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

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

My name is Jehlani Nasira and I am the founder of my fashion brand Asira. I am a native born and raised designer from East Orange and Newark New Jersey. Coming from a creative multi-disciplinary background I always look to emerge as a liaison between my graphic art world about my fashion work. Since the age of 15, I have been designing abstract streetwear for fashion enthusiasts who dare to be different and serve impact with their looks. My introduction to fashion wasn’t necessarily the traditional route, but more so on the ends of being unable to access the latest trends that others had. What began as a hustle turned into a long growing passion that has allowed me to expand in ways unimagined. I remember creating my blueprint brand post-couture, “LILWAVE” an acronym standing for, “Learn, Win, Evolve.” At this point I was breaking into my early color interaction phase with tie dye kits from Walmart, cutting up old t-shirts that I would have around the house, applying my sketchbook designs to garments with my heat press machine and sourcing manufacturers. I would then sell these same designs out of my high school locker during free periods or after school any chance I could. The psychology of color and shapes has always intrigued me simply because it can explain depth below the surface of the world we live in today. In my mind, much of the world today is filled with shapes of both geometric and organic living beings. Those who are organic are much more free-flowing and open-minded about ideologies and progression as opposed to an individual with a geometric restricted perception. At a young age, I proudly identified as an organic shape that would be open to mass possibilities even if that meant creating a vision completely abstract. From creating a world in my sketchbook to the runway, fashion has become my very own playground to explore.

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 background and context?

We are breathing puzzles full of deep love, anguish, and resilience. The way our brain and hands work to unravel the unknown is our way of storytelling the past, present, and future. I’m interdisciplinary with a focus on creating an outlet for outcasts and marginalized groups to channel their inner Renaissance within my brand, “Asira.” Asira is derived from my Arabic and Swahili middle name Nasira and translates to “Chosen One.” My peripheral view touches on perspectives of identity, sexuality, gender, and adversity with the hopes of creating an everlasting dialogue between historical patterns to illustrate imagery of new realities and ideologies. My world speaks closely towards the restoration of community, functionality, and liberation through hue, asymmetry, and abstract needlework. The dichotomy of human existence through tender moments of physical touch, body language, and emotional interactions is what makes us all unique. Although we all have a different story, it’s our flaws and revelations that allow the puzzle to come together.

Asira’s color palette is associated with warm hues of reddish, orange, and brown tones reminiscent of my hometown, “Brick City” located in Newark, New Jersey. I associate the brand’s symbol with a brick for its notion of being everlasting, durable, reliant, trustworthy, and helpful. Bricks are known to be weather and age-proof in the harshest conditions. There is a sense of protection derived from a brick that comes in the form of individual ideas, thoughts, or plans that will shape your future. These same individual building blocks make up who you are and how you will help create a wall or barrier against external forces. A brick to Asira is a foundation of community and serves as a constant reminder of the care and diligent work that goes into the self of building an everlasting life of love, triumph, and resilience. Brick by brick we’re one.

Asira is an illumination of reflection, self-discovery, unity, and evolution that goes into sustaining fruitful yet genuine connections in the midst of external factors that leave room for opposition. There are many factors that divide us as people, some of which come in the form of discrimination, disagreements, and more because of one’s identity. However, our differences are the one thing that makes us beautiful and unique as a human species. Growth isn’t linear but infinite.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

I would say the most rewarding aspect of being creative can be there being no limits and having the ability to allow myself to be delusional in the process. I believe that to create something organic and unworldly you have to make space to flow simply. Whenever I explain the philosophy of Asira I always talk about it in terms of it being its world. I have allowed myself to continuously explore my inner child through a playground of abstraction. My matriarchal world is a product of allowing myself to endlessly dream in the third person.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

I feel like something I wish society could do better at when it comes to creatives thriving can be to be less judgmental and honor everyone’s individuality. Often I feel like those who are not creatives find it easy to compare and to me, that simply steals the joy of it all. Creatives are already non-conformists so they should be able to just be that.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.jehlaninasira.com/
• Instagram: @wavebylani / @houseofasira
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jehlaninasira

Image Credits

Derix Duncan (IG: @depictedimages) and Taylor Hunter (IG: @misstaylorhunter)