An Interview with Nena Soul Fly
Scripps College
Women Who Rock Oral History Project
Interview Transcript
Tanya “Nena Soul Fly” Melendez
Interviewed by: Emma Crabo, Nikita Akkala, Iman Salty
Interviewer’s association and role: Women Who Rock course, Scripps College
Transcript by: Emma Crabo
Date: Saturday, April 9th, 2016
Place: Cafe De Leche, Los Angeles, CA
N=Nena Soul Fly
G=Group (Emma, Nikita, Iman)
*Personal introductions, obtain consent, start recording*
Group: How did you come up with the name Nena Soul Fly? You said that your friends call you that so we were wondering if your parents do as well.
Nena Soul Fly: Oh so it’s ‘Nena’ (corrects pronunciation) which is Spanish for girl, like young girl. I’m Puerto Rican—both my parents are Puerto Rican—and in the household, Tias, like aunties, will call you Nena. They’ll call every girl Nena. It was really hard coming up with the name and even now, looking back, I’m like, ‘Why did I choose that?’. So I wanted something that tied into an emotion and a connection with family and so I was like, ‘Okay ‘Nena’ because I’m gonna be designing for women, primarily women of color’. And then ‘Soul Fly’ is to represent the freedom.
G: How would you describe the art and fashion community you’re currently a part of?
N: I would say it’s very raw and everyone’s very different. Everyone that I’m connected with is unique and just kinda against mainstream. Very liberated, free, loud, and strong women. I find that all of them tie together — well, there’s a connection to their childhood or ancestors. So there’s a commonality that we all share even if our work is all unique to our own experiences. There’s this common string that weaves us all together. Everyone is trying to connect back to their roots.
G: The designers that you work with, have you known some of them for a long time? How did you meet all of them?
N: Just through marketplaces and networking. Through word of mouth too and connecting through friends. I find that women in L.A. are very supportive of each other, more so than in NYC. In New York, there’s a community there too but the energy is a little different. Out here, women are very sister-like and I think it’s harder to find that in New York.
G: Did you live in New York at one point?
N: No, I just do a lot of bi-coastal pop-ups and sell and style some clients out there so I really get to pick up on the energy. It makes me appreciate L.A. and what we have here.
G: Can you talk a bit about when and where you were born and how that connects to your fashion experience as well as your goals for your business?
N: Yeah! I was born in 1979 *laughs*, I’m gonna be 37 this year. I was born here in Highland Park. This is my home. I grew up in a single parent household--I was raised by women essentially. My grandmother, my Tias, my mom. They’re all very spiritually connected, very intuitive women. And they don’t take no for an answer. You can’t say no to them, they will find a way to make stuff happen. And I really appreciate that now, even though there were moments of like ‘Oh my God’, like all the women energy can be too much sometimes. But they’re very like, ‘Oh, they said no? I’m gonna prove them wrong’. And I think that’s where I get my drive because in the creative world, as an artist, there are so many people criticizing you, judging you, and it’s very competitive. This is L.A., the artist center. There are times when it can be discouraging. But I think coming from that upbringing, it’s helped me to push forward. I would love to see my business in the future — well, I’d really like to do more mainstream, honestly. Like music videos, film--I just wanna take on new challenges and new experiences. ‘Cause at one time it just seemed like a far-fetched dream, like ‘There’s no way I can do that’. But I know thats an illusion, you can make those things happen. You just have to open those doors.
G: So did the work life of your mom or Tias and grandmas affect your style?
N: Their work ethic, yeah. They’re hard working women. None of them are in the arts field, so I still get--there’s still resistance in my family. They’ll say ‘Oh yeah, your hobby’, and tell me that maybe if I go back to school that I can get a real job. But the thing is, the way we connect and the way we run our business now has changed so much because of social media. So they’ll just see us on our phone and computer all day and not understand that that’s part of the business. They just think we’re wasting time. So it’s hard for them to understand that things are actually moving.
G: Right, that makes sense. So what is your best experience with fashion, particularly in the L.A. area?
N: My best experience?
G: Or most memorable?
N: You know, working with women that have a similar story and common goal--I really enjoy working with Maya Jupiter. She’s amazing, she’s from Australia and is Mexican-Turkish. And just her passion and what she really wants to see change socially and politically for women. I love that. With Ana Tijoux, who’s a Chilean hip-hop artist--she has a long history of family who are political and in the movement, you know, and just connecting with women from different parts of the world who all have a common goal. Them two--I styled them for the Grammy’s last year and I never thought that that would ever happen, like ever. And I styled them both the same day. I had like 4 hours to do both. So I ubered to Maya’s house…Wait, no. I ubered to style Ana because she was performing for the first time live at the Grammy’s, it was her first Grammy. There was this pressure to kind of withhold her essence while stepping into that mainstream, to still maintain her integrity. To be a part of that was like, wow. I cried that day. *laughs*
G: Because of the pressure or because of the emotions?
N: The high emotion and the realization that like, ‘Wow, this is happening!’. I kind of just go with what I feel a lot of times. I could see how that could hold be back from time to time if I’m not planning but I just go with what I feel. I trust my intuition a lot and that’s what opened doors and opportunities.
G: So that was your most memorable experience with design but what was your first experience?
N: My first experience with design? Hmm..
G: Or it could be when you first started feeling passionate about it.
N: I would say that everything up to now has been an experiment. I feel like I’m still learning and that I have a lot to learn still. But I guess my most memorable would have to be my first photoshoot. I really pushed myself. I made dresses--I didn’t come from a background of sewing, I was self-taught. And I made all of these vintage pieces--I’ll send you photos!--and the girl modeling for me is part of the deaf poetry jam. She’s from Chicago. You’ve gotta look up her poetry. She will make you cry, she’s amazing. She’s also another Puerto Rican artist. The community here is very, very small. To be able to connect with another Puerto Rican who’s an artist was really important for me. So I did a photoshoot with her. The photographer was amazing too, and he was down to do it for free. A lot of people were down to help me for free, like my homegirl who is a makeup artist for Nylon magazine. I think that’s when I realized how much I liked doing this. This was in 2010, 2011-ish. My son was like a year old and I was really pushing myself.
G: We were looking at your various social media outlets and noticed that you post a lot about music. How does that play a role in your designs and business?
N: I think music is, out of all the arts, the most powerful because it can tap into an old memory, it can tap into how you feel now, it can tap into what you want for yourself in the future. In all aspects too, like love, your goals. Music inspires me. It gives me a feeling, and I get that out visually. Music and what I do go hand-in-hand. It’s like water.
G: Do you create any of your own music?
N: No, I don’t create my own music. I like old soulful music like Nina Simone. Intense women that really… You know. There’s some new artists that I’m really into right now too like FKA Twigs. I recently styled Kali Uchis, she has an old low-rider sound but with a modern twist. I like how raw she is. Like ‘Eff you, I don’t need you”.. Very real, and I like it.
G: When you brought your brought your business together, what strategies did you come up with to get past the major obstacles of starting a business?
N: God, it’s been so long. Trial and error. I’ve done everything from community grass roots, trying to build a foundation because I knew it was important to have a good foundation and to start within your community ‘cause those are the ones that will always hold you up, to doing trade shows at the California Convention Center. Doing trade shows in Las Vegas and thinking that was maybe the way to go about it, but going down that line, you really have to have money. So I’m like, ‘Okay, maybe this is not the route for me. How do I keep my business going and stay afloat not doing marketing that way?’, and so utilizing social media right now with Instagram is such a great tool to market yourself. My Instagram is ‘@ladysoulfly’. Pay Pal and Square totally changed the game so I don’t have to go down that traditional route. I can take my business literally anywhere. So really utilizing those tools and staying connected with the audience. Showing them what I am and what inspires me to keep them connected with the message and purpose of my designs.
G: Can you talk a little about your design in terms of the textiles and where you get your materials from? We’d also love to hear about your jewelry.
N: Tying back with culture and spirituality, I grew up in a very spiritual home. Like I said, I’m Puerto Rican. In my family, they practice something called ‘Palo’ which is from the Congo. It’s practiced in Cuba and Puerto Rico, mostly. So within that, its nature-based spiritual practice and so the roots of that are in Africa. I did a lot of research on their textiles and design that I’ve always loved, like their wax fabric. There’s a meaning behind every color and design and how it affects you emotionally and how it affects other people and how they interact with you. It’s all energy. So colors have an affect on me and I use that as my foundation and if you wanna attract love, then you would wear more yellows and golds. Really, it’s to develop love for yourself. It’s all starting within you, and when you develop this understanding and deeper love for self then you’ll start attracting more people into your life. Everything that I do has a purpose. Sometimes it’s unconscious and sometimes I’m not even sure how it’s going to play out. But the feedback is always on point from women from all around the U.S. who are like, ‘I wore this and this opportunity came’ or, ‘I wore this and I met my lover’. It’s crazy. Women will go for a meeting in Chicago or Miami and the connection will be the jewelry and they’ll create life-long friendships out of them. It’s beautiful. Most of the fabrics I work with are from Nigeria. But the fabrics aren’t really made there, they’re made in places like Holland and China and then they’re sold back to Nigeria which is crazy to me. Colonialism has had a large effect. Connecting with nature and the elements and making it into wearable art so whatever that person needs will feel it.
G: So do you usually start with a feeling and then choose colors based off of that?
N: Recently, it took me like two days of scattered thought--and I have a son who’s six years old and I co-parent with his dad so when I get him, he’s my main focus, and then when he goes back with his dad I have to get out of ‘mommy-zone’ and back into my creative zone which is really hard and I think I go a little crazy. Not crazy crazy, but you know.. Its an adjustment. So I made this piece (shows us first necklace). It’s really light. I work a lot with fabrics and cotton. This took my like two days of deciding whether or not I wanted to do it. Eventually I was like, ‘Okay, I have to do it’. I’m gonna have to do parts of it again ‘cause it’s a little crooked. But the colors! The deep blue is connected to the ocean which is like the mother to me, the mother essence. Oranges, yellows, and ambers are connected to the river and the river is love and sensuality. There’s strength in both and they’re both very feminine energies. In the states, we’re told to suppress that energy and who we think we are. It’s like you’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t. That was something that I struggled with growing up for different reasons. The way men look at you, the way they treat you.. There’s a shame, like you have to be covered up. But that’s your power. Your sensuality is your power and your beauty is your power and the way you carry yourself has been lost a little bit here in the U.S.. Other cultures still have that and there’s something very powerful that the women here really need and we need to work on tapping into that, however we wanna do it. It doesn’t have to look like this (referring to the necklace) but its still important to have a ritual. Our grandmothers did it even though there were some challenges back then, they still took care of themselves. It doesn’t have to be everyday. Even if dressing down is your ritual and that’s what you like, that’s fine too. Acknowledging it and honoring that is what’s important. Just being aware of everything you put on yourself, even how you do your hair because that energy is important. We exchange that energy with other people.
G: Do you feel like people that wear your designs understand that or do use that idea more as a personal inspiration for starting your work?
N: I think most of the women understand it ‘cause when I create it, I know my stuff isn’t for everybody and I’m okay with that. Whoever it’s meant for will come. And some women might not be consciously aware but subconsciously they are and that’s why they’re attracted to it. (Pulls out more jewelry). I’ve been working with performing artists so I keep in mind that they’re going to be on stage. I want the people in the back to be able to see them.
G: Did you make the earrings you’re wearing now too?
N: Yes, I did.
G: They’re gorgeous.
N: Aww, thank you! I see all of this as color therapy and I try to switch it up. Like I found this vintage stuff downtown that I’ve been using. A lot of friends of mine travel too and bring me back fabric, like from Africa and Guatemala and the Philippines. I just look at the fabric and start forming ideas.
G: (Referring to a pair of earrings) Are these called Cowry shells?
N: Yep. The shells symbolize wealth and femininity. If the shell was cracked in the back, that would be the feminine side and then the front is the masculine side. You know, this was currency at one point. But I switch it up, like I’ve used vintage materials from Pakistan.
G: Is it difficult to make these pieces?
N: I wish I knew how to weld but I didn’t go to school for that. I majored in fine arts but we didn’t cover jewelry or sewing--all of that is self taught.
G: Where did you go to school?
N: I went to a CC. The goal was to transfer to the arts center but then I got pregnant and life happened.
G: Does having a son change how you make your work? Not so much in the sense that you have less time for it but has he inspired any pieces?
N: Yeah, I think what happens to most women, well, it should happen to all women. I think once you give birth you change. It’s not just a birth of a child, it’s rebirthing yourself. Everything about you changes. It’s really intense, and these are conversations that need to happen. We just have baby showers and it’s like ‘Oh yay, this is so cute!’. But the conversations about what really goes on--mentally, emotionally, and physically--really need to happen. When you’re going through labor, there’s a connection to your past, your present, and your future. Everything collides. Your dreams and your fears too. So my son has definitely transformed the way I look at my art the way I work. And even his personality is very strong. Sometimes his strength really inspires me, and his innocence. I wish I could have that again. My son’s name is El León which means ‘The Lion’, and he really embodies that. Sometimes it’s a little too much *laughs*.
G: Even being at such a young age, do you think he understands your work?
N: I think so. He knows I’m making things for women and he’s like, ‘I wanna make stuff for the ladies too, I want them to be pretty’. So I think that in the best way he can, and perhaps he feels it more than he articulates it, he sees it. And growing up in the marketplace and looking at everyone else’s art, I think he understands.
G: That’s amazing.
N: When you have children, have them be a part of your life. They need to see how hard you work.
G: Have you ever taught him your techniques?
N: Yeah, simple stuff like beading. And how to build up hand-eye coordination. I try to keep it fun with counting. For me, everything is a lesson. Shapes and colors, you know.
G: There’s a lot of textures here too.
N: Of course. When I’m vending, a lot of kids with their moms want to touch and sometimes the mom will tell them no, but I’m like, ‘It’s okay, they’re just learning and part of that is through touching’.
G: Who are some of your favorite designers and/or activists?
N: As far as designers go, there’s this man from India. His attention to detail is amazing. Let me pull it up on my phone.. Manish Arora. He does a lot of headpieces too. Like where can you possibly wear that too but at the same time, why not? I like Mara Hoffman--it’s beautiful and elegant. She’s inspired by different cultures. She works with a lot of prints. I love how feminine and simple it is. There’s also a visual artist who is Nigerian. He works with a lot of African textile. Beautiful stuff. I can’t pronounce his name though.
G: Do you tend to steer away from mainstream fashion? Like brands that we hear about everyday?
N: Like Forever 21 and H&M? I mean, I’ll go and shop there. You can find cute pieces and it’s much more affordable. I like to support independent artists creating their own stuff of course. There used to be this shop in downtown L.A. called ‘House of Love’. It was a friend of mine named Kelly--she was an independent stylist here in L.A. She and her boyfriend opened it up. They were pulling in independent designers from L.A., like strictly underground. A lot of the clothes look kinda like rave, underground stuff. A lot of latex and vinyl. But it was dope ‘cause it was different.
G: What kind of projects are you working on right now?
N: I’m working with a good friend of mine. Her name is Amanda Lopez. She’s a dope photographer. She and I did the photoshoot with Kali Uchis which got the cover of L.A. Weekly. She and I are working on a photo exhibit and we’re focusing on hair and adornment. I’m doing hair and braiding in a modern way inspired by traditional styles from places like Ethiopia and Native American culture. I’ve been doing some research for a while on the aesthetic of hair and how braids are powerful and universal. Every woman from around the world braids her hair and I want to know what that means. You’re weaving in your history. It’s kind of like a prayer. In a lot of ceremonies, women have to have their hair braided. In some places, you know what society someone is from just based on the type of braid they have. I think that braids really tie back to nature as well and what I was talking about with the ocean and river earlier. The photo exhibit is going to be shown in June and July at a friend’s art gallery. This is my first exhibit, which has always been a goal of mine as a fine arts major.
G: I love that you brought up braiding and what that means to you because we talked about that in our Women Who Rock class. Like how one basic style can be done so many different ways to represent different things.
N: Yeah, it’s really deep. So the photo exhibit is gonna be dope. I’m gonna do illustrations to tie it together, and there will also be silk screen shirts and jewelry. Hopefully you ladies can make it!
G: Where do you see your business in 20 years? Or in 10 or 5?
N: *laughs* In 20 years, hopefully I won’t have to be making these designs anymore. Hopefully people will be doing it for me. It’s been really challenging to get help. Either people will be really excited and want to support you but won’t have the skill and patience, ‘cause it’s really not as easy as it looks. And then other women will be interested but in the end will just take your ideas and run. Right now, there’s a girl in Chicago that’s knocking all of my designs. It happens. It just means you have to reinvent yourself. Hopefully I’ll have the right support some day. I would also love to do larger scale stuff like museums or bigger art exhibits, you know, installations. I wanna get into the higher end fine art world.
G: Definitely. Is there anything else you want to add?
N: No, I think that covers the important topics.
G: Thank you so much! Your work is amazing. And we love that you know our teacher. If you ever end up at Scripps College for any reason, please let us know.
N: Of course. Thank you, ladies!