JAI WALKER on minimal fashion & content CREATION

Community Conversations:

Instagram: @ajaila_

“Black women should be able to be recognized without a tragedy coming before it.”

Roti: When you think of the word “minimalism” what immediately comes to mind?

Clean and sleek! It’s simple, yet powerful in its own way. 

Roti: Why do clothes and styling speak to you as a way of expressing your creativity?

I feel like clothes have always helped me show who I am as a person. When I’m styling, it truly reflects how I am feeling in the moment. If I’m in a bag sweatsuit with my hair up, I’m probably feeling lazy, but if I add a blazer and some jewelry, I’m feeling chic, but comfortable.  

Roti: How has your view of creativity evolved since starting your IG page?

It has definitely blossomed! I used to think creativity meant perfection. I thought that I had to have the perfect camera and the perfect shot, but since I started my page, and especially during quarantine, I realized that creativity can come from chaos and randomness. I believe that is why I love filler photos so much, because they aren’t perfect- they’re real. 

Roti: You and I both know there are tons of amazing minimal black creators on IG. But when you look at bigger pages that repost creators, black women are MIA. Why do you think we aren't getting recognized on those major pages?

I think people don’t take the time to care. I feel that black creators are so hard to find in general on [Instagram], and the people who run these pages simply do not take the time to look for creators that exist outside of their normal content/feed. There was a time when it was all about “diversifying your feed” and it instantly faded out. Black women should be able to be recognized without a tragedy coming before it.