Fashion is personal. Fashion is cultural. Fashion is political. And fashion is more than just clothes – it’s identity and community building, it’s a reflection of our world, a statement, a conversation, a sharp elbow in the ribs of the status quo.

Welcome to Brain Matter, a newsletter by me, Gabriella Karefa-Johnson, where you get a front-row seat into the deepest corners of my brain, raw, unfiltered, and, at times, unhinged. Expect dispatches straight from the trenches of the industry–fashion tips, insider intel, personal narratives and critiques the way they should be: loud, smart, and with zero regard for outdated rules.

Subscribe for the fashion storytelling you won’t find anywhere else. This is Brain Matter.

Gabriella Karefa-Johnson is a New York-based stylist, fashion editor, and visual storyteller redefining who gets seen and how. Her approach is unapologetically narrative, using fashion as a vehicle to challenge norms, celebrate identity, and push representation forward in the world of high-fashion.

As a former Vogue Global Contributing Fashion Editor, Karefa-Johnson made history in 2021 as the first Black woman to style a Vogue cover, featuring Paloma Elsesser. She has shaped some of the most iconic fashion images of our time, having styled numerous global Vogue covers including the September issue featuring Serena Williams’ retirement announcement, Margot Robbie, Bella Hadid, Gigi Hadid and Olivia Wilde. Alongside her work at Vogue, her styling has graced the pages of Harper’s Bazaar, Perfect, Re-Edition, and The Wall Street Journal Magazine.