Profile: Jamya Lilly
What lessons have your home, Philly, taught you?
Being from Philly taught me that the underdog will always have their time. I think this is a city that gets hated on a lot. Especially sometimes by the people that come from here. Camaraderie doesn’t truly exist here if I'm being honest. It’s hard to make it here most times, but in recent times I’ve been feeling like my city is winning. We house two of the most popular brands right now – Mea Culpa and Emotional Therapy. I travel quite a bit, and I’ll be in the most random places in the country and can spot those pieces from Philly. It’s a great feeling knowing that so much talent came from here. It gives me hope for myself. There are a bunch of other designers based here that I like but those two are the most popular right now.
The best-dressed person in Philly is?
Right now I think one of the best-dressed people to come out of Philly is hands down Tierra Whack. She has this originality to her that you don’t see often. Her look is fun, bright, colorful, and artistic. And that’s what I look for in someone’s style – originality and the ability to reveal your truest self through your clothing.
Was this your first time styling a shoot, what was the story you were trying to convey?
No this wasn’t my first time, but I think this was my first time trying to build my portfolio as a stylist. Other times, It was something I got pulled into at the last minute, or maybe never ended up liking the photos. It has been a journey of trial and era for sure. But for this shoot, Taron (photographer based out of DC @taronbelle on IG) and myself had a creative flow together and decided to link up and create. We did 3 different looks for this shoot and I had a friend of mine, Makeda, model. I think with this shoot my intentions were just to document my skills, and this is just what came out. I think that was the intention for both of us.
What was it like pulling from “stocked up”
Working with Niare at stocked up was such a cool experience. It was a super last-minute thing! I’m cool with his friend DJ mostly and he connected us. I was a couple of looks short for the shoot with Ron and he told me to pull up to Stocked Up and pull whatever I need. Us bringing our aesthetics together, I just knew that stocked would fit the mold. I’m honestly happy he let me pull looks because this was one of my first times working with stocked up and It was so spur-of-the-moment. All in all, I would say the experience was great, and id 100% love to work with them more in the future.
When you think of the word “style” what does that evoke for you?
To me, style in a literal sense is like the ability to make the vision work. Being able to convey the message, the feeling, the aesthetic effortlessly. It’s being genuine to yourself, or if you’re a stylist staying true to your client. True stylish people set trends, they don’t follow them.
Some trends you want to go, and ones you want to come back?
Haha, this is a good question. Some trends I want to go? Hmm.. maybe get rid of the super minimal monochrome looks. It had its time and I think I'm bored with the beige and brown outfits. I think as more eclectic brands like Loewe and Marni grow, things will become more colorful. I’m also super over the streetwear in fashion houses. I want them to get back to what they’re true to and design couture and high-end looks, and leave the streetwear to the actual streetwear brands. I see that a lot of houses are moving back in that direction. To me, it just feels like them trying to be something they’re not. As far as what I would like to see more of? Maybe just more originality. I feel like people get so caught up in trends there’s no real competition amongst the fashion community, sometimes. I wanna see more originality and personal style shine through.
What is the first thing you look at in someone to understand their outfit?
Honestly, I look at someone’s personality. I think that the way you’re dressed always has a way of telling a story about you, even before you open your mouth. But once I start getting into who someone is, what interests them, and what drives them, I start to understand their look a thousand percent more.
What do you want to do with styling in the future?
I think I want to keep working in the field and just continue growing with it. I’ve also always wanted to have my own brand and that’s something everyone can expect from me in the future for sure. In the meantime, I want to keep connecting with those around me and building myself up as a stylist. I wouldn’t mind styling for a brand's website or maybe being in the room to dress Rihanna for the met gala one day.
- Jamya / Stylist / @jjjjamya
- Makeda / Model / @makedabergmark
- Niare / Designer / @ni8_ + @stockedup15
- Taron / Photographer / @taronbelle