For this post, I was asked to be apart of a photo series & interview by portrait and fashion photographer, Joshua Christie (Instagram: @joshuaechristie). The concept is to capture today's youth around their hometowns and neighboring cities, to depict how their environment has influenced their style. I was completely honored when asked because if you follow Joshua, then you know how AMAZING his work is! I wore red because it's the color he wanted me to wear so that his "Senescence" series would be completed on his feed. So, we braved the cold and he captured some amazing photos of me. Check out my interview below:
J: What's your name?
N: Naomi Parris.
J: What is your city/hometown?
N: Canarsie, Brooklyn, NYC.
J: What was it like growing up in your city?
N: It was very chill and welcoming. Everybody pretty much knew everybody. Growing up in Canarsie made me really understand the infamous phrase, "Spread Love, It's The Brooklyn Way". Even though it's not as "rough" as other areas in Brooklyn like Brownsville or Bed-Stuy (back in the day), I still got the real Brooklyn baby experience.
J: How does your city have an influence on your style?
N: Canarsie doesn't have much of a particular influence on my style, but more so living in NYC on a whole. Apart from coming from a family who loves fashion & dressing well, seeing street style while walking around Brooklyn Heights, SoHo, or even the UES has really inspired me to just be free with my personal style, while staying true to who I am.
J: Who are some style icons you look to for inspiration?
N: This is hard! But I'll choose my top 5. So I'll have to say Tracee Ellis Ross, stylist Amanda Murray, blogger Celeste van Joost (her brand is Celmatique), stylist Shiona Turini, and Naomi Elizee (fashion market assistant at VOGUE).
J: What's one word you would use to describe your style? (Elaborate)
N: This technically isn't one word, but Statement-making. I'm currently in the process of elevating my style by adding more bold pieces to my closet. I love color and I'm getting more into prints & daring textures. A lot of times people have to speak in order to state who they are, but I love the idea of when I'm walking down the street and someone sees me, they can tell who I am just by how I dress. I love statement pieces and creating looks with them without doing TOO much or straying away from who I am and what I'm about.
J: What's your go to for shoes?
N: Either sneakers or booties. I have about 1,000 pairs of booties. I just bought some recently as if I need another pair. Okay I'm extra but you get the point haha. And when I'm not feeling like heels, I love a good sneaker.
J: If you could raid anyone's closet, who would it be?
N: Amanda Murray for sure!
J: How many style phases have you been through? N: About 4. I remember I was in this crazy 90s phase where I loved dressing with the flannel around the waist like TLC. Then I was really into camo print jackets, and then the trendy Urban Outfitters like vibe. Now, I'm at my permanent, defined style.
Look Details:
Coat & Dress: Zara
Boots: Dries Van Noten
Shades: Vintage
Photos by: Joshua Christie (instagram: @joshuaechristie)
Stay tuned for more posts! xoxo