Alia & Delcia Johnson
After a long day at work, Alia and Delcia Johnson cast off their weariness and brought their A game to talk with me at length about their lives and careers over Facetime. Sitting on a bed side by side, sans makeup with their beautiful afros, they were keen to praise their parents and talk frankly about the challenges of pushing forward in a demanding and tough industry and managing their brand and business while maintaining a balanced view of life.
Alia & Delcia Johnson
Interview by Summer Crosbie MA
MODELS: Alia & Delcia Johnson for Keeping Distance
Creative Director - Dominique ‘Indigo’ Katan
Photographer: Third
MUA: Ashley Victoria
Stylist: Dmahdnes
Growing up in the humid and hot state of Florida, New York, where they moved last August, has come as a bit of a shock. The South tends to be slower-paced and people are friendlier. We were raised to have good manners, to think of others. If we can open a door for someone, we will. In NY, people don’t know what you’re doing. They don’t say thank you. Everyone is in a hurry and the pace is completely different. We’re adjusting to less personal space, crowded streets, subway platforms and trains and much colder weather. Seeing snow for the first time is magical but soon after that the cold becomes laborious. Delcia hates layering and is longing for the summer sun. It’s understandable that they feel at home with the sun, having grown up on the South coast of Florida. Though Mom, Marlo hails from St. Kitts, she grew up in St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands, so sunshine is definitely in their blood.
FAMILY
When I asked about what’s important to them, they agreed family is first, citing their Mother as their biggest advocate and supporter. She’s a very creative and talented artist in her own right. She wanted and deserved to have a career in modeling herself, but it didn’t work out for her for various reasons. She gave us her energy and her dream, organizing photo shoots in the back yard in West Park from an early age. Believing we were naturally photogenic, Mom trained us to develop a comfortable relationship with the camera. She understood what it took to produce great images.
Dad Demetri, a bus driver for Miami Dade Transport, is a great source of pride. He has a tremendous passion for his work and he’s taught us to give our career our full attention and energy. He’s a great leader and, along with Mom, he guides the family well. Both our parents fostered open communication and believed in consciously attending to any problems as they arose. Growing up, we had frequent meetings as a family and in those we received guidance and instruction on values and life philosophy. We learned right from wrong and how to proceed with common sense, to think of others.
We have two brothers, Tayvion and Tyrel, who are younger (19 and 21) but look older than us. They’re adventurous and have a bold energy. They’re curious, street smart and love to have fun. They butted heads a lot through the years, but they love each other and us. We spent a huge amount of time together as a foursome, playing Game-Cube videos, being outside and at the park with our neighbourhood friends.
SCHOOL
Alia and Delcia wondered if guys thought they were ugly in high school because they didn’t get any attention at all. I find this amusing considering their growing fame in the modeling industry and tell them so. They were shy but not unpopular but were always together. 'Perhaps guys just thought they couldn’t find a way in because we were each other’s other half; a whole that couldn’t be divided. We always had one another so we weren’t in a hurry to find a boyfriend. Of course, we crushed a lot but that was it. We actually went to Prom together because we didn’t have dates' they said.
We’ve always been blessed to see ourselves as enough. That’s a gift our parents gave us. We didn’t wear makeup, preferring to be natural and we still are. ‘I don’t even really know how to apply makeup,’ Delcia said and laughed. Our Instagram account has a lot of candid shots as we really are. We don’t wake up airbrushed. ‘If I have a pimple’, said Alia, ‘I rock that pimple and display it with pride.’ We don’t want to misrepresent ourselves at all, which is way too common on social media these days. Using filters and posting only professional captures would be misleading and that’s not our goal.
2012 AND BEYOND
In 2012, we saw a call for models on Facebook on Makeup Artist, Daphney Paul's page. We didn't know what a test shoot was at that time and were a little wary but we talked it over with Mom and had a brief conversation with Daphney by phone. Mom agreed to go with us to our first professional test shoot which Daphney arranged with Photographer, Andrew Millar. It was our introduction into the industry.
'We were really pleased with the proofs; the outcome inspired us to branch out and work with others in the industry', said Alia.
In 2014 we went for it and launched in to modelling formally by setting up our social media account on Instagram. Our former volleyball team member from high school, Bianca Pierre, visual narrator/photographer in Miami, offered to formally shoot our images (again in the back yard) and we uploaded.
Things began to take off when Jason Bassett, a South Florida Fashion and Editorial Photographer and Filmmaker @jsnbassett, agreed to shoot them for an Afropunk layout. He was instrumental in moving us forward. When I asked how this came about, Alia said that she followed him on Instagram, commented on his posts and decided to write to him directly one day. She thought, ‘Why not? I’m going to write to him and see what happens’.
After that piece was published, people started to reach out to us and we were afforded more opportunities to work. We’re really thankful for this but we also want people to know the truth. The industry is challenging and tough for even the most seasoned individuals, but we are relatively new and trying to navigate our way as freelancers. We aren’t signed with a big agency and right now, we are totally in charge of our own course. It’s up to us to define our brand, market ourselves, and get the work.
Growing up we were home buddies. Good girls. We went to school and came home. Everything good happened at home and it was a source of security and satisfaction. We didn’t need much outside our family or ourselves. Being late bloomers, taking the leap of faith and moving to Brooklyn took guts and conviction. We knew we’d have to give it our all or we’d regret chances untaken. It’s not easy though, and we support ourselves with full time jobs outside the industry.
Delcia works as a Sales Associate at Target, one of America's largest retailers and loves that she has four different positions between which she can move throughout the week. It provides variety and challenge and opportunities to bond with a huge variety of people, expanding her social network. She says, 'Both Alia and I have always dreamed of being in a Target commercial'.
Alia works with 2-5-year olds as a life skills specialist. The setting is therapeutic and aims to help the children of women in crisis. ‘It’s a real wakeup call’, she said 'to see what others go through; sometimes the worst kind of trauma. It’s a privilege to be alongside a child in a difficult period of their life and impart skills, which will help them far beyond this moment. It makes me appreciate the resilience of children, their ability to overcome and remain strong. It makes me thankful, too.'
CHALLENGES
BREAD ON THE TABLE
Financially, things are incredibly tough. New York is probably one of the most expensive cities in which to live in the world. We have to work in order to survive and put food on the table (one of Delcia’s greatest priorities is to think logically and practically about this very issue). She told me herself, she is the pragmatist, exercising caution and being the voice of reason but Alia is the risk-taker and the dreamer. Her passion and creative expression drive her far more than making sure all her ducks are in a row first.
When Alia had to miss an audition for work as an extra in a Spike Lee movie, Delcia was upset for her. She’d been
selected, and she worried that her twin would be disappointed and thought about pulling out but when she told Alia, her response was true to form. She decided to go with Delcia to the next call back and take her chances. After all, what was the worst that could happen? Delcia said she kept telling Alia not to get her hopes up, she probably wouldn’t get in because she’d missed the audition, etc. Alia didn’t take any notice. On arrival, she explained she was there to get work and the person holding the list said, ‘You’re not on the list but let me see what I can do.’ Alia got the job! Delcia smiled broadly as her sister told the story and I could see she was proud of her.
Another serious challenge is how to stay humble while believing in our professional worth. New York is full of creatives hustling and trying to make it. We’re not alone there. We’re in the process of trying to transition from working often without receiving a fee to standing firm and creating a line we can’t allow people to cross. It’s not easy at all. We’re not interested in arrogance or being puffed up. We understand we have to pay our dues just like everyone else and actually that’s an important part of the journey we wouldn’t want to miss. I think every model understands this. The moment arrives, and it’s scary, when you have to say no and wait it out.
Up to now, we’ve worked hard to assess who is a good fit for us and for whom we might be a good fit. If someone comes to us respectfully and wants to work together but can’t pay us a fee, we look at their portfolio and we see what they’re about. Do they have integrity, what is their reputation and will working with them be mutually beneficial? If so, we might well do it. If someone says we’d like to work with you but would you do your own makeup, get the subway over here, arrive wearing your own clothes and bring your own food, it’s probably going to be a no. And we don’t do nude captures no matter what the situation.
BEING OUR INDIVIDUAL SELVES
We bring something unique to the table. We are highly influenced by music and use that as a tool by which to tell stories, to create and deliver effortless, original poses. We are so in sync, it's magical, and our images reflect that. Well, that's always our goal anyway!
One challenge we are facing is to work separately and develop our individual interest and lives. Being a twin is being the other half of the same person in many ways. People find twins fascinating and many, including us much of the time, believe that’s our edge, being captured together. It’s not that we don’t want to work together, we love it, but we are aware of the need to think beyond our career. Delcia tells me that she wants to get to grips with her personal strengths and weaknesses. She wants to experience life and see what she can do without always relying on Alia.
Modeling isn’t a life-long career usually and we have to think about our lives away from one another. Our paths will eventually branch off in different directions, though we don’t know what that will look at this moment in time. It may be marriage, family, and kids, living in different parts of the world or indeed completely different careers.
We believe working individually is the first step in addressing that pressing reality. We need to know what life is like when we aren’t joined at the hip, so to speak. It’s already started in a natural way. Though we are best friends and we support one another completely, there have been uncomfortable moments. Alia recalled a photoshoot where the photographer asked for Delcia first and was taking a lot of images of her. He was connected to her and really getting a lot from her. I could see his passion and drive and I had this moment of insecurity. When my turn came, he didn’t take as many and I wondered if he thought I didn’t have enough facial expression or what. It felt unfair and I didn’t feel like I was getting the same opportunity. I wanted him to shoot the same number of images of us and then if Delcia’s proof were better than mine, so be it. That would seem fair, but you can’t control things like that.
We need this new challenge to focus us. We need to take more risks and we must have a plan in place if photographers start wanting only one of us for projects. We’ve had good training from home to talk openly and work through situations just like this so we’re facing it head on. We absolutely believe that we can learn from each other’s individual experiences, too and we aim to keep our bond sacred no matter what comes our way. We are each other’s light and inspiration and want to encourage the other to ‘level up’.
WHAT WE AVOID
Drama and gossip are totally out. Especially on social media. We can sense a bad vibe and immediately move off. We want to be as far away from that as possible. We’re focused on using our energy to bring balance to any environment in which we find ourselves. We just try to redirect, using kindness and humour, if there’s anything-negative going down. It’s our goal to stay positive and thankful; we’re grateful to be alive and we want to use our resources to care for others. We believe in community and the oneness of all human beings.
I asked them whom most, outside their mother, influenced and supported them most. As for influence, they said Tyra Banks in unison. America’s Next Top Model taught us so much. We were in middle school when it was on the air and we never missed an episode. Most of all we learned the dos and don’ts of the business, the importance of giving your all and how to deliver professionally. Everything Tyra has done has been a huge inspiration to us.
As for their support system, it’s always family first, trusted friends and reliable and wise business contacts second. Our circle is very tight, only embracing people who keep us grounded and faithfully have our best interests at heart. Models, Jimmy Levar @jimmylevar and Ruth @call_mi_ruthie, A.K.A. Little Giant and Stylist, Danekki @danekkikaviesh owner of @kavieshco and Writer, Billy Jean-Louis, (Facebook Billy David Jean- Lewis) have all been there for us when the chips were down. These kinds of people are on the inside for a reason.
Though it's impossible to credit everyone we've ever worked with, we'd like to give a huge shout out to all those creative individuals who have ever given their talents, taken the time to reach out to us, or given us opportunities to work with them, from the beginning to now.
PERSONAL GOALS AND CONCERNS
Delcia, who’d love to shoot in St. Thomas one day, is simultaneously focusing on her career in and her future beyond modelling. 'It’s how I’m wired. I’m practical and I look down the road. I want to be prepared for what’s coming. I think about getting more education, relationships, future family and settling down as much as I think about how to make the dream viable. I'm an over thinker, in fact, we both are to some extent but the greatest concern Alia and I have is how to build a team we can really trust. We're still learning about the industry and though we look younger than we are, we are savvy. We're aware that some might wish to take advantage of us but we know who we are and we're not going down that road.
Alia, who'd love to shoot in London, dreams of starting a non-profit organization when she's more established to help others around the world, particularly children in Africa, for whom she has a big heart. 'I want to travel around the world with my family and get further education, too. I'd like to be part of encouraging all black women to embrace their natural beauty. My personal part in this is to embrace my own. Both Delcia and I believe in this deeply. One of my biggest worries is that we might give up too early and not get to the level we hope for but I work on believing the best for myself and Delcia each day.'
ADVICE FOR OTHER CREATIVES
We all have dreams and we’re responsible for manifesting them. We believe if you put good in, you will get good out. If you sacrifice for others, someone will sacrifice for you. We have so much for which to be thankful and we hope that we can encourage young creatives at an earlier point in their career to hold on to their dreams. We want to say, ‘Go for it. If you have something in your mind, try it. We all only have one life to live. Whatever you love put your heart there and live your purpose. Don’t let others dictate to you or judge your passion. Stay the course and believe in yourself’.
