I met Talya several years ago when I was on the board of the Exposure Festival. I was organizing the closing night party and really wanted to include some hip hop dancing. I’m not even sure how we came into contact but she was immediately supportive of my vision and we continued to keep in touch beyond the event (she put together an all girl group and they were rad.)
I think I was most nervous about starting a fashion blog because of knowing Talya. I tell people “no, you don’t understand—she’s legit!”. Talya works for online fashion magazine, Kenton, as Fashion Editor & Digital Lead. Follow her on social media and you’ll see her sitting at New York Fashion Week and getting previews of all sorts of designer goodies on a daily basis. Obviously, my focus here is different; I’m working on self love and highlighting the personal style of people of colour around me/inspiring me. Ultimately, it was a silly concern as Talya is nothing but supportive; doing everything to help and participate, despite a super busy schedule. It’s a beautiful thing to have extended community like Talya cheering you on from wherever they may be, and I’m over here cheering her on too.
All photos by KC. Shot at Allan Gardens in Toronto
I’ve seen pictures of you at the fashion weeks (NYC, TO). I imagine for anyone who considers themselves a lover of high fashion, this would be the dream–how is the dream treating you?
It’s amazing, so inspiring. I’m so grateful and deeply humbled. I’m getting closer and closer to my goals and every day is an adventure. Some days it’s very surreal. Sitting front row at a New York Fashion Week show, as a Fashion Editor, less than 14 months after graduating from Fashion school—that was surreal. However, I’m going to be real for a second here: the dream is a LOT of hard work and an immense amount of sacrifice. My family has given everything they can and I haven’t slept properly in months. I’ve done a lot of work for free or very little pay. People assume working in fashion is pure glamour, because of what we put out there on our social media accounts, but it’s HARD. WORK. Luckily, I love the hustle and the unexpected. I am living and working the dream and I cannot wait for what’s next.
There’s been dancing, PR and bunny ownership in your life–was fashion an unexpected turn or part of the plan?
It was totally unexpected but made perfect sense. Summer of 2010, I was having the typical quarter-life-crisis. I had been teaching dance and working as an admin assistant and although both roles paid the bills and brought me to beautiful people, I felt uninspired. I like change and I thrive on it. I had been spending way more time on fashion blogs and reading up on fashion history and realized that this meant something. I called around to a couple of friends in the industry, got some sage advice from my Dad, found the program I wanted in Vancouver and got accepted within 3 weeks! Fashion PR followed that. (The bunnies were very supportive throughout!)
There can be a lot to criticize about the lack of diversity in fashion, in terms of models of colours or size. What has been your experience as a woman of colour in the industry?
I haven’t experienced a lot of difficulty, but I think that’s because of my role. In all honesty, my diversity and experiences have given me a little bit of an edge—I can speak on all the cultural influences going on in fashion and be taken a little bit more seriously. And people remember me because I’m unique looking. I love being a curvaceous woman of colour and I embrace it wholly and I think in doing so, I’ve won half the battle. It’s so cliché but you’ve gotta love what you see in the mirror in order to face the world! The business of fashion is also a very socially inclusive game—age, sexual orientation, race, gender; it’s all good as long as you WORK. I don’t personally feel I can speak on the modeling industry but I always love seeing women of colour and size on the runways.
Are there designers or brands that are leading the way with diversity (size, people of colour, etc)?
Most brands know they need to change the game a bit if they want to be taken seriously and more importantly, make sales. If you look at a lot of runway looks or brand lookbooks, your initial reaction may be that because it’s on a thin model, those are the only people who can wear it but it’s not true. It just needs to be reinterpreted and fit correctly. Beyonce wore Alexander McQueen, Octavia Spencer wears Tadashi Shoji all of the time. Designers are embracing the needs of the women and men who want to wear them. It’s really just about reinterpretation and adjustments. Anyone can wear any trend if they do it right. I’m a firm believer in this.
Do you have any style role models in your family (past or present)?
I am definitely influenced by my family! My parents have always been style conscious. My Dad is a dapper fellow; he knows how to wear a suit well and always pushed me to look my best. My Mum had the whole tribal-gypsy-boho-chic look down WAY before it was a thing and I like to think I’m a good combination of the both of them. My Grandmother was such a lady and she inspired me to wear lipstick, keep my roots fresh and apply a little bit of grace to my daily situations (something I need to keep in mind at all times!).
Is there a memorable style phase you had as a kid/teen?
I think I went through all the typical phases a 90’s kid went through. Grunge, preppy, spice girl, none of them very well either! I did have a major Gwen Stefani phase though and only wanted to wear baggy pants, tight tanks, curled bangs and bindis. I didn’t get into trouble at school for it because I’m actually part Indian so it worked for me as well as any trend works for a 14-year-old.
How has living in certain cities, including but not limited to your current one, impacted the way you dress?
I try and take a little bit of the energy and attitude away from everywhere I live. I’ve lived in two ocean cities so I try and do everything with ease. I aim to only take half an hour to get ready max (I try!) and don’t look like I tried too hard. The downtown aesthetic of places I’ve lived keeps me on my toes. I always try and look like I could go anywhere or be anywhere, no matter what the day brings me. Layering is key! Traveling around the world has brought so many amazing elements and influences into my life. I wake up sometimes and think about what a typical day in Spain, NYC, Japan or Oman might feel like if I were doing my job there and I base my outfit around that.
Does the East Indian part of who you are affect the way you dress as well?
Absolutely. I’m inspired by Indian prints, colours, batiks – all of that. I wear a gold nose hoop on casual days, my tattoos are all meant to look like they’re Mehndi and I try to embrace the energy and spirituality of India in how I handle my life. It’s a journey.
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I had my hunky assistant, Vivek Shraya, with me hanging out, holding things and showing a little arm. Someone should hire these two for an editorial or something.
Like, damnnnnnn
