I have admired Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, author and #1619Project creator @nikolehannahjones from afar for years now. So it is pure joy to publish her resonant story about how and why she rejects the dress codes of her work world in @elleuk: ‘I don't make style choices based on the uniform of my profession as a journalist and academic. I'm very aware of what that uniform is: conservative hair style, neutral colours, plain make-up. But I reject it. Fashion can be frivolous, but I don't think that it always is. I think that, particularly if you are a Black woman, or you are a member of a marginalised group, everything about your body is political: your hair, how you dress, what the expectations are. “Ratchay” is how I would describe my style, which is to say ratchet and classy at the same time. I was a child of the 90s and so that aesthetic – the big gold door knocker earrings, the really bright colours, the mixing of patterns – influenced how I saw style for myself. I love big, bright, bold, unconventional fashion that takes up space, that doesn't sit quietly in a room but instead screams: “I’m here”.’ Read more of Nikole’s inspiring words in the February issue of @elleuk out now 📷