My name is Laura Charles and I am passionate about a lot of things, especially fashion and travel. Growing up I always liked to play dress up in my mom’s closet, playing with different prints and textures. I would picture myself wearing clothes that I saw in magazines and daydream about being a fashion icon. Although I always liked to dress nice, I never saw myself being a fashion blogger. When I first started blogging in 2012, my focus was mostly on lifestyle. Never would I imagine that a young lady who struggled with self-acceptance could become a fashion reference. I have struggled with being overweight for years. I always felt like some clothes or looks were off-limits for people like me. My breasts were too big, or my stomach wasn’t fat enough. It took me a while to realize that style isn’t tailored or tied to a specific weight or size. What matters is how you feel about the clothes that you wear. I quickly learned that what I thought were my flaws were the unique features that made me who I am. Once I embraced those “flaws,” My self esteem grew, I looked good and felt great.

I kinda fell into the fashion blogger niche simply by sharing my outfits and always getting so much feedback on the looks that I put together. Today, I am being nominated for South Florida’s best fashion blogger. If a black, Haitian decent, size 10 girl can be considered for such a prestigious award, I truly hope that every young woman who is skeptical about pursuing their passion can be inspired to do the same. The market isn’t oversaturated. There’s more than enough room for all of us to win.

Besides my love for fashion, if I could do one thing for the rest of my life it would be traveling! I love traveling! So far I’ve been to 28 countries, and you can count on that number to keep growing. I love planning trips. I’m always on the hunt for hot and luxurious destinations. I am obsessed with luxury hotels and resorts. I love it so much that I have extended my services to include travel planning as well. As a travel planner, I curate custom travel experiences for my clients. When I plan trips, you can count on that trip to be nothing short of extraordinary. Some of my favorite cities are Santorini, Phuket, Bali, Cape Town, and of course the Maldives.

I am also passionate about women’s empowerment. I believe that we hold so much power within ourselves, and we are accountable for each other. I believe in uplifting and supporting my fellow sisters. I have recently launched South Florida Black Bloggers, a community created for black content creators and bloggers in South Florida. It is a safe space for content creators to network, socialize, collaborate, grow, and get discovered by brands. The vision that I have for this community is so grand, I cannot wait to see where God takes this.

When I am not blogging, traveling, or empowering, I am teaching my elementary school-aged students. I am also a mother and a wife. I have a beautiful daughter, Leanne Ysabel. She is the source of my joy. She gives me purpose and fuels my passion. She’s amazing, and I am so blessed to have her in my life.

My motto? Live, Love, Explore, and look damn good doing it too!

Follow Laura Charles on Instagram @laura.inspires