Silvia Njoki’s Instagram page fully immerses you into a state of serenity, warmth and nostalgia. Images of Njoki wearing a chic holiday outfit with a cocktail in her hand reminds us of a time where holidays and travelling were commonplace. However, with the global coronavirus pandemic, many of us have had that luxury taken away. But things will return to normal and holidays and travel will be something we will cherish more than ever in our futures. And what better person to inspire us with travel and fashion expertise than Njoki herself?
Njoki is an award-winning Kenyan fashion journalist, content creator and editor of her own eponymous blog. She has 112k Instagram followers who look to her for the latest fashion and travel inspiration and keep up with her latest travels across the globe. When asked about what advice she would give to other female travellers who are keen to follow in her footsteps and embark on a solo adventure, she replies: “Research is paramount. Not only for your safety but also to ensure you are getting value for your money. Plan ahead and know what you want to do and see. Familiarize yourself a bit with the culture and gastronomy of your destination in advance. But above all, travel confidently and be open to making new friends, especially among the locals.”
Like many, work has been challenging for Njoki during the pandemic as she says she has missed travelling internationally for work. In terms of creating content, she initially faced the challenge of not being able to hire a photographer, so she then sought help from her 7-year-old daughter. She trained her daughter to be her photographer during quarantine and some of her latest photos were actually shot at home. How good are her daughter’s photography skills?
Although she may not have been able to get and share content internationally like before, Njoki has enjoyed exploring her homeland of Kenya during the lockdown. “The biggest lesson for me was learning to work within my resources and see the beauty in my environment, to embrace the beauty around me and not have to travel to create content,” she says.
Reminiscing about favourite past holidays and future places we’d like to travel has been the pastime of many conversations during the various global lockdowns. For Njoki, her favourite place she has ever visited is Bali, Indonesia as she shares, “I spent my 30th birthday there and got to meet and spend time with the wonderful Balinese people. I loved it so much I went back a few months later!”
She also reminisced about her trip to Jamaica where she felt it was a very inclusive and warming experience.“Jamaica also deserves a mention for being a country that I felt was unpretentious — most of the Jamaicans I met are so connected to Africa and their history,” she says. “It was beautiful to see how that brought us or made me feel like family.”
Her passion for fashion started from childhood as her earliest memories of herself are playing with her older cousin’s make up and always watching international beauty pageants and fashion shows on television. She loved cutting fashion pictures out from magazines. “I went to a strict traditional boarding school and even then, I secretly had fun with my friends doing fashion shows,” she adds.
When it comes to her own personal style, she describes it as “daring, classic and unpredictable.” She explains that the creative process of forming an outfit and overall look is primarily influenced by the location she is in, and the religion and social traditions of the destination. Her style is also inspired by her mood, as well as the climate and time of day. “Sometimes I change my mind at the last moment and end up shopping at the local stores. I used to obsess over what to wear over trips but I am trying to be more relaxed about it,” she explains. As for everyday fashion at home, she loves wearing her white linen pieces because they are comfortable in the Kenyan heat and can be styled in multiple ways.
Hair and beauty is as important to Njoki as fashion and style, and she even has a section dedicated to hair and beauty on her blog. Living in a hot climate like Kenya can sometimes feel like a battle when wearing makeup but Njoki feels the “the blot and tone technique” is helping to keep her make up lasting longer these days.
Njoki is a woman whose style breathes so much presence, personality and power. But, who is her inspiration when it comes to fashion? “I am inspired by so many people and social media platforms and my approach to fashion is always changing,” she says. “So, it's important that I always keep my eyes open to the wide range of Kenyan and international fashion professionals and their approach to fashion and how I can incorporate it in my own style. I'm a huge fan of Pinterest when it comes to fashion inspiration. Nigerian fashion designer Lisa Folawiyo and Sheikha Moza bint Nasser of Qatar have also always awed me with their style and have remained a constant inspiration over the past few years.”
When it comes to her fashion writing career, she got her first break at ARISE Magazine in London nine years ago. She started out as a styling assistant and while working there, she started to do occasional writing jobs. Since then, her writing career has gone from strength-to-strength and she has written for publications including The Daily Nation, and in 2013 she launched her own eponymous blog. In 2016, Njoki won the gong for the Best Blogger at the Abryanz Fashion and Style Awards in Uganda. The following year, Abryanz awarded her the title of African Fashion Writer of the year.
To this day, her career highlight was being nominated for Nickelodeon’s Kids’ Choice Awards 'African Blogger of the Year' award in 2016. “Travelling to LA for the awards — I have so many pinch-me moments and the whole experience was so surreal,” she adds.
Njoki has faced a fair share of challenges during her career. She admits the fashion industry is still very white and is still a slow battle.
“Most of the top global campaigns are very few and far between for influencers of colour. But I like to believe that having these conversations of inclusivity is slowly changing this and paving a brighter path for the years to come,” she says, “I am very grateful for the individual growth African fashion bloggers are able to make in their countries. Our country folk love and embrace us.”
When it comes to other Black creatives wanting to break into the fashion industry, Njoki firmly believes people should go for it. “So much has changed in our favour and we believe it can only get better. The time is now to join the industry — the more voices and talent we can add to this industry, the harder it will be for the world to ignore us,” she says.
Njoki believes fashion plays an integral role in the Pan-African movement and unifying us all: “I believe fashion and style is one important element that can unite us and that our common challenges will be a major driving force in taking Africa to new heights.”
After what has been a very challenging and tiring 12 months, Njoki reveals her plan for 2021 is to “have positive vibes all around me.” She wants to eat better, work out often and spend time with her family. “I am investing a lot of time on my physical and mental well-being while I continue to create content for some of the brands I am working with,” she says. “I am also planning some group trips which will also revolve around the concept of well-being and self-love.”
With so many strings to her bow including writing, photography, fashion and travel, we’re excited to see Njoki’s content grow in the future particularly in the areas of well-being, positivity and self-love which we all need now more than ever.