In a speech, Toni Morrison famously said: ‘I tell my students, when you get these jobs that you have been so brilliantly trained for, remember that your real job is if you are free, you need to free somebody else. If you have some power, then your job is to empower somebody else.’ And those words have never left me.
I’ve had a career-long passion for using my platform to push for meaningful representation within fashion – whether that be the range of stories and images one sees in media or the people who work in the business behind the scenes. One of my proudest achievements to date is the grassroots mentoring and support network I set up in 2015 called ROOM Mentoring, which has provided a safe space for students and aspiring creatives of colour in the fashion industry in London and beyond.
Beyond my work-related passions, I’m obsessed with water. I grew up near the ocean in a coastal town in Virginia and I’m happiest when I am submerged in water – it can be a dive in the sea, a lap in a city pool or a long hot soak in my bathtub.
THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE MY CULTURE ARE…
Womanist, multicultural, bicoastal.
I FEEL I MOST BELONG WHEN…
I am surrounded by joy.
TO ME, EMPOWERMENT MEANS…
Equality and freedom.
TO ENSURE EVERYONE FEELS SEEN AND HEARD, WE NEED TO…
Listen. And for those who are in positions of power, actively look to see which voices and experiences are missing from your network and how you can help lift them up.
DIVERSITY MATTERS BECAUSE…
We live in a diverse, culturally wide-ranging world. Our lives are richer when we embrace that.
WHEN I NEED TO FEEL INSPIRED, I GO TO…
The words of my personal heroes: bell hooks, Audre Lorde and Toni Morrison.
I’M MOST PROUD OF…
My two incredibly adorable, curious, and high-energy boys.
IF THERE’S ONE THING EVERYONE SHOULD READ/WATCH/LISTEN TO THIS YEAR, IT’S…
Not to sound basic, but I’d curl up on my sofa and watch both seasons of Euphoria all over again for Zendaya’s impeccable performance. But really, after the two years we’ve all had, I recommend getting out there in the world and seeing all the things! I’ve been itching to consume as much art, theatre and live entertainment as possible. Kehinde Wiley’s The Prelude at the National Gallery and Rachel Jones at Chisenhale Gallery have been among my personal highlights so far.
THIS YEAR, I’VE LEARNT TO…
Raise my cooking game. The latest recipe I’ve conquered is a Moroccan pastilla.
THE FUTURE IS…
What we make of it!
To discover more Hearst UK opportunities be sure to visit their employer profile page here.
BYP had the pleasure of hosting a virtual fireside chat with Elle UK’s Editor-in-Chief, Kenya Hunt, and Hearst UK‘s Head of Diversity and Belonging, Richie Booker. Watch now on Youtube.
