This Mansfield stylist’s vintage gold mirror is a reminder of who she wants to be

From KERA News:

This is part of an Arts Access series called “Home is where the art is,” which gives an inside look into the art that North Texans treasure in their homes.

Inside Voke Onoriose’s home studio for personal styling, an ornate vintage mirror sits on a corner table.

“Me vs. Me.”

Onoriose wrote that phrase on her mirror in black marker. It’s a reminder to focus on her own journey as a personal stylist.

“It’s just a reminder to not look at outwardly things. You know, just look within yourself. What makes you happy? What’s gonna heal your inner child?” she said.

Seven years ago when she was in high school, Onoriose’s dad gifted her the mirror. Since her father died in 2023, she said her mirror has become deeply meaningful.

“He just walked in my room and put the mirror on the wall and I was just like, ‘Cool, a mirror in my bedroom.’ I didn’t think much of it until now that he’s no longer here with me. Like this mirror, it’s like I get him now.”

She plans to take her mirror anywhere she lives.

“I’m on a path of just creating a name for myself and I just feel like this mirror is coming along with me on that journey,” she said.

This interview has been lightly edited for clarity. 

Can you describe your mirror? 

Honestly, I don’t even know what type of material this is. I just know that it’s bold. It’s a statement.

It gives that feel, one of those vintagey vibes, and that’s kind of my vibe, too. I love this mirror so much. When I look at it, it seems like it’s a reflection of me, but also what I want to accomplish. 

I do change out the writing. Sometimes I put a Bible verse on there. I have a smaller mirror here that I have one of my favorite verses, Jeremiah 29:11 on there. But, yeah I either put a scripture on there or sometimes I put an affirmation on there, and sometimes I just put VVS [Voke Vogue Studios] on there.

Where did you get your mirror from? 

When I was in high school, my dad – he’s no longer with us today – he came into my room and just put this mirror on my wall. He didn’t even say “Yo, I got you this mirror.” He just walked into my room and put the mirror on the wall.

It really does make me think about him and think of all the memories that we had together. I love my dad so much. I was his best friend. I was his handbag, as we liked to call it. I was always with him and it really does remind me of him, for sure.

Where is your mirror in your home and why did you place it there? 

We are in Voke Vogue Studios. This is my home studio, and I just feel like it’s perfect in here.

I have a mirror in my bedroom, but that mirror is by far not as elegant as this one. It’s still a gold mirror, but it’s not as like loud and posh as this. This studio is just where I do a lot of my creative work. It’s also where I just channel all my energy within.

How does having your mirror make you feel? 

It makes me feel really good. Vintage gold mirrors are really expensive, so to know that I have one and I didn’t have to purchase it, it makes me feel really good.

I feel like this was something that even if I have a home, I would want one of these in my home and to know I already have one that was gifted to me by my sweet daddy, it was just perfect. I love it.

How does your mirror represent home for you? 

I guess home to me is kind of like a feeling. Like where home is wherever you are. I feel really good about this mirror. I feel really zen about this mirror.

So I guess it’s just a feeling. Home is a feeling to me, this mirror is a feeling as well. 

Arts Access is an arts journalism collaboration powered by The Dallas Morning News and KERA.

This community-funded journalism initiative is funded by the Better Together Fund, Carol & Don Glendenning, City of Dallas OAC, The University of Texas at Dallas, Communities Foundation of Texas, The Dallas Foundation, Eugene McDermott Foundation, James & Gayle Halperin Foundation, Jennifer & Peter Altabef and The Meadows Foundation. The News and KERA retain full editorial control of Arts Access’ journalism.

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