Here it is
Here it is.
For a few months now, I haven’t been as active as I usually am on @kingdes. I know it, I feel it, and clearly every one of you do too.
I’ve been really wanting to get active, BUT, something had to come before this.
I’ve always done my best to try to share as much as I can with my following. Everyone knows Des for being real, 💯.
For quite some time, I have been in a dark space. Recently, it was by far the darkest. I’m talking pitch black. As I write this now, I laugh, because I have made so much progress! I would have never thought I’d land where I was before, and I also never thought I would be where I am in this very moment.
Regardless of “life”, I think I do a very good job at still getting shit done, taking care of everyone else (social media included), and keeping a smile on my face. It’s a job. People that work take breaks? Right? Can I get a 15?
It’s not that I don’t want to be open with all of you, because you are all apart of my life, that’s just the facts. I actually LOVE being able to reach so many people, teach, and learn. Here is the problem. Honestly, during this low period of my life, I always felt like I owed something to my following, and that’s a big weight to put on myself.
I’m not one to talk to many people. I figure things out. I remember months back, doing a post debating whether I should deactivate for a while. I wanted too, but I also didn’t, because like I said, you are all apart of my life. I feel like I hold the responsibility, because you all look to me for SO MANY THINGS. I genuinely felt like I was letting everyone down.
I remember after posting, only talking to one person about what I should do, the response only making matters harder. Mistake. We know the answers inside our hearts. I should have just prayed on it harder at the time. As much as I didn't want to disappoint anyone, I was letting myself down.
I felt myself drifting away from my following. I would overthink so much about what I would post, because social media is mean and ugly too. Not being in my best place mentally and physically, it’s easier said than done to do as much as I do. I really don’t know when it happened, but I couldn’t take it anymore. I stopped responding to DM’s. I stopped scrolling. I stopped posting. It wasn’t organic, and ya know what type of time I’m on!
I poured a lot into everything in my life, minus myself. I am in the process of learning that self love is by far the best love! I’m not blaming social media, but it did have negative effects on me during the hardships of my life. A few blog posts back I spoke about the effects of social media, and a few tips that could help.
Let’s think about this. I have over 20K followers. Do you know how many personalities that is? I’m extremely interactive, but it started to feel invasive. Top it off with the ghost pages hatin in my DM and comments, being hella mean! Driddy because I’m me!
I’m a mom to a beautiful three-year-old who changed my life in the most beautiful way. There’s not really a handbook for this stuff. I really didn’t know my body would change so much. I really didn’t know I would lose so much confidence. I really didn’t know my thoughts would travel so far into negative places. I really didn’t know a lot of the shit I been through this year would even happen to me. No fucking handbook.
What I do know now is that if something is negative, remove it. Do not let it linger. Do not let it stay. Do not be ashamed to ask for help in more than one place. You are not alone, and the RIGHT people will understand. The devil is real. God loves me so much more than anyone I ever thought did, and that is where my value lies.
It feels good to tell you that I’m a human being, just like you. Please remember your well being is number one, so do not deprive yourself of love! Do what makes your heart happy and DO NOT be apologetic for who the fuck you are.
Thank you @cc.tiara for pointing out wanting me to share my honesty again. I’ve been wanting to make this post, I’ve been wanting to do so much, and every single day I am taking the steps to get there. SLOW PROGRESS IS BETTER THAN NO PROGRESS! I tell myself this every single time I feel pressured or behind. I now pat myself on the back WAY MORE than I use to. I have made really good progress, and I’m happier.
I love you guys so much.
KD
@Arianabohlingshoes
If you follow me on Insta, @kingdes, I’ve recently been raving over my favorite slippers by Ariana Bohling:
I discovered AB about a year ago when I was shopping at Biggercode. I was so obsessed with the Suri Slipper, and wanted to grab the blush pair too, but they were out of my size! Luckily, I now own the Suri in blush, alongside the Criss Cross slipper in white.
Live for a slipper and sock!
Birky!
I recently had the chance to meet with Ariana to chat and learn a bit more about my fave slips. First off, she’s the sweetest!
We spoke at Artist and Fleas, at Chelsea Market. If you’re looking to try these babies on, swing by so you can see why I’m so obsessed!
Suri in blush!
AB is a handmade shoe brand that was founded in Brooklyn. These beauties are made in Peru. All slippers use elements of Alpaca, all sustainably sourced and cruelty free! 🦙 You can check them out online here
Drop a comment letting me know which are your fave styles! Are you going to cop? How would you style them?
xx
Shot by @squawvision
The Lion King @ Dolby
This past Sunday, my family and I had the opportunity to experience Dolby Cinema at AMC Lincoln Square. Talk about an experience!
We saw The Lion King, which if you’re reading this and have yet to see it, it’s a must! Before I dive in, how cute is Kyrie getting her face painted?!
She’s so big! 😢
🦁🦁🦁
This was Kyrie’s first time at the movies, so a big thank you to Dolby for giving her the BEST first time experience! It was also my first time experiencing such an amazing quality screening. Seriously, I’m never going to want to watch a movie any other way. The colors, the quality, the picture, it’s just insane. It was so REAL! I truly felt apart of the movie, which only made it more relatable for me.
“Dolby Cinema is designed from the ground up to provide the best sound, picture, and environment for any movie — letting you step into another reality and surrender to the story.”
I highly recommend Dolby Cinema for the best quality movie experience. THIS IS NOT AN AD! I genuinely enjoyed the experience all the way through. Thank you Dolby for allowing us the opportunity! There is no other way to experience a movie!
Thanks for the gifts! @dolbycinema
A different Friday
What’s good ya’ll! Thank you for stopping in on a continuous Friday, to kingdes.com. I want to start this by saying I LOVE and APPRECIATE you all so much for the continuous support you have poured, not only into my brand, but into me. I am flourishing in ways I never fathomed.
Slowly but surely I have started the process of acceptance. Let’s face it, I aim for perfection (a topic for another day). There’s nothing wrong with wanting perfection, but when you aren’t taking a step back to appreciate the world around you and the blessings pouring in, things can get clouded.
I’m making a shift in utilizing my platform.
I’ve always done more for others than I have myself. Not this time ya’ll. This time I’m taking full control of my life. I’m doing what I want, what feels right, but most importantly, through God’s plan. I’m going to follow my instincts and intuition, like I should have for a very long time. Follow your intuition. Follow your gut. God didn’t give us this gift to waste it.
I move on to say that things around here are changing. I’ll have new content every Friday on kingdes.com, but it’ll be a switch up. A blog post, new merch, a video. I’m working to mark up a calendar to keep you guys in the loop (shoutout to mama who suggested this! I love the idea). There will be different time drops for different time zones, etc, so make sure you’re keeping up on here, IG, Twitter, and via email, contact@kingdes.com. You can still shop my pieces at 13 Crosby Street in Soho 7 days a week, 12P-7P!
I have been so back and forth with deciding on what to do, but I knew for some time. I haven’t been able to detach myself from the demand of the Friday drops, but I need to refresh my creative mind. Believe me, I’M WORKING. New blog posts, setting up weekly shoots to get comfortable in my skin, hittin the gym to push myself and fall in love with my body again, and dancing to free my mind and those clouds we spoke about. Find what moves you.
I couldn’t be more proud to be following my heart with the changes ahead for myself and my brand. I have such a beautiful goal I’m working toward, and I’m so hard on myself when it isn’t going exactly how I visioned it. When things aren’t going exactly how you plan, remember it’s because God has a plan far larger than the one you’re thinking about. Trust him, and keep going.
Follow me on @kingdes and @shopkingdes for updates on the heat that’s CONTINUING. Oh, and today I dropped a preorder for neon Life is Gucci tees.
Love ya 🌸
in any moment we chose fear instead of love we deny ourselves of paradise
via @vbiancav
Magazine 411
Hey my loves!
If you’re reading this, most likely you follow me on Insta-G, @kingdes. Yesterday I shared that I want to make some updates to my apartment for a fresh feel, and I started to show some of my favorites from my magazine/book collection. I was so elated with the feedback and questions, which brought me here.
One of the things I hoard is magazines and books. I AM OBSESSED. In the midst of my posting, I got a flood of questions about where I cop, price points, and how I select my, in all reality, inspiration.
When I buy books, I buy them because they move me. The colors. The images. Sometimes I don’t even understand the language it’s written in, and that makes me even more intrigued.
If you’re looking for dope magazines, and live in NYC, hit up the millions of magazine shops in the city! My personal favorites are in Soho. When I’m browsing, I pay attention to what jumps out at me. Then I follow up with price. I like to keep my magazine purchases under $40. You can always negotiate when you’re buying more than one, and you don’t want to leave that pricy one behind. I am a TOP NOTCH HAGGLER. It’s a gift really!
Some of my favorite mags are ODDA, Antidote, The New Order, CR, Hypebeast, Highsnobiety, and the list goes on. Antitode is the perfect example, as it’s a French fashion mag published twice a year. I’m so intrigued by other cultures, so when I dive into my magazines I get a taste of that lifestyle through them. I learn so much! It’s one of the few things that keeps me inspired, and it’s always nice to peek inside when I’m lacking inspo.
I'm still working on the apartment displays, but we’re getting somewhere!
Testing this “newsstand” idea, where you can just grab what jumps out at you!
When it comes to coffee table books, I’m definitely more inclined to spend more. If it’s worth it to me, I go for it! I have a bunch on my want list, like Louis Vuitton, Murakami, and CR.
I have a deep love for Carine!
One of my prized possessions!
Amazon is a great place to start for coffee table books, as many of my messages were from my following outside of NYC. What’s nice about Amazon is that you can find used books in BRAND NEW condition, and save some coins!
As I mentioned, the book or magazine has to move me in some way. One of my favorites in my collection is “Where’s Karl?”. This Karl variation to Where’s Waldo, is filled with pages of fun, finding Karl at all these cool places. Interactive books are always great! I like to house them for when I’m entertaining.
So much fun!
If you’re looking to enhance your personal collection, start with research! Think about what you’re interested in, and start searching. You’ll start to find so many dope publications in ranges of styles! That’s what I love about collecting. All of my books are mainly revolved around fashion, but they are all SO DIFFERENT, where I think there’s something for everyone in my collection.
Let me know what are some of your fave magazines and books, as I’m always down for something new! Are you coppin’ any of my faves? Drop a comment below! ✨
Back to work!
Hey Kings!
I’m going to jump straight in and say that I have been aiming to stay as active and positive in my life as I possibly can. I’m being as aware of my actions and my words to my greatest ability. I’m continuing to pour all my hard work into KD to put out the most genuine content, as that’s always been me.
Here are some shots after a week of rain (literally and figuratively). I’m so proud of myself for getting up every day and pushing through the obstacles in my current journey.
Shot by the homie Tay Squaw:
I finally pulled out my quilted skirt! I had my eye on it online for a while, and caught it on sale, in-store some weeks later at Uniqlo for $10!
Gettin’ this chicken! 💵
😋😋😋
I always just go with how I feel when I get dressed. I’m not big on being “matchy, matchy” so I like to play with colors. I’m also all about juxtaposition, so pairing a skirt with sneakers always works for me. My hoodie and overshirt are both @shopkingdes reworked pieces! I love my black Balenciaga triple S kicks because they pair perfectly with everything in my wardrobe, and are a great statement piece. Topped it all off with my lil Old Céline nano baby.
How do we feel about this fit? Wanna see more outfit posts? Let me know in the comments below!
xx