A Mini Moment With: Fashion Stylist and Creator Kelly Augustine

Kelly Augustine has enviable style. The New York City native's Instagram is a fashion feast for the eyes and a lesson in making a statement—whether she's wearing hot pink tulle at the laundry mat or sunshine yellow ruffles on a rooftop. But while the content creator and stylist may be known for her aesthetic pursuits, she's also a fierce advocate for body positivity and diversity. And, recently, she's also been inspired to focus more on wellness—which for her, means consuming things that don't have harmful effects, like alcohol. To that end, she's made the conscious pivot to consuming cannabis on a more regular basis, saying that both CBD and THC have become a more important part of her life. We caught up with "Thick House" judge—whose work has also been featured in Vogue, Vanity Fair, and the New York Times, no big deal—to find out more about how weed's been helping her get centered in the midst of her very busy life.

What have you been up to lately?
Lately, I’ve been pivoting my career from a content creator to a fashion and celebrity stylist. I’m looking forward to seeing what the future holds.

How and when did you first start integrating cannabis into your life?
I would say I really became familiar with cannabis right after I decided to get a divorce. My life was very stressful at the time and I had a friend who was working in the edibles business and would come and cook at my house. I became the taste tester.

What benefits have you seen?
Cannabis helps me center, whether I’m trying to amp up or wind down. It gives me something to focus on and take deep breaths, which has been helpful outside of the direct cannabis benefits. It also has significantly helped me with balancing anxiety because my job is so intense sometimes.

What’s your typical consumption ritual?
Right now, I’m usually at once or twice a week—twice if I’m having a very stressful week. I like to make sure the space I’m sitting at is clear, and I just sit and relax. A lot of times I’ll sit on my patio and let the sun hit me.

What’s some personal or career advice you’ve received that you think about
often?
“Do you boo” is such a colloquial, simplified phrase but it has really kept me grounded. I think in the society we live in, it’s so easy to get wrapped up in what everyone else is doing. “Do you boo” is often the reminder I need.

"I wish more women—specifically Black women—understood that there is room for them within this space."

What do you wish more women knew (about cannabis or otherwise)?
I wish more women—specifically Black women—understood that there is room for them within this space. Between systems put in place to keep Brown people from profiting in a space that has mostly marginalized them and a lack of representation of Black women, it does not surprise me that the perception is that we don’t exist there. It’s simply not true.

What’s a book, film, or artwork that’s changed your perspective?
The movie that has been the past year and a half of our lives has sharply changed my perspective. I’ve realized that we have so much less control of our lives than we think we do, which honestly has taken a lot of pressure off.

What’s one style tip you’re always giving out?
Make sure you’re wearing the right undergarments!

If you had a billboard, what would you want it to say?
Make love, not war.

Random thing you’ve been thinking about lately?
Does the letter "W" start with a "D"?