Meet the woman behind the scenes, where she finds her inspiration and the drive & passion for bringing you the amazing fashion we offer….
Eyebrow specialist, makeup artist, fashion stylist and forecaster, organic health & lifestyle fanatic – our director Meisha Wright blends all the right ingredients and draws from her extensive & broad experience to bring you the ultimate collection of fashion online. Meisha is the brains and the driving force behind it’s the new black and spends countless hours pouring over magazines, look-books and the latest collections to carefully hand-pick the best pieces to form a cohesive collection from which you can build your entire wardrobe.
The concept reflects Meisha’s own style foundations and philosophy: Based on easy wear, oversized, floaty and relaxed-yet-beautiful pieces, her look combines boho-rock with earthy-cool and ethereal-dreamy-softness. It’s glamorous, yet not too polished, it’s rock but it’s still sexy. It’s feminine with a touch of boyish edge – throw in a tattoo or three & it’s Meisha’s inspiration for the ‘it’s the new black’ woman!!
Meisha explain your thought process behind buying a collection for it’s the new black: When buying I look for relaxed pieces, be it jersey or silks, I buy pieces that can be layered. I love pieces that can be worn as a dress on one client and as a top over denim on another. So many pieces can be layered throughout winter and on their own in summer, I love the way fabrics feel when they hang freely over the body with tighter under layers being denim, leather, cotton. I prefer natural fabrics so they breathe and feel fantastic. I love to have versatility with fashion, creating varying looks by altering the shoe and accessories. Fashion is an expression of yourself so I like to choose pieces I love that will work on so many women, just worn to suit them, the occasion and their mood.
Tell us briefly about the ‘eyebrow specialist & makeup artist’ part of your business… Well in between my buying apps & styling for the photo shoots for the site, or personally seeing clients for one-on-one wardrobe styling, for the last 9 years I have built my other business as an eyebrow specialist. I spend my daytime hrs plucking and perfecting my clients brows, its all about natural shape, not hair removal! Also a makeup artist for the last 16 years, I do fashion shoots, wedding, occasion make up and personal make up lessons for clients. I see my two businesses as being complimentary - during a brow app I’ll be talking style, health, makeup & beauty - everything really that I am passionate about. Often these conversations will lead us to pop into the itnb studio to look at fashion and how to make that work for my client.
What in your work are you most passionate about? I am most passionate about making sure that the client I am working with feels confident & beautiful in their own way and own style- I am there just to help clarify what that style is and show them what works for them perhaps in a more current way, updated and effortless – be it brows, makeup or fashion. I’ll encourage them to step outside the square if need be but it is always tailored to their personal look and their lifestyle. I believe we should all aim to feel at our best because how we view ourselves affects all aspect of our lives. If we feel confident with our appearance we exude this confidence even as we enter a room; our head is held high and our energy is positive, this opens the door to so many more opportunities in life. Feeling good is about considering everything inside and out and having the best balance possible.I love helping women to feel like they are the best they can be, feeling just as beautiful on the outside as they do on the inside.
Describe your own style–In fashion? Relaxed, oversized, effortless. Evening? Hippy Luxe with a little rock. Kaftans with skinny leg jeans, leather leggings, tank dresses and ankle boots. Day to day? Relaxed Street wear. Oversized jersey and skinny jeggings with scarfs, low cowboy or biker boots, chunky knits.
What accessories are you wearing ? -Sunglasses? Ray ban oversized Aviators Watch? Tissot men’s large watch -Jewellery? Multiples of short necklaces, a couple of Van Rycke fine chains with delicate pendants, a piece meaning good luck that I found in an Indian store in Sydney, a fine red beaded and silver piece, vintage pieces I find, I buy new ones as I find them and mix them up depending on my mood. Bunched eclectic rings and bracelets too…-Handbag? Still slouchy oversized, a small bag doesn’t suit me, everything that’s relaxed, slightly worn and oversized fits me best.
What is THE hot clothing item you must have right now? Gypsy orJohnny Was scarves worn back with Paige or Joe’s skinny leg jeans, Fluxus oversized jersey T’s with bunched fine jewellery pieces from Van Rycke…… mmmm hot comfy heaven..
What labels or designers do you love? I love Braide’s chunky knits, Camilla and Ginger & Smart dresses that freely hang from your shoulders, Johnny Ramli for rock-chick jewellery and Van Rycke for the finer touch (perfectly worn together), Fluxus oversized jersey as well as Jo’s T’s and Jophiel’s new basics collection (coming soon). I love Skinny jeans, jeggings and leggings, my favourites are from Jo’s, Paige, Style Stalker and AG. Vintage style T’s by Gypsy 05 and Wild Fox are such a cool look worn with Gypsy 05 and Johnny Was scarfs. As always Tigerlily do amazing swim and beach wear, this season is looking incredible with earthy colours and animal prints, look out for the Wild Fox new swim collection, its totally retro and perfectly sexy, yet very, very cool…
Wildfox swim to come later this summer
Who would you say has great style? These women always get it right, they all have their own unique style but they make it work for them, they dress for their body and the occasion and when I’m styling someone or buying for the shop, effortless is always what I have in mind…
Kate Moss (tops the list with her faux fur blended with skinny jean, rocker T & ankle boot), Miranda Kerr’s day to day style, Rosie Huntington-Whitely, Giselle Bundchen, Jade Jagger, Elle MacPherson’s off-duty style – skinny leg, knitted jumper & scarf, Alexa Chung – (always gets her look right)& Nicole Ritchie’s boho-rock with an ‘eff-off’ attidude!
What are the items in your handbag can’t you can’t live without? Elizabeth Arden 8 hour cream, my iphone, breath pearls, water, aviators.
What’s your current fragrance? Marc Jacobs ‘Pear’.
What’s on your coffee table? A bunch of fashion mags – Australian and international Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar and many others ready to be torn to pieces for my inspiration for the next season in fashion, makeup, brows, house and studio and food…
People who inspire u…I am inspired by people who have a balance in life as this is what I strive for. I love so much about my life, and as a person I am very happy but I am not content with the balance, I want more time with the ones I love, my incredible family and few close precious friends. Miranda Kerr inspires me to have a daily positivemantra, clear my mind and live healthily in every way, she is young but has beautiful ideals…
Food tips – what ‘s your healthy eating tip? I am living on avocado and salmon at the moment, litres of water and lemon in hot water morning and night, I eat gluten free muesli and chia seeds with biodynamic yoghurt in the morning to keep me going until I snack on salmon, avocado, almonds and strawberries all day. I am off alcohol for 3 months, didn’t think it would make me feel any different but just be good for me. I am totally blown away at how I am feeling. I have quite a bit of stress running 2 businesses and a family and sometimes its overwhelming, just how much there is to do. I thought having a glass of wine (or 2) would help me chill out and relax my mind but it turns out it does the opposite. Not drinking at all has cleared my head, relaxed my mind and everything is lighter, fresher, I have more energy, I am loving how I am feeling. I am only just over 2 weeks in and have been out a couple of times, it was easier than I thought it would be. I am feeling great.
What are your healthy lifestyle tips – what do you do to keep fit? I see a PT (personal trainer) once a week for an hour and he hammers me, then I try (but sometimes fail) to do a few walks or runs on my own, I like hill climbs to really make it hurt and feel like I am making the most of it. I love to do short runs and long walks, it clears my head and is time to get out in the fresh air and just breathe. I am time poor at the moment but I would usually exercise 3-4 times a week, right now I am lucky to get in 2 times a week… I like to
set goals so I have something to aim for and work towards. My last goal was a 12km run, prior to that was Boxing and Kick boxing with my very mean trainer, now I want to do the 50km walk, it scares me but I like having a challenge. The walk is up incredibly steep hills and that’s even scarier but it’s the next challenge so I had better pick up the training.
Where would you like to travel to on your next holiday? Oh so many places. I would love to travel to New York, Paris or to an island to relax, Croatian coast, anywhere warm and lay in the sun with my son and partner and just relax…… but the reality is at the moment if I am lucky I will get to Victor Harbor (down the south coast) for a weekend, and that I would be totally grateful for…
What are u reading right now? Nothing right now but my partner brought home a book called ‘Addicted to Stress’, I haven’t read it yet and I don’t know what he is suggesting???… I don’t believe I am addicted to stress as I cant wait to have less of it in my life but that’s difficult with two businesses and a family, I think I might learn something from it … perhaps how to deal with stress, how to reduce it in a way and create more actual time for me.
Movies to see? Just saw eat pray love while in Sydney on buying and regular ‘plucking eyebrow’ trip, I loved it! I read the book and LOVED it even more. I was prepared to be deeply disappointed in the movie, as I had heard awful reviews but it touched on the main topics and I still enjoyed it, I also saw Black Swan, it was eerie and beautiful, complicated and surprising. The two were worlds apart but both great, felt lucky and indulgent watching 2 movies. I haven’t seen one prior for about a year. There are so many I would love to see, foreign films too, so many come and go, I look forward to at some point being able to see them regularly.
M x