In Conversation with Stylist, Model and Creative Director Monèt Maxwell

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Name: Monèt Maxwell
Age: 30 | Aries Rising, Libra Sun, Scorpio Moon
Hometown: Born in Wilmington, DE + grew up in Pittsburgh, PA
Occupation: Stylist/Model/Creative Director; all-around creative!

Tell me how you first started exploring your creativity.

I want to say that I first started to explore my creativity as a teenager. Being plus size, I didn’t always have the option of shopping at a brick + mortar where the clothing was cute or trendy. At the time, everyone was wearing Wet Seal, Charlotte Russe, Aeropostale or Abercrombie + Fitch. I could never shop at those stores so I had to be more creative. My options were Rainbow, Deb or The Avenue and I had to make those options look like they were fit for a 15-year old who could dress. I loved looking at magazines: I used to go to Borders Bookstore, spend all day looking at magazines like W and Vogue, I’d pull inspiration from them and think, “I want to see my work in there one day.”

Dress @eloquii / Shoes @jeffreycampbell / Earrings @melodyehsani

When did you know that you wanted to be a stylist?

Honestly, at 15-years-old I knew. People would often ask me where I got my clothes from and we weren’t shopping at the same stores. My friends would ask me to style them; I loved that and it was important to me. For part of high school though, my creativity was interrupted because I went to private school and we wore uniforms. I often had to change parts of my outfits once I got to school because they weren’t considered Christian school appropriate.

Is that also when you knew that you wanted to be a model?

Ever since I was about seven or eight years old, I knew that I wanted to model. My mom and I were actually approached while in the mall one day and she paid for me to take modeling classes. It didn’t work out at the time, but it’s something that I was passionate about even though I felt like models didn’t look like me. For a while, plus sized models had to have small waists and flat stomachs; I don’t look like that at all. I also thought for the longest time because I’m short that I couldn’t be a model.

___STEADY_PAYWALL___

Would you say that your passion for creative direction developed from you being a stylist?

Yeah, I would definitely say that. Even when I started doing my first shoots, back in college, I would be styling, doing makeup, shooting and creative directing. I didn’t realize creative directing was a thing back then. I came with the ideas for the shoot and I showed models how to pose: I was doing it all along and had no idea.

What would you say you enjoy most about being a creative in the fashion + media worlds?

Honestly, flexibility and the power to just continue to explore myself because, even as a 30-year-old woman, I’m still learning and growing. I realized that I’m good at this so there’s more that I want to explore. I think it’s a privilege being a creative: being able to create the concepts behind shoots while showing my vision to the world, my family and friends. It’s a privilege to be able to do that full-time. I also love working with fellow creatives to create work that will last forever.

2 piece @fashionbrandcompany / Shoes @jeffreycampell / Earrings vintage

Jacket @jessica.jade.official / Jumpsuit @eloquii / Belt @shopninemuses / Shoes @vintage

What would you say has been the hardest thing about being a creative?

You may not always have the steady income or feel secure about what you’re doing. I know that I’m amazing at what I do, but it’s hard not to be concerned about whether my work will resonate with others. So, I’d say overthinking is the hardest thing when it comes to being a creative. I’m an artist and I’m sensitive about my shit. Erykah Badu said that. I’m very sensitive when it comes to my art, but everyone has an opinion and I can’t change that. As long as I’m proud of the work that I create, that’s all that matters in the end.

“I want the industry to know that I’m here and I’m not going anywhere so you’re either going to make space or I’m going to take up the space that I deserve - it’s my birthright!”

Being plus size, and a Black woman, how do you hope to impact the fashion/media industries through your work?

Well...I think I want to impact them in a way where they’re able to see that plus size women come in all shapes and sizes. I’m still a consumer and, while a lot of brands have caught on and offer plus sizes, there’s still a lot of brands that have not. I want to be able to go out and buy something quickly to go out for the night, but that’s not really an option. So many brands are losing out on money by not having plus size options. I want the industry to know that I’m here and I’m not going anywhere so you’re either going to make space or I’m going to take up the space that I deserve - it’s my birthright! I’m not alone either, there are so many of us! One thing about the plus community is if we don’t see something we will make it ourselves.

Who are some people that you look up to in the fashion / media industries and why?

I definitely have stylists that I look up to. IB Kamara @ibkamra is one of my favorite stylists, he’s the Editor & Chief at Daze now. His work has been an inspiration for the past few years. I love Lizzo and what she stands for in the plus community: someone that looks like me and is shaped like me. Growing up, there weren’t many proud plus women to “look up to” so having young people get to experience that now?! It’s powerful! I love when she’s on her Instagram in a bikini twerking! it takes a certain amount of not giving a fuck to be able to do that and take hate from trolls. So having her exist now makes me wish that I would have had someone like her growing up. I love the model @Enamasiama, she’s everything. I’m also inspired by musicians and their ability to capture experience and emotion like Ari Lennox and Durand Bernarr. I listen to their music everyday! And, of course, I’m inspired by all of my friends that are creatives: Rochelle @rochellefatleopard, Dee @deewilliamspboto, Emma @Ezaks and there’s so many more. I feel like I’m surrounded by so many beautiful, creative people.

What is one of your favorite projects that you developed/participated in and why?

There’s been a few. There’s one I styled and creative directed called “A New Era”. I styled three models: all Black and queer. I dressed them in styles from the Elizabethan era and I did that because, at that time, Black people were still slaves. So, we didn’t see many photos of Black people at that time wearing fancy clothing. I interviewed them too and that was so powerful to me. I also got to be a part of a shoot that spent time in a gallery; it was photographed by Erica Génécé and it was called “Liberty & Justice”. I modeled in it and its focus was on our experiences as Black people in America.

What would you tell your 15-year-old self now with all that you’ve accomplished and who you’ve become?

I would definitely tell her not to limit herself and not to listen to others. So many of the things that people said to me weren’t true. People put limitations on you, but it’s important to follow your heart. This whole time I thought I had to follow a certain path and that it was going to create some kind of gateway for me to get to the next step (when it was actually preventing me from creating). Trusting yourself is so important and it sounds cliche, but it gets easier. I would tell her it gets easier and to hold on. What’s a project that’s in the works that you're excited about? I did a shoot with a model named Jaelah and the photographer’s name was Ruda. It was a whole team of us; I'm really excited for that to be released. It's one of the most unique projects that I’ve been a part of so I’m excited. There was another one I was apart of that was a virtual fitting shoot. It was for a site that shows you virtually what an outfit would look like on you by showing it on a model your size. Being in a position where my photo would come up for someone who's looking for something in their size...it’s amazing and I’m excited to see myself online.

Any words of encouragement that you’d like to give to yourself or others?

I had this manager that I worked with say to me “you’re so sure of yourself” and he said it in such a condescending way. It’s all about the way that plus size and fat people are viewed by the world in general. People don’t want us to love ourselves because, to them, that just goes against everything that they think fat people are. They think that we should just shrivel up and hide from the world and I’ve never hidden from the world. As long as I can remember, I’ve been this person. I’ve been a person that naturally said “fuck you” and went against what society says I should be.Yes, I’m very fucking sure of myself! My advice to others would be to own who you are and know that life is not a race. Don’t put time limits on your goals. It’s never too late to start over. And, to anyone who needs to hear this, quit that fucking job!