SHEKINAH

I first met Shekinah on a night out in Brixton. Fast-forward a couple of weeks and we were sat outside Coffee Junction having a chilled chat (and laugh). Relaxed by her calm and friendly nature, we took enough pictures to fill Vogue. In discussing her experience at university, studying Fashion Promotion and Communication, and her endeavours in the modelling industry, she shared an important message surrounding a topic of increasing concern and prevalence amongst young people today.

Heyy, nice to see you again... What have you been up to? "You too, I'm glad you reached out! Well, I graduated this July so I'm focussing on having a good time. Exploring (and enjoying) unemployed life at the moment to be honest. I'll find my feet though, it's on my list."

Nice, what did you study? Fashion Promotion and Communication...

Ahh, sounds cool...? "In theory, yeh I guess it sounds cool but there is so much work that goes into fashion marketing courses, especially because the field has expanded so much, particularly into the digital space! I think people assume courses like mine are quite easy going and to a large extent, glamorous. In reality, especially for fashion students, we all have a tough time."

How so? "Well, I know for example, fashion students often have to source their own materials for their designs, which can be time-consuming, costly and stressful... In my case, printing at university was a nightmare. Not only was it ridiculously expensive but because we were expected to produce high-quality, professional-standard work, we often had to find and pay for alternative ways to get sh*t done... £9k/year tuition fees for what, haha?!" 

I get you. Career wise then, what do you see yourself doing? "Actually, one of my uni assignments was to create a solution to a problem faced within the fashion industry. I chose diversity... Or rather the lack of it. I made a creative agency that comprised a modelling agency dedicated to representing models of ethnic minority backgrounds, as well as a digital/ print publication. I think I'd like to explore that in the future, probably modelling too."

I see, are you modelling at the moment? "Yeh, I do a little. I was signed to an agency a while back and even though I got to work for cool brands like Nike, I wasn't a fan of all the constraints. I'm having fun doing shoots I want to, with creatives and brands whose work I really like." 

Does your hair cut and colour(s) have anything to do with modelling? "To be honest, not entirely. I went natural and just thought let me try a new look... also the colours are just fun, like why tf not?! For Fashion Week, I did think that having short hair would be a million times easier when it came to styling though... Unfortunately, a lot of these "hair stylists" don't actually know how to do black hair..." 

Have you come across any other negatives in the industry? "Well there are those castings where you can just tell they don't want any black girls. They take a two second glance at you and your card (which is like a portfolio), and say thank you with forced smiles and fake politeness. It's a shame and annoying but what can you do."

Does it bother you? "Not really, it's silly. There are always difficulties when navigating the industry more so as a black model. Even though a lot has changed with regards to diversity, it's still harrowing experiencing discrimination at castings and shows... For an industry that revolves around creativity, to ignore diversity, is just a bit dumb. It's political or whatever, but it is so important to have a thick skin."

"For an industry that revolves around creativity, to ignore diversity, is just a bit dumb."

Interesting. Has your experience modelling on instagram been different? "Do you know what, it has. 100%! You can do what you want, however you want. It's like an outlet for young, up and coming creatives so I've been involved in quite a few cool projects. Social media is also used too widely for brands to ignore, so I'm actually often approached on instagram now."

So, you mentioned earlier that if your interview could be focussed on something important to you, it would be mental health. "Yeh, I think mental health and social media go hand-in-hand nowadays, but that isn't always the case for everyone."

I agree... "For me, I've had a lot of issues with anxiety. Social anxiety. I remember finding it difficult to meet people, talk to people and just generally socialise. This impacted how I thought people viewed me, which had a knock-on effect on how I perceived myself. There was a period where I experienced depression as well. The word 'depression' carries so much weight though, I never actually wanted to use it to describe the way I was feeling..."

"The word 'depression' carries so much weight..."

That's understandable but I think that's a key reason why mental health can be so destructive... "Yeh, I didn't seek professional help because I thought that maybe I was just being lazy or that it was a phase I would snap out of. I have definitely come to understand and appreciate the whole concept of self-care and listening to how you feel!" 

That's good, I'm glad. I think a lot of people can relate... "It was educational and very important for my self-development. I am such a driven person and I think it got to a point where I was sick and tired of feeling drained, so I made a conscious effort to start picking myself up." 

Nice. "I started being proactive, but I was doing things that I was genuinely interested in. I did a couple fashion internships to get experience and got back into modelling. Things got so much better. Don't get me wrong though, it wasn't an overnight process! I just couldn't allow myself to continue feeling the way I felt..." 

There's always more we can learn about ourselves, I don't think there is a destination to that journey. I think embracing yourself and dedicating real time to exploring what you're interested in is a lot more valuable than people think. Whilst my social anxiety and depression didn't stem from social media, I think it can definitely heighten issues that many people face. In that respect, it's important to take a step back, for sure."

"There's always more we can learn about ourselves, I don't think there is a destination to that journey."

Shekinah was so, so lovely and I'm glad we had an opportunity to chat. 

You can find her on Instagram @shekinahd_ and more of FORFACESAKE LONDON @forfacesakeldn