davis

by Lacey Woodroof on Apr 16, 2020
WORDS TO LIVE BY:  Breathe easy, focus, and be kind to yourself. Life is too short to be either ordinary or cruel. A LITTLE SOMETHING ELSE:I think that when you are a woman—and, a black woman specifically—who frequently does the improbable, it’s easy for people to want to write your accomplishments off as the result of luck or magic, rather than intelligence and sheer hard work. Don’t let them.
valerie collins thomas for basic.'s black history month feature

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black HERstory - valerie collins thomas

by Lacey Woodroof on Feb 12, 2020
WHAT YOU DO: In 2014 I started a consulting service to support UAB and Children’s Hospital recruit physicians to Birmingham. When they identify a potential faculty candidate, I reach out and find out what their quality of life priorities are and during that first and second visit, I make sure they see and touch it before they leave! We are especially focused on cultural, spiritual, or religious priorities that are often a significant part of the decision and may get overlooked by more traditional recruiting processes...The VAL Group team LOVES showing off Birmingham to people who are often VERY skeptical about their quality of life priorities being met or exceeded!!!