We were lucky to catch up with Janisa Garry recently and have shared our conversation below.

Janisa, appreciate you joining us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

At age 16! It was November 2009 and I just purchased all my favorite magazines like Teen Vogue, as I’m standing in book aisle of Shopritelooking for the latest issue my mouth dropped. I finally saw a models with features like mine and I felt a rush of adrenaline. I’m flipping through these pages and it seems like more black models were being featured, it was Chanel Iman and Jourdan Dunn on the cover. I always collected the magazines but thought I wasn’t tall enough or had the right look. My mom used to take me to modeling agencies before and I was rejected due to not having the “right look, cup size or height” Seeing that cover changed my way of thinking so I created the persona of Nisafashionista as armor and prepped myself for the journey I knew I was destined for but always denied to myself and my peers.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I’m Janisa Garry. I also go by my persona/stage name Nisafashionista. I’m a professional model and as well as a fashion expert. I had an amazing best friend who is also a model who has encouraged me and became me her muse for her photography. My first magazine feature was back in December 2018 for Aquarius mood. I also specialize in cosplaying, which I like to refer to it as fantasy fashion. I’m a self-taught makeup artist and also specialize in social media managing, which I am currently doing for my modeling agency.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

I always credit my love of film & tv for shaping my philosophy and professionalism in the fashion/modeling world. I adored ‘The Devil Wears Prada’, Clueless, Gossip Girl, Showgirls Fashion documentaries like Unzipped and public access broadcasting all the runway videos, magazines like Vogue, Elle, Harper Bizarre and America’s next top model. You see I binge watched these programs not solely for entertainment but to learn the do’s and the don’ts of the business plus execute it with style. I feel it so any piece of media that’s related to your industry there’s bound to be some learning lesson in it. It’s mostly my attitude about film TV shows in general actually.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

It was about 2020 during the pandemic, I had 3 years of working for the NJ DMV under my belt and I was so being to be depressed. I felt stagnant and unfulfilled. The poem ‘Harlem’ by Langston Hughes comes to mind because how I felt at that time was the result of ‘Dream Deferred’. Unironically I was laid off and got hired at my first fashion corporate position as Luxury Authenticator for TheRealReal in November that year. I felt my passion for fashion reignite inside of me. Within that time that’s when I networked & befriended with like-minded people that help push me to restart my modeling career that I struggled with since the age of 18. Since then, it has been nonstop and I have no plans on giving up anytime soon!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nisafashionista?igsh=MXNrOTFjYmxkeTYyag%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janisa-g-06893b1ba?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@nisafashionista?_r=1&_t=ZT-91cighJVWTl

Image Credits
Tony Satch (editorial shots with hats), LBito Rose (cosplay images), Antoine Smith (park bench images)