Cottagecore Is So Much More Than a Trend for These Five Black Influencers
Do you view cottagecore as an escapist fantasy, or does it take on another meaning for you?
For me, it’s an intentional effort to design a life that brings you peace and fulfillment. It’s not an escapist fantasy because the idea is to actually create the environment you want to live in. I see Black women living their best life and telling a narrative that hasn’t previously been told. That we exist beyond struggle stories. That we’re multifaceted beings with layers, culture, and tastes.
What are your favorite parts of the trend?
Flowers are my favorite parts. They bring more joy than I could imagine, but all the elements of it are very soothing.
Courtesy of Cecilia Gorgon
Glamour: Have you ever felt that the cottagecore trend excluded Black women or women of color?
Shelcy Joseph: I’ve never felt that it intentionally excluded black women or women of color, but a quick Google search of cottagecore results in almost exclusively white women. Cottagecore, in many ways, is synonymous with a kind of dainty femininity, and in American history and American culture, that kind of femininity is usually reserved for white women.
The outdoors have historically excluded Black people—is cottagecore another way Black women are smashing stereotypes?
Definitely! Black women can truly be whoever and do whatever we want, and stereotypes that confine us into certain bubbles just feel so incredibly dated. It’s 2020! If I want to frolic in a field, I’m going to do that.
What are your favorite things about the trend?
For me, being cottagecore wasn’t an intentional thing. I just happen to live in a town in the Midwest that has a lot of nature haha! That being said, I really love that it encourages people to get out into nature and appreciate Mother Earth. I think that spending time in nature helps us to understand that we aren’t separate from nature, and that’s so important moving forward. Everything is connected, and I love that this trend nudges us in the direction of that realization.
