Fancy Magnolia founder Siddeeqah Ra’oof has always had an eye for color and design. Professionally, she’s a sought-after hairstylist who creates cutting-edge looks for top beauty brands. Personally, she’s constantly on the lookout for fashions and accessories that reflect her vibrant aesthetic. In 2017, Siddeeqah decided to “refuel” her creative tank by revisiting a passion from childhood: hand-coloring. At the same time, she began to think more and more about the lack of awareness, penetration and distribution of black-owned businesses – and what she could do to help remedy that. One day while coloring in a café, Siddeeqah was approached by two patrons who noticed the beautiful, vivid designs coming to life in her coloring book. They asked if she was an artist and if she exhibited her work — and where they could buy her creations. It was a moment of inspiration. Siddeeqah decided to launch her own brand, where her hand-colored designs would adorn everything from clothing to tech accessories. “Once I put one foot forward, the universe conspired in every way possible to encourage what is now known as Fancy Magnolia, LLC — a black-owned retail and accessory company in the heart of West Harlem, run by none other than a fancy young southern woman from Birmingham, Alabama,” she says.