We recently connected with Maliyah Ponce and have shared our conversation below.

Maliyah, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s jump right into how you came up with the idea?

I grew up reading Harpers Bazaar and Instyle as a child. Fashion and Design was my safe space. I have always been creative, and have always loved telling the world who I am. With fashion, I get the best of both worlds! I didnt grow up with a ton of money. I am also a curvy, Biracial Black woman. This industry never cared for people like me. But those challenges made me more obsessed. How can I create a stunning look for less than $50? How can I create an outfit that shows off my curves, instead of hiding them? I love to make things beautiful and interesting, and fashion has forced me to take things to the extra mile. The women who raised me were Big, Beautiful Black Women. On a budget. And they were always dressed to the nines. It was never a question of if I could do, but how. And that is how my journey began. What did fashion mean and look like to me, and how did I want to share that with the world?

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.

My name is Maliyah, and I am a fashion girl. I live for prints, fabrics, cuts, and design. I know more about Italian designers than I do American presidents. I would argue the latter has contributed more to the modern world. My title is wardrobe stylist, but what I do is help people see who they can be. Too many people shy away from who they are, or who they want to be…fashion is the push to step into your identity. And its not fixed. You can be a moody romantic in chiffon and ruffles one day, and be an edgy anarchist donned in leather and hardware the next. The point is to just BE. Fashion has been exclusive in so many ways; financially, size wise, and racially. But the world is changing, and more people are realizing fashion has always been for every single person. I embody that by dressing everyone…for everything. Whether you’re plus sized, low income, or gender fluid, my goal is to help you present yourself to the world, however you want that to look. I think all great stylists share that trait: to help clients step into the best version of themselves. We are all different in how we approach that mission. For me, it’s all about pushing the boundaries. In fact, the boundaries don’t exist. Theres not one thing a single person cant wear. You just have to be creative about how the piece/look is worn. That’s what makes things fun. Fashion and dressing is the top layer, but what makes it worth it is the protest. Protesting against being a lemming. The attack on individuality is what prevents the world from moving forward, and fashion is a working machine against that. It might start with an outfit, but the end goal is to knock down the imaginary walls. Walls of fear, the feeling that you’re not enough, or maybe too much. I would say that’s what I am most proud of. If I can give just one person the confidence to be who they really are, then Ive done what I need to do in this life.

Have you ever had to pivot?

So when I moved to LA, it was early February 2020. I had just dealt with the death of my Mother, my greatest inspiration. I also suffered a devastating best friend break up. All in all, I needed a new scene. The goal was to move to LA, and level up in my styling career. I had no idea that none of that was going to happen. During the first year here, I was struggling financially, and was looking for any source of income. I started selling jewelry, but of course, I needed to market this. Now I had always been behind the scenes, but to save money, I decided to model my own pieces. And thats what truly changed the trajectory of my life. I shied away from being in the spotlight, but modeling? OMG I LOVED being in front of the camera. I loved being the muse behind my looks. It was such a personal thing. I learned so much about being confident, and taking ownership over my identity. Eventually I began styling myself in front of the camera for content. I have a gift, and I wanted to share it with others who may be suffering in the ways I had. It started with a self funded shoot, but became the ultimate goal of my life. To live and breathe fashion. In a way that centered ME.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The absolute best part of being a creative is the freedom you have. The freedom to show up as YOU. This field does not work for those who are lying to themselves about who they are. Your entire personality comes alive in your work. With every project, its an opportunity to get to know yourself a little better. And I love that. In a world that tries to box me in, I have the freedom to be me. However, and whatever that looks like.

Contact Info:

• Website: maliyahponce.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/liyahishhh/
• Twitter: twitter.com/lionesssaaa
• Other: tiktok.com/liyahishhh

Image Credits
myself, friends, my boyfriend