Detroit-based Ingrid LaFleur works as an art curator, activist, speaker and afrofuturist. “Afrofuturism is a cultural movement that pulls from the mythologies and legends of Africa and the African diaspora,” she says. “It explains the black experience through art, science fiction, magical realism and technology.” Here, Ingrid shares five looks she wears in a week…
Dress: similar. Shoes: Bandolino. Glasses: Zenni Optical.
“I used to be way more adventurous, and I’ve always loved glam. Shiny things, furs, drama — think: Diana Ross. She’s my style icon. But these days, I’m reassessing my closet. I’m more about comfort and coverage for my own look (believe it or not, these heels are really comfortable!). I still love glam, but now I just love looking at it.”
Dress: similar. Shoes: vintage, similar. Earrings: Anthropologie.
“This dress is my baby. I got it when I was traveling in Berlin, and I’m so comfortable in it. I don’t know if it’s because I’m older now, but I really like a more modest look — especially when you can button a collar all the way up to the top. I don’t even own anything that one would wear to a club. Or a date, even! I guess that’s a problem, but oh well. I’m really enjoying this style.”
Dress: vintage. Shoes: similar. Pearl earrings: PAVOI. Gold cuff: “I stole it from my mom!”
“My hair’s grey streak started coming in when I was in my late 20s. Now it’s taking over my whole head, but it’s still very prominent in the front. Having a streak is fun! I also wear MAC’s Ruby Woo lipstick every single day. Once I found it, I never wore another. It’s a red with a blue undertone, and it goes with everything I wear.”
Dress: Designed for Ingrid by Dylan Tull, creative director of EOS Detroit. Shoes: Bandolino. Ring: antique Afghan ring. Watch: Apple.
“This dress is special, because it was actually made for me. I’m on the board of a local tech startup called EOS Detroit, which works with cryptocurrency and blockchain technology. I’m the only woman on the team, and all the guys had T-shirts made with the company logo. But I’m not a T-shirt person — so they had this dress made for me instead. It’s literally one of a kind.”
Jumpsuit: Mango, similar. Shoes: vintage, similar. Earrings: vintage, similar. Ring: antique Afghan ring. Bracelets: vintage, similar.
“I love Detroit. I love that it’s an afro-global hub: It’s 85% black, and very diverse within that blackness. That’s really beautiful and unique for a major city in the United States. The people are so sweet here, and everyone talks to each other. I love the ingenuity and resilience of communities in Detroit. People are forging new pathways and addressing challenges in their community. Detroit has always been special like that.”
Thank you so much, Ingrid!
P.S. More women share their weeks of outfits, including a mother in Houston and a Brooklyn nutritionist.
(Photos by Meghan Lafferty of Amanda Dumouchelle Photography for Cup of Jo.)
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Detroit love! I grew up near the city, it’ll always have a special place in my heart. And Ingrid is gorgeous and my new style muse – I love her dresses, esp the one w/ Detroit across the chest.
Ruby Woo always looks so good on everyone, but I find MAC lipsticks to be sooooo drying! Maybe to the point where I am even allergic to something in them? And yes, I have tried all the ‘tricks’ – exfoliate, use lip balm, blah blah blah. Granted, I haven’t tried MAC lipsticks in many years… have they changed their formula at all?
try revlon’s matte balm in striking (#240). i have a stash of more expensive reds but that’s the one i put on every day. that being said, ingrid looks incredible in ruby woo!
I love everything about this woman! The outfits, the hair, the confidence she exudes! Just lovely!
You are drop dead gorgeous! And your style is both eclectic and put together beautifully. I love the slight quirkiness of it, and the edge, but I also love how comfortable you look. As if you really feel At Home in what you’re wearing. I wish I had your style!
Ps, your hair is amazing as well! Do you do/follow the Curly Girl Method? If not, you should! It’s basically using products without silicone and sulphates, not using cotton towels but mostly there are so many techniques and tricks to help you achieve the best, healthiest, most gorgeous curls ever. I’ve been doing it a year now and I went from stringy waves to loose ringlets. And I’m obsessed. It’s so fun! And there’s a lovely community of like minded curly, kinky, wavy, and coily women (mostly) on IG who all ate so kind and post helpful videos and tricks and show different hair days and how to get to day 4 curls and such. Okay, I’ll stop rambling. I just love CGM so much. No one gets paid to do it really. It’s just great for curlies! And healthy hair. Hope you check it out if you don’t know it. And stay being so bold and beautiful!
“This dress is my baby. I got it when I was traveling in Berlin, and I’m so comfortable in it. I don’t know if it’s because I’m older now, but I really like a more modest look — especially when you can button a collar all the way up to the top. I don’t even own anything that one would wear to a club. Or a date, even! I guess that’s a problem, but oh well. I’m really enjoying this style.”
Ingrid LaFleur, thank you for dressing for yourself and being true to yourself. Ingrid LaFleur, thank you for your post, for Detroit, and for “I guess that’s a problem, but oh well”. If I still lived in Detroit I would probably stalk you until you realized that we were meant to be friends.
Love this. What a fabulous lady and I think I need to buy her heart glasses ❤️
Queen! I’m on the simple-and-modest-but-loud train too. It’s a good place to be. ;)
I IMMEDIATELY went and bought that jumpsuit. So beautiful and sexy and flattering!
I’d love to know the actual maker of the high-low chambray dress shown in the first 2 photos! Any clues?
Love when you feature a Detroit women! Yea!!!!
I hope Ingrid (and other subjects of CoJ posta) come and read the lovely comments about themselves later. What a boost! ❤️
Love her style! More like this please.
She’s beautiful and I love your style.
I LOVE all of her looks! Gorgeous.
Just LOVE that jumpsuit and the silver shoes. Working the Fleabag vibe, go girl!!!!!
“…all the guys had T-shirts made with the company logo. But I’m not a T-shirt person — so they had this dress made for me instead.”
Wow – just – how sweet and thoughtful of those guys!! I love men like that!
She positively radiates in these photo’s and I love her attitude of self acceptance – it shows. Also as a white woman who is way way underemployed I love getting a peek into the lives of accomplished woman out in the world – I’m seeing more and more, especially a diverse racial mix and it warms my heart! We need all these strong women actively out there like never before!
Appreciate the Detroit love!!
So in all my years reading Cup of Jo, I always thought ‘similar’ (the link so frequently used) was an actual store. I would think ‘what is this store that sells all these things? Must be something in New York’ Today the light bulb finally came on! I’m such a moron, but in a way that made me have a good laugh at myself.
hilarious!
This is so adorable!
I think she looks amazing! She exudes confidence. She seems like the type of person you’d love to dive right into deep conversation with. How lovely!
I literally gasped. Her dresses! Her glasses! She is my style icon.
DETROIT in the house. I loved seeing Eastern Market and other city landmarks backgrounding Ingrid. She has perfect style.
I loved all her outfits! She is so effortlessly stylish–so beautiful. I have a tiny growing silver streak in the front of my hair like she does, and I can’t wait until I can rock it with elegance and grace as she does.
Thank you for posting for the “silver” readers!
She is stunning, smart and strong and that white dress is perfect, simply perfect! I’d love to see a beauty uniform, please!
So effortless and so so beautiful and chic. I adore every singe outfit!
I love this! What a gorgeous person. I love her sense of style—this is definitely my favorite in this series. She carries herself beautifully and dresses so well (and has an interesting job, too!). Thanks for sharing!
Amaaaaazing style! Her perfect accessories complement her chic minimal wardrobe. So lovely and exuding confidence!
Ingrid is so beautiful, chic, and cool! What great style. Need that lipstick, stat!
she is so smart cool beautiful stylish! intrigued to learn more about her.
In a crowded room, Ingrid is the one I would notice and want to talk to! She looks and sounds totally awesome and interesting.
This woman is radiant!
Wow- Ingrid is what I identify as classically beautiful. I don’t know if it’s her face or hair or how she styles herself, but I love it all. As I’ve made my way into my 30s, I’ve looked for women like her to model myself after, and she is a fantastic role model. I only wish my hair grew in a natural streak like hers, it’s absolutely stunning.
she’s lovely. i 100% support comfortable (but also bad ass) style <3 also that mural in that last photo!
I like her style! Her dresses are styles I would wear, and I love her gray streak. I have a small gray streak in the front and my stylist cuts my hair to show it off.
Charming and gorgeous!
I love your thoughts on dressing modestly – yes!
Also, I love your grey streak. I’m letting my greys grow too and loving it!
Thanks!
LOVE this, so chic, so stylish and so funky! Can we have a beauty post too? I want as much Ingrid content as you can muster, please and thank you!
She’s still pretty glamorous! Love her style!
This has been one of my favorites so far- she is so chic and i love her style! She really does have a glow about her!!
You find the coolest people! I loooooooooooooooooooove Ingrid and her style. Off to find cool dresses that button all the way up and have tiny collars.
She’s FABULOUS with impeccable style.
Oooooh the magic coming off of this woman! Chills!
Oh, and her clothes – I love her love of red, and that she’s had all the glitter bodycon experiences and now is the killer style woman who has worn it all. That ‘Detroit’ dress is so her, my favorite of all the looks – figures it really was made for her! After a decade of being given tech tee shirts in man sizes myself, I am deeply gratified that dress happened, and that it is so perfect.
More on Ingrid, please! Her passions sound super interesting and inspiring. I recently visited downtown Detroit for a work trip for the first time and I was blown away by the culture and vibe of the city. It’s really special. A feature on the City of Detroit specifically would be really neat too.
Love Love Love This!!!
Loved this post and Ingrid’s vibe.
Also: Return of Ruby Woo: The Internet Returns to MAC’s Iconic Lip Shade
Ingrid, you are incredible.
This woman RADIATES!
I would love to hear more from Ingrid! Her work and her passions sound fascinating.
Completely obsessed with everything about this post!
Ingrid! Her style! Her words! It makes me want to go to Detroit IMMEDIATELY, and I think she may have just become my new “if you could have coffee with anybody who would it be?” answer.
As a MI native and former Detroit-suburb dweller, I love seeing glimpses of this amazing city. And as always, the style profile was wonderful. Thanks, CoJ!
Ingrid, I love your style and I LOVE seeing you rep Detroit so well! And I enjoyed seeing so many of my fave Detroit photo locations (I’m a pro photog here) in your images. So fun to see your own hometown and its fabulous people in a post!
Wow love this!
I love her style….and that she lives in Detroit! I grew up/went to college in Michigan but when I graduated in 1990 there were very few job opportunities in the area and I ended up having to leave the state for work. I LOVE hearing about all of the great things happening in Detroit now!
I’ve lived in a few different big cities and Detroit is by far my favorite for all the reasons she gives and more. The people are truly wonderful. I’ve never felt more of a sense of community anywhere else. Gorgeous person and post!
I love that Cup of Jo is featuring more women of color. Please keep it up!
Love the EOS dress…especially the story behind it!
She is so glamorous!!!
Wow — just Wow. I love Ingrid’s style!!
LOVE this post and really love Ingrid’s look. It’s kind of a uniform, but really varied and fun. Ingrid – you look fantastic and your gray streak is aspirational. My gray is coming in at the temples and I am willing it to streak from the front.
I totally love your style! And I agree with everyone that says these are all very date worthy clothes. Your hair is amazing, and I totally love your heart shaped glasses!
‘Ingrid LaFleur’ is such a beautiful, romantic name!
This is so amazing: the person, text and outfits! Ingrid looks so well put together while also being fun without being loud. Now I’m curious to see what her home looks like!
love this!!! and brava for saying, i’m not a t shirt person and want something just for me. you go girl!!
Loved these photos and the vibrancy of the person and place they showed. Ingrid, I love your style and your hair!!! You are beautiful!
Oh my! You have such beautiful style and I love your confidence! I cannot love this enough!
She is so uniquely pretty!
I would love a Detroit city guide from Ingrid!
Yikes! What a dynamic woman. I want to dress like this! The positivity from you radiated was wonderful! Thanks for sharing!
I really like Ingrid’s style! She looks beautiful (especially in the white dress) and seems like a very interesting person!
To me all of these looks seem to be perfect for dates. Not a problem at all if you feel like yourself!!! But I am European, so I guess we have a more relaxed style when it comes to dates?
Loved all outfits and this radiant woman!
Wow I LOVED this. And Ingrid still looks pretty glam to me!
P.S. If anyone wants to read a novel along Afrofuturist lines, I would really recommend Rosewater by Tade Thompson.
Oh, wow! I love this on so many dimensions! I love the phrase “comfort and coverage.” That’s totally what I’m aiming for these days, and I didn’t have the phrase for it. You are just stunningly beautiful, Ingrid! And, Detroit sounds amazing. Thank you so much for sharing!
Gorgeous woman, great style. I, too, love a good comfortable, modest dress! and love that I learned about Afrofuturism. Going to learn more about it!
I wonder if a city tour of Detroit would be possible? I am from Windsor on the Canadian side (now living abroad) and I keep hearing about new restaurants, bakeries and cool locations to check out from friends, but I wouldn’t even know where to start. A city tour and places to check out in Detroit would be so nice and much appreciated. I’ve admired Detroit’s culture and innovation from a distance over the last few years, and can’t wait to explore the city when I am home next. Maybe others would enjoy this kind of piece too who don’t know Detroit as well. Lovely post! Thanks coj.
Second this!! And LOVE Ingrid. Thanks for sharing your style and your city, Ingrid!
THIRD!!! Recently moved to Windsor and would love a fresh guide to Detroit via the CoJ team!
The sheer power coming out her in these photos is incredible! What a badass woman.
Ingrid, you had me at that first photo!!!
Just here to say (as a Chicagoan who loves Detroit and works from there at times) that DETROIT THE CITY (cannot speak for Metro Detroit) is AMAZING AND WONDERFUL AND EVERYONE SHOULD VISIT.
Sponsor me Pure Michigan
Love this and her! I’m from the Detroit area, currently live here, and really appreciate this post!!
Ingrid, you make comfy look glamorous!
Thank you for shining a light on beautiful Detroit! It’s amazing here!
Great outfits and personal style.
I LOVE a gray streak in a woman’s hair! (Well, I love it for men too, but in a different way, ha!) I just think it looks so classy and distinguished, but also really fun in a way. Sadly, my hair is too light so I will never gain such a streak. She looks amazing and sounds like such an incredible person!
I LOVE her style, maybe most of all the grey streak.
Lovely! Such a great combination of sophisticated style and expression of fun personality!
I love Ingrid’s style! Personally, I think she looks great in her clothes—perfect for a date or anything else! I especially love her gorgeous rings. I bet she attracts many admiring glances every day. She is confident and gorgeous.
SO CONFIDENT, right?! Such a beauty!
Wow. I related to so much that Ingrid shared: appreciating glamour on others, preferring modest comfort in my own clothes…but Ingrid, you are still CRAZY glamorous! I can see that your clothes are simple and architectural so the glamour must just come from you!
Cool cool cool cool cool! 👍🏾
god she is so glamorous!!!! <3 <3 <3
Ingrid–I’m in Chicago, sending a big hello to you and the D. I love your style, love Michigan and was so excited to visit Detroit on my last trip there. Thank you for showing off another great midwestern city!
Love her beauty and style! Her outfits are so cool!
HERE. FOR. THIS.
Thanks for linking to the Essence article!
I love her style! Those Afghan rings are amazing, and her glasses! And! And!
Her smile makes all the outfits!
Are you kidding?!? ALL of these outfits would be PERFECT for a date…Ingrid radiates confidence and her style reflects that. What a lucky person to date this beauty!!
I thought the same thing, Erica!! Gorgeous, very romantic, stunning, powerful looks. Plus Ingrid-your lip color & jewelry and all around beauty & energy. What an inspiration and delight.
I’m with Ingrid. Once I found Mac ruby woo, I’ve never looked back!
SO GOOD. Detroit – Ingrid’s very cool style – I feel like the city and the woman are representing an America I believe in. Please keep finding these amazing people in amazing places so we can keep our spirits up! Thank you!
Ingird – I love your style especially all the vintage! I’m from Detroit originally but grew up on the outskirts in the suburbs. I’ve long dreamed of it becoming an Afrofuture paradise. I’m glad to hear it is becoming one and also, yes to more women in tech!
Her smile should be in the dictionary under “smile”. Dang. Ruby Woo and self confidence for the win! P.S. Wear that black jumpsuit on a date.
Could you also just turn this into a Beauty routine? I don’t wear a lot of makeup, am white, and don’t even pull of a style like she does, and I’d STILL read everything she writes about beauty and makeup-ha. Please? thank!
I’m so moved by Ingrid’s style and definitely inspired. I try to dress comfortably but I never considered how I could be glam while doing it until reading this interview.
Thank you Ingrid and Cup of Jo <3
What a fabulous woman. You rocked every single outfit but had me at the heart shaped glasses…
I SO LOVE that first chambray dress!! What a gorgeous woman.
I love the dress made instead of a tee shirt! Why is company sway always such masculine clothing?
Ellie – she oozes style, no? I think she could wear a paper sack and look chic!
Definitely!
What amazing choices in dresses. Pretty but not too…dressy. And they look gorgeous on you! I’m not a dress girl but consider me INSPIRED!
Loved this one, and definitely want to hear more about Ingrid and be friends with her because she is super cool and impressive and if we were friends maybe she’d let me borrow some of these killer shoes! And, Detroit is so underrated and wonderful!
That first outfit is perfection.
What an absolutely STUNNING woman!
What a lovely gesture for Ingrid’s colleague to make that dress for her! I love it. Such a simple way of being inclusive of her preferences and ensuring she is acknowledged as a team member.
I love dresses, too. Denim dresses! Comfy dresses! Red & pink dresses!
What a stunning woman!
Gah! This is torture! Her style is sooooo goooooooooood, and yet it is getting so cold here that I can’t imagine wearing any of it until next spring!
Please, pretty please, share a photo of what she wears in fall/winter sometime?
To be more specific, her look seems to rely on some central volume that visually tapers to arresting points of “bling” at her feet, wrists and ears. How do you achieve that look in winter? Because I really, really want to.
Thanks!
Oh yes – Detroit is cold in the winter. I would love a winter clothes follow-up!
Yes! We just got 6+ inches of snow in Metro Detroit this week. What is she wearing now? I always wonder what the well dressed people featured here wear when it’s cold and snowy.
Yes, please!
Can we also address how Ingrid LaFleur is THE best name I’ve ever heard?!?
I agree!!
I agree… and all I could think of was a super secret Cold War spy wandering around Vienna, swirling a glass of wine and introducing herself as “LaFleur, Ingrid LaFleur.”
Dang! Ingrid, I think you just broke the internet. Serious style icon alert!
I love the custom logo dress! I work in tech and there are so. many. graphic. tees. For those of us who don’t love wearing t-shirts to work every day, it’s… challenging.
Love this feature – of both Ingrid and Detroit! Also, a shout-out to the photo cred to Amanda Dumouchelle Photography – she is the best!!!
What a cool lady.
LOVE this one!!!! It’s making me long for summer in the best possible way! Ingrid, you are a beauty and one heck of a class act!
Total girl crush!
Her grey hair is so cool! Love it
She has great shoes!
LOVE
Wow! She is gorgeous.
Every. Single. Look. Ingrid, your presence is so beautiful. You’re compellingly yourself. In the part where you said you have nothing in your closet to wear on a date, I had to disagree. Thank you for modeling how to stun by being yourself. (The streak!!!!!!)
Ingrid-You exude beauty and confidence! and…btw, I would wear all of those stylin’ outfits on a date!
I’ve never related more to one of your style posts. I would wear (and probably already own) everything in this post.
I love that you are representing Detroit and I love her style! I moved here in March and love it – ya’ll should do a City Guide sometime :)
Goddess!
Knockout! Every one of these is a 10, top to bottom! Ingrid is stunning and doing interesting things in a cool place. Plus, a team-generated dress! Love it all. Great shots and, hello, Eastern Market!
Ingrid looks spectacular. I *have* to visit Detroit now. Between this amazing post, a good friend who lives there, and another friend who brought me back some Sister Pie goodies (a Detroit bakery) from his recent trip, that city is calling to me.
Gorgeous! I love Ingrid’s gray streak, especially. I’m in my 20s and have plenty of gray hairs taking over… she inspires me to own it!
What a gorgeous woman with such sophisticated simple style! I disagree girlfriend, you ARE date ready🤗
Totally agree. What do you mean, not date ready?! She looks beautiful!
Last night I had a dream that you all did a Beauty Uniform for Michelle Obama!
OH MY GOD! Make this dream reality!!! ✨
Oh my gosh, yes!!!!!!! This would be so, so amazing and wonderful.
Do this! And a week of outfits, please!!
What a WONDERFUL dream, Lindsay. I just finished Michelle’s memoir – such deep healing, hopeful, grateful tears. She has given so much and Becoming was yet another deeply moving offering.
Wow she’s so stunning – love the variety of her outfits and how she accessories. Especially with red and her lipstick! She’s so put together!!
I love how the silhouettes of her clothes have an element of drama. It might not be Diana Ross, but it’s glamour nonetheless!
My wedding makeup artist recommended Ruby Woo and I have never looked back! Also, love Detroit!
The first photo of Ingrid in the black jumpsuit is the vibe/look I am eternally striving for. Amazing.
Ingrid is gorgeous! Thank you for sharing.
I would love to know the back story on the Afghan ring! <3
Holy cow I love her outfits 😍 Off to check out those dress links!!
Love her style. She looks so confident and at ease with herself.
I love Detroit! Your sense of style is fabulous. Well done.
I love her style. There’s nothing like a good dress to make you feel put together. It makes me really sad that it’s 30 degrees out and I can’t wear a dress with strappy shoes for the next six months. Le sigh.
As someone from one of the coldest capitals on the planet, ugh, I hear you. Our strappy shoes may be tucked away, but we’ve still got tights and boots for those dresses, right?
As well as cardigans and scarves and mitts, maybe a base layer…ugh! XD
Uniqlo heat tech tights and base layers are my savior. I can layer a lighter weight skirt or dress over them and still feel my limbs after spending time outside.
I wear a skirt with tights all winter, but it really isn’t the same. My skin is dry, I’m sick of the layers already (and it’s only November). My sweaters will all need to be washed soon…I miss summer :(
Gray streaks unite! Truth be told I’m more gray than just this streak (shhhh) but it was pretty aggressive so now I’m letting it do it’s thing. At 36, I’m not ready to embrace all the gray, but this little piece can stay.
Ingrid you have a wonderful smile! and I love your style, so clear and simple and happy. Love love those huge rings!
❤️❤️❤️DETROIT!! That first photo I thought “that looks like Eastern Market”!
Me too! So proud of my Detroiters!
No outfits for a date?! I disagree!! I think she looks absolutely stunning and date-ready in all of these outfits!
Ingrid! Your style is divine. Everyone had better move out of my way as I order myself a pair of those heart frames- SWOON!