Shelby Ivey Christie has always been a fashion girl. “If I saw something in a magazine I would try to emulate it. I went to school with white socks and a pair of Charlotte Russe heels on, because there was an editorial about shoes and heels,” she tells us over the phone. After studying fashion merchandising at North Carolina A&T, Shelby fell in love with African-American history. “I went back to my parents and I was like, hey, I think I want to be a historian,” she explains. An internship at W Magazine and at InStyle magazine, and later a job at Vogue, revealed the industry in flux as it shifted from print to digital. So Shelby asked herself, “I have these two loves, how do I bring them together?” The answer started with an M.A. in Costume Studies NYU and continues to manifest through her compelling perspective which she’s lended to the likes of Google, Netflix, and CFDA.
“Sleep has always been super important to me,” shares Shelby. Wearing multiple hats, juggling different time zones, and completing schoolwork all demand attention. Her antidote? Creating lists before bed. “Anybody who knows me, my friends, my family, those who work with me, they know I create lists.”
Here she shares what’s currently next to her bed, other than a list for the day to come.
What side of the bed do you sleep on?
I sleep on the right side of the bed, but I might move over to the other side because that side gets cooler overnight.
What can you not sleep without?
I need a nice cool room. I used to have to sleep with white noise. When I lived in New York, because of the noise on the street, I would have to use a rain sound playlist or something like that to get some sleep. And I used to have to sleep with a weighted blanket in New York. Probably just because of New York chaos. NowI can sleep with no white noise since it’s pretty quiet here in Seattle. I cannot put my head on the cotton pillow. If I have volume to it and I want to maintain that volume, I sleep with a bonnet because it doesn’t squish your hair. If my hair is straight, I’ll wrap it in a silk scarf to keep it silky. And if I have braids or more of a protective style, it’s really just having a scarf on my head or a bigger bonnet.
What is currently next to your bed?
I have two CB2 stands with matching chrome lamps. I keep amethyst next to my bed. TikTok taught me about this device called the cable wrangler, a little square magnet that catches your cords, for all the devices that I keep charging. I’m obsessed with it. I keep a notebook and a few candles.
Do you keep any electronics next to your bed?
I try to adhere to no electronics before bed. I don't have a TV in my room. Knowing I have ADHD, I cannot fall asleep with even a little bit of noise. My brain is like, “What’s that?” So no TV in the bedroom. And I put my phone on the charger next to the bed, but I have like at least 10 to 20 minutes where I won’t touch it. I’ll either read my book or make my lists, do my meditation, and then go to bed. I try to meditate for ten minutes every few days or else my brain gets cluttered.
What’s your nighttime routine in five steps or less?
I wash my face, do my nighttime skincare routine, and wrap my hair up, depending upon the style. I either light my candles, or put the artificial candles on. If I have a bunch of stuff that's coming up, like Black History Month and Women's Month, I make a list of what I need to discuss with my management team, what I need to do for work, and any personal things that I need to get done so that they're out of my head. If it’s a meditation night, I'm going to put on my meditation videos, turn the lights off, and put on my meditation video. Then I’m going to read and go straight to bed.