We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Aja Brandman a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Aja , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

I think like most creatives and artists, I knew pretty early on that my future would revolve around staying creative and curious.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve always been interested in art; it was the class and outlet I was most excited to explore growing up and in high school I knew I wanted to pursue fashion design. I was fortunate to have lived close to the city and took that opportunity to attend preliminary fashion design courses at FIT. This not only solidified my passion for it, but it eventually was my gateway towards attending and earning a degree in fashion design.

At the same time, I vividly remember where and how my love for baking began; a home ec class when I was 13. I had that natural ability and quiet confidence, but it wouldn’t be until later in my life where I reintroduced baking into my life in a more profound way.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Today I work as a model, freelance fashion designer, baker, and occasional photographer.

I worked in the fashion industry, out of college, for about 7 years mainly as an outwear then loungewear designer. I worked at companies that had licenses with the likes of Zac Posen, Neiman Marcus, Tommy Hilfiger, etc.

At the age of 21, I was street scouted and selected to model for a Puma campaign. Although this opportunity was amazing, I was still focused on a career in the fashion industry, so it wouldn’t be for another couple of years until I got in front of the camera again. Working in the fashion industry and having like minded friends, I was given opportunities to model for clothing and beauty brands. In 2019 I signed with an agency in NYC while keeping my design job. As many models know, the modeling industry can be painfully slow at times, and I was lucky that my design job was flexible with castings/ bookings. Fast forward to now, I am signed with two agencies and will pick up smaller freelance design jobs.

My grandmother picked up photography in her later years and passed down a film camera to me back in 2012, but it wasn’t until 2021 that I really developed a love for it. Taking my knowledge of what I’ve learned in front of the camera, along with my creative eye, I enjoy taking portraits and street photography.

Baking is another creative outlet that I love expressing through flavor and decorating. I am currently taking orders for cakes; one of my favorites being a pistachio cake with raspberry compote and buttercream.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The joy or confidence I bring to people is the most rewarding aspect to me as a creative. When I bake, it’s most often not for my enjoyment, but the enjoyment of others. When I take photos of people, it’s the confidence that I can help find within them that is the most rewarding.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

Most creatives thrive and rely on networking and social media. If you can’t support an artist or creative monetarily, sharing their work and exposing their name can go such a long way.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aja_b

Image Credits

Brian David
Jenn Collins
Anthony Amadeo
Aja Brandman