For all who have been not-so-subtly willing the cooler months away, we’re finally nearing our time to revel in victory. While the incoming of spring means many things to many people, it means one thing for the fashionista: Away go the turtlenecks and sweater dresses, and in come the plethora of spring trends we’ve been waiting to embrace. Of them all, there’s no doubt that the mini skirt trend will be the one to flood social media feeds everywhere.
Brought on by the Y2K fashion boom (just think back to the early aughts red carpet costumes of former girl-group Destiny’s Child and the like), mini skirts and even micro minis have taken the runway by storm in recent seasons with brands such as Diesel, Prada, Balmain. Then, how can one ignore the Spring 2022 Miu Miu school-girl skirt that’s graced nearly every supermodel in just the opening months of the year alone? That said, there’s much to explore with the trend, from denim mini skirts, to athleisure-adjacent tennis styles, plaid iterations and more. Ready to dive in? We’ve rounded up 10 picks for you to obsess over ahead.
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Verdus Floral Mesh Overlay Elastic Waist Bodycon Mini Skirt
Mini skirts are all about fun, and what’s more fun than this print?Available at Amazon
If you’ve ever been to ESSENCE Hollywood House, you know it’s more than just a series of panels—it’s a gathering of visionaries. A space where Black creatives and leaders come together to share stories, strategies, and solutions. This year’s conversation, Let’s Talk About LA: Preserving Our City, presented by AT&T, was no different.
The discussion brought together three voices, each deeply invested in shaping LA’s future: D. Smoke, the Grammy-nominated rapper and educator; Olympia Auset, founder of SÜPRMRKT, a grocery service tackling food apartheid in LA; and DJ HED, a radio personality and advocate for independent artists. Though their paths differed, their mission was the same—creating opportunities, protecting culture, and ensuring Black spaces in LA don’t just survive but thrive.
For Olympia Ausset, the work she’s doing with SÜPRMRKT goes far beyond providing fresh groceries—it’s about laying the foundation for a stronger, healthier community. “The LA we love, the cultural beacon it’s known as today, was built by people who worked hard to create their own spaces,” she shared. “The reason I do what I do is because it’s essential. We can’t achieve any of the changes I want for my community without being in good health and having access to affordable, organic food. Without places where we can gather, heal, and support each other, none of the other goals will be possible. It starts with taking care of ourselves and building those spaces together.”
From Olympia’s focus on wellness and accessibility to DJ HED’s belief in the power of self-worth, the discussion explored what it means to dream beyond individual success and invest in collective progress. “I see a lot of people who aren’t proud of where they come from, what they look like, or where they’re at in life,” he said. “I had to learn to give myself grace, to grow. I grew up in Inglewood, raised by a single mom. We lived in a car, we were on welfare, but I knew I wanted to be bigger than my circumstances. That’s what dreaming in Black is—believing in something greater and nurturing it until it grows.”
DJ Smoke also touched on this, emphasizing the importance of intention and fulfillment. “You don’t want to climb that ladder and realize you went real high in the wrong direction,” he warned. “A lot of people in LA are ambitious, but if you don’t understand your ‘why,’ you can get to the top and still feel empty. The goal isn’t just to make it—it’s to make it mean something.
Sometimes, as Black creatives, we only dream as far as the next gig or the next check, but dreaming in Black means going beyond that. “It means thinking bigger than what’s right in front of you,” said host Donye Taylor.
This conversation was a call to action – a reminder that preserving LA’s Black culture means investing in community, honoring our history, and building a legacy that lasts.
