Hot Picks is a column in which fashion insiders reveal their latest obsessions–sharing their recent purchases and must-have pieces.
Fashion content creator Nicole Ocran feels she’s in her dopamine-dressing era. Playing with colors and textures like reds, leopards, and knits in head-turning tones à la lime green or bright yellow is something that energizes her. When describing her style over an email she shares that it’s “sweet with a bit of edge.” This is regularly seen on her Instagram where Ocran expresses herself through her vibrant clothing choices: leather coats with fur trims, midi dresses in funky patterns, and jackets emblazoned with eccentric patterns. Getting dressed every day is one of her favorite hobbies. “There’s truly nothing that gets me more excited than a great outfit, especially when I’m just walking down the street,” she shares in an email. “Fashion is meant to be fun and experimental.”
Ocran is currently drawn to the designs by British brands Aligne and Damson Madder. She notes that her Aligne fascination is due to their interesting tailoring and silhouettes. “Damson Madder [is] fun and feminine while also being contemporary,” she notes. Ganni’s exuberant designs and Sandy Liang’s lighthearted pieces are also what she is attracted to at the moment too. “I like to be playful and vibrant, I live in London so I try to wear clothes that make me feel uplifted to combat the grey skies,” she shares. “I also like to contrast where I can, prints and textures or have an interesting shoe or accessory to add something a little unexpected.”
Originally from the suburbs of Annandale, Virginia, Ocran expresses that she wasn’t inspired by her surroundings growing up. “I loved reading and writing so my creative outlet was always through my journal and scrapbooking.” To subvert her lack of inspiration, she would collect fashion magazines and watch television shows like The O.C. and Boy Meets World. The character Angela who was one of the only Black characters on the Disney sitcom would serve as an early inspiration for Ocran.
“In the ‘90s I was desperate to be Angela, I just thought she was everything. She is so slept on, but she was serving looks.” She loved the earth tones, bandanas, midi skirts, and leather pieces that the character’s wardrobe played by Trina McGee consisted of. “I grew up listening to Motown, but also folk and classic rock so I always felt an affinity towards fashion from the ‘60s and ‘70s. Growing up my aunt always compared me to Diana Ross, so I just loved her so much and that look,” she shares. “I loved a lot of those retro looks because I was really into the music of that time.”
Ocran details that attending a Catholic school in suburban Virginia was a distinct moment for her style–uniforms were the standard. She was only able to express herself through pins on her backpack. In her hometown, the standard was also that everyone wore relaxed clothing. As a teen, she knew that she would eventually move, she yearned for something different. “On the weekends I was just a simple jeans and T-shirt girl,” she shared. “I was really into punk, emo, and indie music as a teenager,” she adds. Ocran’s transatlantic move to London happened in 2010 when she relocated to attend the City University to receive her master’s in journalism. Ever since then, she has felt that she came into her own style-wise. During those early years in London, she shared that she became comfortable wearing dresses and more feminine styles.
By 2017, she felt confident enough to launch a blog showcasing her personal style (she also was let go from her job). “I had always wanted to start a fashion blog for many years prior, but of course, had all the excuses not to,” Ocran notes. She feels that it kept her excited and motivated during her job hunt. With her consistency, she was able to grow a following, and in 2019 she began largely using Instagram to document her bold and lively outfits. This pivot allowed her to dive into monetizing posts and to dedicate her time even more to content creation.
As the years have flown by, Nicole expresses that she’s most invigorated by the democratization of fashion that social media has provided. The ability for people to see women like her, curvy, size 12, fashionable, and enjoying getting dressed is of the utmost importance to Ocran. She believes that she sticks out amongst the current crop of influencers due to how she speaks to her audience. “There are so many different types of influencers and I’ve never been the type who is solely a salesperson.” She adds: “It’s always been important to me to be values-driven and make sure that I am serving a purpose outside of my own self-interest, including making money.”
“There is something about this horseshoe shape that I couldn’t stop thinking about. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to pull it off, but I just love the look on everyone else I’ve seen these in.”
Available at Free People
“I love the shape of this crochet-lace top. I think it makes such a great layering piece and is easy to dress up and down. I love the idea of toughening up the lace with jeans or leather pants and a strong boot!”
Available at & Other Stories
“A matching set for me is an ideal way to be comfortable and look put together at the same time. This one is so gorgeous, I love that green ombre effect that I feel could go with some great gold accessories and an incredible shoe.”
Available at Kai Collective
“If there’s one thing [I’m going to] do, it’s get my initial on something, so I needed this sweater. The grey and pink together look really sweet. Hades Wool is a great brand, you can get the initial sweaters and they also do incredible collaborations with bands and musicians like The Cure, David Bowie and Blondie.”
Available at Hades
“I saw this and immediately felt like it was made for me and I couldn’t let her get away. I will always love a red and pink color combo and the leopards and leopard print on this is such a vibe! I know I’ll cherish it for years.”
Available at Hayley Menzies