Nikia Phoenix: Interview with the Model and Writer

I love reading Nikia Phoenix’s blog Model Liberation which I found recently after seeing a post at the blog Make Fetch Happen . You may recognize her from a music video for Cut Chemist feat. Hymnal, “What’s the Altitude.”

Nikia Phoenix

She was kind to give me an interview this week providing genuine insight on the fashion industry from her perspective as a Model:

What do you do as a Model and what do you love about it?

Being a model isn’t just about posing for pictures and walking down the runway, I think it’s a lifestyle. You have to know how to be a good business woman and market yourself. Modeling forces me to take care of my body instead of abusing it. I love the rush I get before the fashion show. I love being on a photo shoot and knowing when you’ve just taken the perfect picture. And I love when people recognize me from something, and they like what I did.

Do you think the “Black Issue” for Italian Vogue Magazine is a marker for progress today?

I’m trying not to be a pessimist, but the Italian Vogue makes me feel like black models are just novelties. Yes, we’re special, but you can use us in your normal fashion spreads too. I think Italian Vogue barely skimmed the surface. The magazine only used well-known black models, but what about the rest of us?

What obstacles have you experienced as a Model in the fashion industry?

I’ve definitely seen racial barriers in this industry. I’ve been rejected from projects and agencies because their black quota had already been met. I’ve heard casting directors tell my agent not to send any ethnic models to a casting. I’m either not tall enough, not skinny enough, I’ve got too many freckles…the list goes on. I used to take it personally, but I just shake it off now. I don’t want to work with someone if they don’t genuinely want to work with me.

How have your experiences helped you succeed?

My agent and I make very calculated moves, and she really believes in me. I’ve learned to be honest with myself and to go after what I want. I’m too experienced to have someone waste my time. I lived a completely different life before I started modeling, and life will go one after I stop modeling. I don’t have tunnel vision like some girls.

If you became a Designer what would you create?

I actually studied fashion design for a bit. I’m a soft knit girl. I like things that are comfortable and cute. I also like something that’s versatile and you can breathe in it. I’m sure I can dig up a sketch to show you but it’s nothing to brag about. I believe in effortless beauty and style.

What advice would you give young women of color?

I wanted to model when I was younger, but kept hitting roadblocks. I prayed and asked God to show me that this is what I needed to be doing. He answered over and over again. People, photographers, and designers kept asking me to model for them or telling me that I needed to model. So, I stuck with it. Basically, persevere and you will triumph. I know it’s hard, I’ve been there and I’m still there. But you can’t give up, because then you’ll always think “what if.” If God blessed you with something, don’t waste it.