The We Influence Summit
Friday, March 6 • 9AM - 3PM • Richmond, VA
Featured
When asked why she calls herself a beauty disruptor, Marvella Akiojano doesn’t overcomplicate it.
“I actually come with actual solutions,” she says. “If I’m dropping something, it gotta make sense.”
That mindset built Marviano Cosmetics, a brand rooted not in hype but in performance. From long-wear lip liners to inclusive shade development, her focus is simple: solve real problems. And in a culture shaped by filters and fast launches, her insistence on substance feels quietly radical.
“The social media be deceiving us sometimes,” she adds. “I need to see the real, real.”
For Marvella, in beauty and in life, what lasts matters more than what trends.
When D’Angelo sang, Black women exhaled. His music didn’t just move us — it gave us permission to feel. To be soft, sensual, seen. I remember watching my mother and aunties sway when Untitled (How Does It Feel) came on, eyes closed, hands to their chests, letting go for once. D’Angelo’s sound wasn’t about seduction — it was about liberation. He reminded us that our softness is sacred and that being vulnerable is its own kind of power.
A new cultural event is coming to Virginia’s capital this fall to celebrate the influence of Black culture on fashion and beauty. The Culture Is Couture will debut Oct. 3–5 with three days of programming, including a formal gala, an expo featuring more than 50 Black-owned brands and a runway experience inspired by the Black church.
When was the last time you really looked at your vulva? Not a quick glance in the shower—mirror in hand, lights on, every curve and fold reflected back.
For many—especially Black and brown folks and those in the LGBTQIA+ community—the answer might be never. That’s why mirror-gazing matters. It’s not vanity. It’s connection, awareness and unlearning shame.