Her Story. Her Voice.

I moved to New York City a week before the New Year not knowing exactly what I was signing up for. I’d been telling people since I was 10, I was moving to New York. I wanted to be a fashion journalist. Growing up I spent almost every Saturday in the magazine section of Target trying to choose which publication I’d write for first. When I graduated high school I realized FIT and NYU weren't exactly in my budget, so I chose a school of similar culture with in-state tuition, VCU.

 

At VCU, I joined the Commonwealth Times staff, where I wet my feet with writing but it took the archives of The Valentine for me to gain an understanding of fashion’s founding impact on society. I volunteered to focus on a blog about the fearless Sara Shelburne of Richmond. She was a lawyer that rediscovered her purpose as a fashion designer in Europe (Visit @thevalentinerva for more information). I spent my summer of 2017 absorbing the energy of her quotes in the museum's archives. Now I still find her words resonating with me in my journey. Her spirit of courage and confidence allowed her to do what she knew was best for her, regardless of what was “supposed” of her. This familiar spirit of liberation reminded me of my experience in the audience of a lecture given by Angela Davis in 2017 at VCU. Although the two women stood on completely different platforms, I admired their mutual traits and connected them to my purpose.

 

October 2018, a class assignment asked me to create a photobook that captures a single aspect of VCU and surrounding areas in 20 pages with 20 captions to present. A week later I’d produced the now, Cosmoversial Vol. I, the storytelling ignition on the nature of curly hair and all things connected.

 

I’m unable to go into full detail about the project, as it is still a growing entity. Investing in such a whole-hearted piece of art allowed me to see myself through an unrefined lense. As a result, I released myself from the studies of VCU and entered a state of self-education. I  started my life a month later in NY and entered the world of an HBCU student at Virginia State University. 

 

I knew everyone would ask why, how and what exactly was happening, so I kept everything to myself until I was ready to share. My mom wasn't even sure what was happening until I’d already secured a position in New York. Her first reaction certainly wasn't congratulations. In fact, she wasn't ready. I didn’t know if I was mentally prepared either, but I’ve learned to live by the test, “you never know until you try.” 

 

So here I’ll be sharing my experiences and journeys with everyone interested in knowing me. Welcome to the unrefined and ever-changing story of Nyasia Milan. If you didn't know me, you’ll get to know me and if you know me, you’re going to learn a new layer of me. 

 

Thank you for reading this introduction to my magic and I hope you enjoy the journey!

 

Love always

Xx Nyasia Milan