We recently connected with Mya Davis and have shared our conversation below.

Mya, appreciate you joining us today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

An extremely huge risk that I have taken was moving to New York City right after I graduated college. I grew up in Akron, Ohio, which is a fairly small city in the state; so BIG city living truly was s culture shock. I didn’t have any family in New York City so I was basically alone in this wild city, trying to start my fashion career. I was terrified, but I am the type of person to always run towards what I fear instead of letting it keep me still. I will always see NYC has my training ground and my bootcamp to prepare me for my future in fashion; whether that be corporate work or focusing solely on my personal artistic endeavors

Mya, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Mya A Davis and I am an adult who never allowed my inner child to stop dreaming. I realized that fashion was the career for me when I was ending high school. I had such an interest in clothing, styling, luxury corporations, and owning something. The first person in my family who ever did any type of fashion is my Uncle Russel, owner of Graffiti Print Shop in Akron, OH. Growing up, I loved visiting the print shop and seeing the merchandise being printed or that was done over the years and I couldn’t help to think that the work he was doing seemed creative and fun; two things I have always been drawn too.

I got into the fashion industry when I got my first freelance position at J.Crew as a sample coordinator. I truly did not know what a ‘sample coordinator’ was at the time but, was so proud to actually have entered the corporate world. Since 2022, I have freelanced for the following companies: Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, Kate Spade, American Eagle Outfitters, Burlington Coat Factory, and Marc Jacobs. During my time at these companies my roles were very different; I have been a merchandising assist, a sample coordinator. showroom coordinator, project manger, and concept design assistant. Looking back on all those roles and vast experiences I would say my favorite role was being a concept design assistant. The main focus of the role was color, choosing fabric, brand and trend research; which were things I adored studying at my alma mater, Kent State University! I knew then that this role , and my personal love for styling, helped me recognize the joy these this role could bring me. Being a paid creative director is a career goal of mine that I am thriving towards with every project

I am also a creative director who is sole purpose is to give a editorial point of view that just isn’t a lazy copy of my muses. I have completed about two shoots so far that I am so proud of and are helping me pinpoint my signature style and artistic voice! I have two more shoots I am planning on releasing by December 2024-January 2025 that showcase more of my inner artistic world and I am so excited for everyone to see. Please follow my Instagram @yours1123 so you will not miss anything!

What sets me apart from others is that no one is me. God created me uniquely and wonderfully which includes my imagination and point of view. No one can do what I do because no one is me. Period.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being a creative is getting to know yourself deeply enough to truly pour yourself into your work. I want to be so confident in MY brand and MY voice that when I create, I know for sure that a piece of me is intertwined with it. Also, touching someone’s life or journey with your work is extremely rewarding in my eyes. To truly know that someone sees me and sees themselves there too; what a beautiful human experience.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

A lesson that I had to unlearn, especially in New York, was to not look at what everyone is doing. The backstory of this lesson is just truly how obsessive and competitive I would allow New York to bring out of me when I was comparing my career and progression to others in my field/peer group. That shit will literally kill you if you have any type of competitive spirt that you can not control or be at peace with. Life is not a competition and there is no true time clock that is counting down against you and your dreams. Learn to be at peace with your timing and your process.

Contact Info:

• Website: @outletavenue_
• Instagram: @yours1123
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/myaadavis
• Other: https://joincreatively.com/myadavis22

Image Credits

Photographers’ Instagram: @boof4arimo @lemonmonn