Firstly, I would like to take the time to thank you for joining us for an interview here at Voice! What I would like to explore is your entry into the arts and how you got to where you are now - how did your journey begin?
Everything started for me back in high school where I actually studied the subject as part of my GCSEs. I carried on down that path and studied creative subjects at A-Level with English, Media and Fine Art. This let me secure a position on a foundation course where I studied Fine Art at Stourbridge College, before ultimately getting a spot at Salford University.
I actually changed course at university because of the more design-orientated nature of my original one. My lecturer seemed to recognise I would’ve preferred a more ‘hands-on’ approach and recommended Fashion Communication, where I was able to focus on photography and styling, which are my passions.
Things ‘clicked’ for me when I was able to photograph and style people from within the Black community. Personally, I felt as if I could relate more to them because I was able to work with people similar to me. There isn’t much Black representation in fashion though so I knew it would be a lot of work, but it’s worth it.
My introduction to your work was when I had the pleasure of seeing your piece - ‘Trouble TV’. What is about this era of fashion that caught your attention and what made you want to create ‘Trouble TV’?
My parents are actually both a massive inspiration to me in both a personal and professional capacity. Trouble TV was a channel they watched and even though I perhaps shouldn’t have been watching it, what I was able to watch on that was much more interesting to me than whatever was shown on CBBC.
I fell in love with shows like Fresh Prince, Girlfriends, Moesha, Sister Sister, Half & Half and All Of Us. America was sort of romanticised in these shows and I fell in love with their culture, music and clothes, as I’m sure a lot of us did!
My father was a club promoter and photographer and his side of the family are based in America. Whenever he went, he was able to access stuff you can’t get here, like the latest jerseys, varsity jackets and Jordan’s.
Honestly, sometimes I feel like I’m born in the wrong era!
What I especially loved about the piece is that it feels like a celebration of Black arts and culture. As an ethnic minority myself I have noticed in my limited experience there is not much of this, why do you think this is?
I feel like a big part of it is the fact that these brands have fan-bases who know exactly what they want. Often, it feels like they appear to be quite resistant to change and are slow to embrace any changes so it feels like brands do it to tick boxes rather than to be more inclusive.
What’s interesting though is that Black culture is one of the greatest influences on the world of fashion. Yet, these brands take but do not necessarily give back to the culture that offers so much to them – Dapper Dan and Gucci for example come to mind.
A big watershed moment though within the industry was the appointment of Virgil Abloh at Louis Vuitton.
This has to have been one of the most prominent appointments of a Black person to an executive level. Virgil shattered that glass ceiling and in doing so was able to elevate other Black creatives in fashion; Telfar Clemens (Telfar), Mowalola Ogunlesi (Mowalola) and [the man known simply as] Clint (Corteiz), for example.
Ideally, we get to a point where we don’t even need to have this chat but there’s still work to be done. There’s definitely Black people who exist within the industry but they’re just not necessarily in these high-level positions.
With ‘Trouble TV’ I can appreciate the fact that it is not the conventional art one may expect. Given that art can take many forms and can be expressed through so many different mediums, how would you personally define ‘art’?
That’s a tough question!
What makes it difficult is art is constantly evolving in the mediums artists use and how they display it. Ultimately, I think art is all about feeling and the beauty of it is that it can just be whatever you make it - art can be an escape, source of comfort or even a point of discussion.
What makes art unique then is that you and I can both interpret the same piece of art in different ways. Two people can look at a piece and one can just appreciate its beauty whilst the other can read into it, art really is whatever you want to make it.
Now, it’s becoming so much more tactile and interactive than it ever has been before too.
To finish, I would like to ask you a more lighthearted question about the fashion in ‘Trouble TV’. If you could resurrect one trend from that era and bring it back into the modern world today, what would it be?
Honestly, picking just one is impossible!
The ‘90s is an era with a lot of trends that I would like to see make a comeback and to some degree are. Things like five-panel hats as opposed to baseball caps and overalls which you can dress up or down, people are starting to embrace them again though through vintage clothing which is quite ‘in’ right now.
In terms of brands; Starter, Sean John and Karl Koni are brands that I associate with that particular era.
Do you have any upcoming projects that readers should keep an eye out for?
In the long-term, I would love to eventually produce my own work either within television or within film!
LeShaun’s Socials
LeShaun from our conversation evidently lives, breathes and eats fashion and styling in a genuine way. Clearly, she’s not in it for a quick buck but to make a genuine change and in doing so elevate her peers – fashion, the black community and other ethnic minorities simply need people like her to succeed.
You can keep to date with her work on Instagram.
LeShaun is also part of a collective that celebrates black artists and helps them break into the industry - ‘Black In Fashion’, who you can follow on their Instagram.
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