Somewhere between Def Jam and 1992 Vashtie Kola became New York’s sought after, leading lady. The modish tomboy that has single-handedly erupted cultural fusion between couture and hipster aesthetics continues on her harmonious quest for artistic euphoria. EZO Magazine sat down with the superhero dreamer to explore how her cute brain and Nike kicks are going to help her take over the world.
Ezo: What encompasses the downtown sweetheart?
Kola: It’s the girl next door. The girl that you can ride bikes with and play video games with. She’s in touch with art and avant-garde scenes in the art world. She’s into hard-core music and that weird, eclectic crew of artsy kids. It’s kind of a take off of American’s Sweethearts, so it’s like the girl that you know downtown that’s kind of friendly and popular amongst downtown people. She’s a tough girl but a girl that can be a lady and keep it classy. She knows how to hold herself at a wine tasting just as much as she does while taking shots with the guys.
Ezo: How did working at Def Jam as a Director of Creative Services add attributes into your creative endeavors?
Kola: I think it really molded me in my business side. It was just really understanding that I’m an artist first and foremost and to be in the world you want to create for fun through whatever inspires and moves you. On the other hand, wanting to direct for all of these musicians you had to really understand that there’s a business to it. It’s not about making what you want to make, it’s about what’s the vision for the artist, where does the label want to push that artist, in what genre and demographic and what is the marketing team already working on for that artist. You have to understand that there are many different roles that the label has for a musician and at the end of the day it’s advertising. It’s not so much art as it is marketing and advertising and all these other things. So, I think as an artist whose working in commercial art it taught me how to be on board for whatever it is that I want to do. Just be on board for that artist or that team so that we can work together to make something happen rather then pitching things coldly and not knowing what the true natured vision of that artist is.
Ezo: I know you’ve worked with artists such as Solange, KiD CuDi, Jadakiss, Faith Evans, and US Placers, but who are some of the artists that you would like to work with in the future?
Kola: I would love to work with a friend of mine, Theophilus London, whose an up-and-coming star that’s great, Kings of Leon and Bjork.
Ezo: I heard that you were doing something with an album, is there any truth to that?
Kola: My friend Theophilus London is working on his new mixtape and he had a song that he asked me to be apart of. I’m kind of semi-hosting the mixtape. It’s called “I Want You,” and it should be coming out in March or April. I featured on one of the songs so I don’t want to talk about it to much because it’s his project, but I am featured on it.
Ezo: Paint me a picture of your perfect and ideal music video?
Kola: My perfect music video would be for an artist that understands art and has a vision for what they want to do and they trust me to be able to help deliver that vision. It could be anything. Just being able to collaborate with an artist who’s willing and open to doing something off the beaten path.
Ezo: Where do you draw inspiration from the best: music, art, or fashion?
Kola: I think it’s all pretty equal but I think music and art is really where it comes from. Music being the number one because it’s in my everyday life. I can’t walk ten blocks without listening to my Ipod and I’m just constantly inspired by music to create art.
Ezo: Explain your passion for the retro 80s & 90s?
Kola: I think that love comes to everybody. For a decade or an era that you’ve missed, just being to young or being under your parents roof, you weren’t able to live out your dream. For me, that era was when I was really young. I witnessed my older brother and sister living their teenage years during the 80s and 90s, and being really young I just wanted to wear cross-colors, wear Jordans, wear bamboo earrings but, I was so young and we didn’t have the money for it. Being so impressionable those things have so much more weight then if you’re older. It’s just because it’s something that you desire at such a young age. As I got older I wanted to relive those moments that I couldn’t have now that I was able to buy those things.
Ezo: Tell me a little bit about 1992 and Violette?
Kola: 1992 is a party that me and my best friend started in 2006. We were basically just hanging out and as downtown kids we would go to a lot of parties whether they were fashion week parties, hipster parties, or record release parties. No matter where we went we just felt like you had to be cool to be here. That’s the great thing about NYC is that it urges you to be cooler then the next city. But there’s also the negative side of that which is people can’t just come together for fun. You’re always worried about what you’re wearing because someone is judging you. I don’t like going to a club and walking up to the door and someone is looking at you like you’re not coming in here. I’ve never been a fan of of door policy or dress code. So, we just decided that we wanted to do our own party and the the only thing that we knew we wanted to do was a theme party. Collectively we love that era of the 80s and early 90s. At the time people were playing new music and we weren’t fans of the music on the radio so we wanted to hear music that we loved. It was a monthly party that brought out all types of celebrities without us pushing or pulling. We got crazy press from the New York Times, i-D magazine, and The Guardian. That was such an organic project and it flourished on its own because it came out of love. Violette is my clothing line which I launched officially in 2008. Previous to that year I was just silk-screening t-shirts and making pieces. I was to afraid to do it on my own but finally, I wasn’t at Def Jam anymore and I decided I had to do what I wanted to do because I didn’t want to regret it in five years. I set out to have a clothing line that would fit my style, which is very tomboy but slightly fashion forward. I didn’t think there was a girl brand that really spoke to a girl like me.
Ezo: Nike or adidas?
Kola: I know Nike. NIke has just been so prevalent in my life and it’s been that iconic brand. I grew up in the hood and Nike was a signature. If you didn’t have Nike on your feet then you might as well have been barefoot. There was no other option. Adidas is definitely in its own right, an iconic brand also but I think at the time that I grew up I couldn’t afford Nike and every kid in my class had Nike. For a kid on the street that was just what you wore. I think because I couldn’t afford it as a kid I’ve obsessed it every day in my life. Nike for sure.
Ezo: If you could describe yourself as a certain type of junk food what would it be and why?
Kola: It would be the Andy hot fries because they’re hot and spicy. One, because I love spicy foods and I think that I’m also kind of spicy. I’m West Indian so I have a flair for being a little spicy. I might even say organic tortilla chips because I like to eat very healthy and I like those chips. I’m healthy but I have my indulgences.
Ezo: Where do you see yourself in five years?
Kola: I hope to be working ten times harder. I hope that with my clothing line Violette I’m doing cut and sew pieces, showing at fashion week and in more boutiques. With my directing I hope that I’m still in music videos working with really great artists but also breaking out of the comfort zone that I’ve been in with pop music. I want to go into rock and alternative, plus move into commercials and film.
Ezo: What message do you have for any young creator or innovator trying to establish their passion?
Kola: Number one, know that this is what you want to do. Somehow in the past five years with the onset of blogs and the Internet, it went from kids wanting to be rappers and basketball players to now wanting to be what they see on a blog or what they see on the Internet. I think the great thing about the internet and about what creative people bring is that it inspires other people to do that. There are also a lot of people that want to do something, not for the love of wanting to do it but just for what they think that’s going to bring them. Start harboring and creating your own niche. Have your own vision and brand that vision with everything that you do. How you dress, how you write, or how you record. make your own statements and don’t follow what anyone else is doing. Obviously you’re going to be inspired by others people but, make sure your voice is always around whenever you make something. Even if it’s not a creative field just do what you love, and what comes natural to you. I know a lot of people that are trying really hard at being a designer when it’s easy for them to be a baker.
- By Jeremy Clayton
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