coffee with a creative: ajaila
“I am filled with peace when creating.” - Ajaila Walker.
I am so excited to kick off my Coffee With a Creative series with my dear friend, Jai. I have known her for nearly a year, and we only got to know each other through mutual collaboration with the stunning jewelry brand, Mejuri. Mejuri has really helped foster some incredible friendships in the fashion world, and Jai is one of those for me.
A force to be reckoned with and an appetite for all moody aesthetics, Jai has shown so many people across the globe how to take your Granddad’s oversized blazer and style it in fifteen different ways. A lot of her styling comes from the idea of reusing things in your closet in different ways, and in turn, being part of the solution to the fast fashion industry. If you happen upon her Instagram page, you’re sure to fall in love with her instantaneously. Not only is her eye for fashion impeccable, but she’s also put her compassion for world issues at the forefront of her content. She isn’t just here to inspire your next outfit and mood board, but also to fight for what she believes is matters.
At only 23 years old, Jai is one of the few people I know that has really developed their style and know who they are as a person. It really is inspiring to see. Located in a small town outside fo Atlanta, Georgia, Jai is a content creator trying to find her place in the fashion industry. “I hate the word micro-influencer,” she tells me. Which, frankly, I understand as a content creator myself. There are so many negative connotations behind it that it's hard not to dislike the term. But Jai proves that she’s more than just that word, and has actually worked to stand out in the industry. “Despite having a degree in Psychology, I have a huge love for fashion and styling and I’m even looking for internships in digital marketing and social media. I definitely think that my degree does help me with marketing though.” Part of becoming on a content creator means that you’re developing yourself as a brand, and your content as a “product.” "In the Psychology program, we learned a lot about how the brain thinks and reacts to various situations--whether they are good or bad. So for the fashion industry, it gives me psychological insight about potential buyers' thoughts and interests, and how I can use that to properly persuade them.” Or, in the case of creating content, knowing her audience and what works so that she has a positive reaction to the content she puts out.
Jai’s love for fashion came to her at a young age. She didn't discover it when she was in high school, or even at university like some people. Her love for clothes and style runs much deeper than that. Although she can’t pinpoint where it came from, it has almost always been there. “My parents say that I was super young when I discovered my love for clothes,” she tells me, reminiscing on her childhood and when this drive to work in fashion first began. “They said that when I turned five, I used to change my outfits at least four times a day. And that I would even model them down the driveway for anybody that walked by! My mom remembers it the most because she was always pissed that she had to wash so many clothes. I’m still teased about it even in my twenties because I do the same exact things when shooting content!” Clearly, Jai has always killed it in the fashion game, and I can only imagine how cute those childhood “runway” shows were. While I’m sure that her fashion influences back in the day were something else, she draws her current inspiration from Hailey Bieber, Nicole Williams-English, and Rihanna. “All three of them have made baggy pieces look sexy and turned street style more chic and comfortable, which is right up my ally. My own style is a super minimal street style. I am a lover of baggy jeans/trousers, solid color tops, and a good pair of shoes. I like to mix the 90s and early 2000s aesthetic into my looks.”
Taking the leap to create fashion content isn’t always the easiest and most seamless thing to do. With the industry growing and new fashion influencers popping up, it can be scary to think you’re good enough to be part of it. “I’ve been wanting to create content and become this fashion “influencer” since graduating high school in 2015, but I never followed through until about a year ago. I was always scared of what people would say about me behind my back.” There is always that moment we all have in any creative industry though. The moment where we decide to take that giant leap and go ‘yes, I can do this.’ “Around this time last year I had just moved back home to finish my last semester online. I sat down in my room and asked myself, ‘What the hell are you gonna do in your spare time?’ This was the moment I decided that I could really take the time to create and not give one care about the people on the outside. For four years, I had contemplated doing what I love to do and never did it. But now? I have never felt more inspired and alive and I am actually spending my time doing something that brings me so much joy.” If she could go back and talk to her teenage self, the one that just graduated and was scared to take that leap, she would say “Never be afraid to pursue what you truly love to do. People will always talk.”
A lot of people aren’t aware of the work fashion influencers put in to make their content. It isn’t as simple as just throwing on an outfit and taking a picture in your living room. Most fashion influencers put careful thought into their clothing choices, photo locations, and posing to create quality content and inspiration for others' own styles. “I typically spend my nights creating mood boards and pulling looks, therefore, when I wake up in the morning, I have a clear cut vision and I’m not scrambling to figure shit out. Sometimes I even plan my looks and ideas for one to two hours. Since I’m not really shopping online anymore, I have to take items that I’ve already shot and turn them into new looks.” Something Jai focuses on in her style is re-wearing items and showcasing how that isn’t taboo or wrong. In fact, it is actually what we should all be doing. “When I was younger, I hated the idea of wearing something to school more than once. I guess that was the fashionista in me” Jai admits to me with a laugh. “But once I hit a certain age and had to spend money on more important things, that went straight out the window. Honestly, having to rework outfits and re-wear old clothes shows more of your creativity, and more importantly, you're doing the environment justice.”
Just as the environment is a big element that needs to be incorporated and cared about by fashion brands, there are also a lot of other issues being brought to light. Inclusivity is a huge and important change that the fashion industry needs to implement. “I want to see more Black women visibly represented in the industry. I want DARK SKIN women to get their recognition.” Jai continues, “I want the industry to listen and understand the stories of their Black employees and not fire them when they speak up. We need diversity in your headquarters. Black creators, male or female, will never get what they truly deserve if your main office only has one shade across the board.” Black voices are vital in seeing a change in our industries. As an ally, we have to be better at lifting up their voices, like Jai’s, and not speaking over them. Standing back and letting them lead and speak. With movements like Black Lives Matter becoming forefront conversations in many industries, including fashion, a lot of influencers, designers, and journalists have finally had their voices and content showcased. But just because we’ve started seeing changes, doesn’t mean that the work is done.
“My goal, at this very moment, is to become more involved in the fashion industry. I want to create many long-lasting relationships with the brands that I have collaborated with.” Jai has worked so hard to maintain these relationships and build others. If you look at her content, it really stands out and showcases who she is and why she should be heard. “Ultimately, I’d want to be a celebrity stylist. I didn't have the money to attend a fashion school, but I feel that the path that I am on can lead me to that dream. I am a big believer that manifestation works and that sometimes different paths lead you to your destination.” We’re always growing as people, and I think that Jai has shown how she has able to take what she’s been given and turn it into something magnificent. She’s shown that dreams are for more than what they seem, and are tangible. “I will end you on my favorite quote and it pretty much sums up my last year of being a content creator and that quote says: “Be fearless in the pursuit of what sets your soul on fire.”
I wanted to take a second to thank every single one of you that read this interview with Jai, and are continuing to support me and the Coffee with a Creative initiative. Bringing my friend’s stories to light and showcasing their incredible talents is such a blessing and I really hope you consider keeping up and supporting these wonderful humans. As explained in my original post, I have created a Ko-Fi account for this series. On there you can donate (literally just buy a creative a coffee if you’d like) and express who the donation is going to. All the donations will go to the creative you name, and help support them and their arts, as well as simply a way to show them you believe in them!