Sisters Shelcy and Christy Joseph aren’t just fashion influencers. On their social media platforms, NYCxClothes, the duo subvert the traditional idea of content creation, opting for an amalgamation of high-quality editorial photos, fashion journalism, and an emphasis on cultural storytelling. At the same time, the sisters use their platform to tackle the lack of diversity in the influencer space, raising awareness around minority-owned brands and spotlighting underrepresented voices.
No matter how you feel about the TikTok discourse surrounding “boring” New York City influencers, NYCxClothes still offers a refreshing change from the increasingly uniform content being churned out by so many influencers in the digital age. (For those that aren’t well-acquainted with TikTok drama: A user shared a video complaining that all NYC influencers look, act, dress and post alike, and in a less than surprising turn of events, many a New York City creator took offense.)
The Haitian-born, Brooklyn-based sisters didn’t always intend to go into fashion. Shelcy, now 31, and Christy, 28, moved from Port-au-Prince to New York City after the 2010 earthquake. Shelcy enrolled at Hunter College, graduating in 2015 with a degree in psychology with a concentration in neuroscience. She nurtured an interest in fashion while in school, sketching in her free time and writing for Cult. Magazine.
Christy wasn’t particularly interested in fashion; she wanted to pursue a career in film. She was, however, inspired by the no-filter honesty of rising YouTubers, like lifestyle creator Bethany Mota, and wanted to launch her own channel. Combining their skills and interests, the two debuted their YouTube, NYCxClothes, in 2014. The focus was style and the city, and the sisters started out creating videos including fashion week recaps, seasonal lookbooks and New York City recommendations.
“I’ve always loved sketching, and even imagined at some point I could become a designer. Christy was drawn to the visual communication and visual art aspect of clothes. When those two merged, NYCxClothes was born. We discovered that there was such a thirst for honest, refreshing content from a point of view that you didn’t get a lot,” Shelcy tells Observer. Soon, they expanded to other social media platforms, including Instagram and TikTok. Over time, the sisters moved beyond recaps and outfit recommendations, using their platforms for more in-depth storytelling.
Much of their culture-based, multifaceted storytelling stems from their own experiences, blending style with identity. For example, their 2023 series, “The Unbraiding Appointment,” showcased the hair unbraiding ritual, spotlighting this aspect of Black women’s culture as told through their lens. Shelcy and Christy directed, styled and starred in the project.
“Fashion is the entry point,” Shelcy says, “but we’ve grown into different areas. It’s history, it’s culture, it’s travel—it’s just really about fostering curiosity and community.”
For Shelcy and Christy, community is key. The goal of NYCxClothes is not just about successful online content, but also about building relationships with diverse creators and bringing their stories to the forefront. In 2020, they founded NYCxStudio, an influencer consulting agency, to address the pay disparity between Black and white creators. They launched amid the cultural reckoning surrounding the murder of George Floyd and the subsequent protests that led to brands reassessing their own approach to diversity and inclusion.
While the sisters found many brands were eager to collaborate with BIPOC creators during the height of the Black Lives Matter movement, over time, they’ve noticed a dwindling emphasis on inclusion. The landscape is constantly shifting, especially with the current administration’s fight against DEI initiatives, but the Josephs remain undeterred.
“Our focus has always been [on] community and empowering stories online and offline—we’re still doing that. That continues with or without the brands. The vision has always been there, and some brands along the way have come in and co-signed the vision. It’s been great to have that platform.”
Now, five years after starting their agency and over a decade since launching their YouTube channel, the sisters feel established in their industry. The sisters operate on both sides of the fashion writing world: They have bylines in The Wall Street Journal and Forbes, and have been featured in The Cut, Glamour and Elle. In addition to NYCxClothes, they still have day jobs: Christy works in talent partnerships, and Shelcy is a contributing writer at publications including Essence.
Throughout their careers, Shelcy and Christy have amassed their own encyclopedia of recommendations. Below, the sisters share their go-to essentials with Observer, from their wardrobe staples to their favorite spots in New York City.
Shelcy and Christy Joseph’s Essentials
Morning Routines
SJ: I wake up super early; I’m a 7:15 or 7 a.m. riser. I spend 30 to 45 minutes reading a physical book. I have been very intentional lately about switching from the digital medium to physical, just to retain information better. Then I will do my skincare routine and get ready for the day, and by 8:30 a.m., I’ve already had breakfast and I’m ready to get on the computer, but I don’t jump to my emails. I don’t check my emails until 12 p.m.
CJ: I try to wake up by 7 a.m. Instead of just lying in bed and being on TikTok, I’m trying to incorporate reading my book, and I’ve been doing pretty well. Once 8 a.m. comes, I have breakfast, and then I have to head into work, because I work full time and have to commute to the office. During that time, if I’m not reading, I’m answering the emails, because I need to see what’s going on at 9 a.m. Maybe I’ll give [Shelcy] some updates. And then I get into the office and I start working.
Current Reads
CJ: I’m reading Yellowface. We picked it up the other day at this bookstore called Yu & Me. [The bookstore is] focused primarily on intergenerational immigration stories within all races, but specifically Asian dynamics.
SJ: I’m doing a lot of research around the Met Gala theme right now. So I think I’m just, like, heavily researching Black dandyism and tailoring. There are a bunch of [academic] texts, mostly, that I’m reading right now.
Yellowface by R. F Kuang.
Amazon.
Skincare Essentials
CJ: I started using this Korean skincare called Pure’am. It’s the morning balm, and I’ve [been told] so many times recently that my face is glowing, so I use that every morning. Korean skincare is everything that they’re saying that it is. That’s my go-to product right now.
SJ: I switch between different skincare brands, but there are some that I stick by, like Osea. I use their cleanser religiously, and Youth to the People, the Superfood Cleanser. I’ve been using KOBA Skincare, which is a newer African beauty brand that we like. It’s based on safou oil, which I don’t think we see a lot of in beauty, but it’s very nourishing.
Youth to the People Superfood Cleanser.
Youth to the People.
Travel Destinations
CJ: Dakar, Senegal. We went last year, initially as a business trip, because we had a lot of art stuff that we were doing with the Biennale, but then our family ended up joining us, which was a really nice surprise. We really love the city; their sensibility for the arts and their history is super rich. It is gorgeous; it’s my favorite place that I’ve ever been to, and the hotel that we stayed at was really great as well. It’s called Terrou-bi. It’s right in Dakar, and it’s amazing.
SJ: I also really love Mexico City and Oaxaca. We went two years ago, and there isn’t a month that goes by where I don’t think about going back or dream about it again. The food, the culture, the music and just everything that it stands for—Oaxaca specifically, but Mexico City is still contemporary and fun.
Travel Essentials
SJ: Always my AirPods, always a good book, always my core skincare. [The skincare] doesn’t have to be super elaborate, just because the climate can be different. You never know.
CJ: A pair of flip-flops. I’ve noticed that a lot of times, I just pack going-out clothes or sleeping clothes. I never have an in-between for when I’m lounging at the hotel or for a day at the market. I think it’s the fashion girl in us; we’re always packing dressy stuff, but having a good pair of flip flops or some sort of Birkenstocks to have in the hotel or for roaming around.
NYC Favorites
CJ: [A cafe] that we go to quite often is this place called Nook in Bushwick. Everything about it is very New York. People are coming in and out; it’s very busy, it’s always bustling. It is such a good environment. But it’s really a place where you feel like you can work on something.
SJ: And for people watching, all of the archetypes.
CJ: The writers, the film script makers, the finance person—they’re all there. Plus, it’s a community, because it turns into a bar or comedy space. It is what New York is to me.
SJ: I also love Book Club Bar in the East Village; it’s one of my favorite nooks to read. You can just come in, you buy a book or you can bring your own, and then you buy something from there. It’s super welcoming. They do a lot of readings and intellectual stuff too. It’s a very strong, budding, intellectual community.
Book Club Bar.
Elle Kenwood.
Current Wardrobe Essentials
CJ: Someone the other day called me a “cardigan warrior.” I think for this winter, the item that I wore the most was this [Gobi] cashmere brown, neutral color cardigan. It’s very simple, but the styling possibilities are endless. That’s my go-to for winter, which is very boring, but I accessorize.
SJ: This is very boring, but I probably wear three pairs of jeans in a week, even though I have a larger collection. I’ve been rotating between Citizens of Humanity and Dissh. It’s just because they’re comfortable, they work, they’re easy to pull on. Especially because I work from home a lot, I don’t always have to see people. I don’t always feel the need to get all dressed up.
