I Wish Someone Told Me *This* About Navigating the Fashion Industry As a Christian
When I first decided to step into the fashion industry in 2020, I was around 6 months into my new walk as a Christian. I sat at my desk in the middle of the day, at a job that I truly despised. It was completely out of alignment to who God was calling me to be and it felt terrible. I would use my breaks to watch runway shows, fashion hauls and write down my prayers to God. One particular prayer went along the lines of this:
“Father God, I trust that you have a plan for me and I know you hear the desires of my heart. All I can feel is the pull towards this modeling dream of mine, even though it seems so far away. Help me to remain faithful to you and have the strength to go after the things that bring me joy. In Jesus name Amen.”
While I was getting the grips of putting God first in all that I do, I often prayed prayers like this one. Asking for opportunities that would reveal Himself to me throughout this journey, whilst still trusting the path He had placed me on.
Then suddenly, that dream I prayed for came true.
After meeting and working with a few Christian creatives such as Oghale Alex and getting signed to my first model agency after 4 months of beginning this new venture, it was clear that God was on my side. Then things started to change. After 2 and a half years in the world of fashion, I slowly started to realize the challenges that came with being a Christian within these secular industries. Not just within the industry itself but how God would be preparing and testing me in the field as I continued to grow up spiritually. I’ll be diving into what these challenges looked like and how I believe we can as Christians navigate in the fashion industry.
The 3 Main Challenges
The first challenge: Learning how to say no.
Inclusivity is spoken about and taken pretty seriously around the world, especially through protests becoming more rampant in 2020. As people began to speak up about their rights and beliefs in society, I wondered how I could do the same.
As a new creative entering the fashion world, you’re told to get as much work as possible. The more chances you have in front of the lens, the more confident you become in your ability to model.
So that’s what I did.
I would grab any and every opportunity with my two hands. It didn’t matter that it was happening on a Sunday morning, meaning I would have to miss service. If they called I would show up. It ultimately came from the fear of being known as difficult, unreliable, or not serious about my career. That my agents who (in my mind), work tirelessly to get me in front of these designers, would be disappointed in my decision to go to church.
Going into the fashion world, I had little knowledge of the lack of control I would have over my days. As I connected with more models, artists, and other creatives, the consensus was “that’s just the norm.”
I began to feel conflicted.
How could it be that this amazing career, that God Himself has made possible, would prevent me from fellowship with other believers in His house? It was during these moments that the scriptures Joshua 23:14 and Matthew 6:33 came to mind.
Joshua 23:14 (ESV) - “And now I am about to go the way of all the earth, and you know in your hearts and souls, all of you, that not one word has failed of all the good things that the Lord your God promised concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one of them has failed.”
Matthew 6:33 (ESV) - “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
If I were to truly walk in the purpose God has called me for, by seeking Him I could never miss an opportunity destined for me. Shortly after God revealed this to me, I started to decline jobs or let them know I wasn’t available Sunday mornings. To my surprise, any job that now comes through is never during service and is always pretty flexible. Although some weeks I do simply decline any work and have a Sabbath Sunday.
The second challenge: Being deemed as ‘too serious’
Those of you who frequently work within the fashion industry, might know the pressure of being perceived as ‘fun’ or ‘easygoing.’
From the networking events to being on set, there’s a notion that as creatives we love to enjoy life (I mean who doesn’t?!) However, there are people that still adopt the Gnosticism mentality towards people of faith, which states that “God is only interested in spiritual activities.” In my experience, this certainly hasn’t been the case.
Steve Turner, sums up a Christian outlook in his book, Imagine: A Vision for Christians in the Arts:
“How much of life is Christ to be Lord over? Is he only interested in that part of life we think of as religious or spiritual? Or is he interested in every facet of our lives—body, soul, mind, and spirit?.”
In the last 40 years, a social, cultural, and religious revolution has taken place in the West. It’s led believers of God to find a way through the toxicity of self-righteous doctrines, towards a new artistic expression. Working with a higher purpose in mind (to serve and please God), it seems to ignite a different type of excitement. In my case, it was a welcome challenge to show my comfortability in my faith while radiating that the joy of the Lord truly is my strength.
Take John Boaz for instance, his work as a photographer is essentially driven by his declaration of being a man of faith. His distinctive project ‘Our Father’ explores the beauty in the hope, love, and mystery of faith in Jesus…seeking to document these communities with sensitivity and respect.” If that doesn’t show how people of faith aren’t ‘too serious’ I’m not sure what will!
The final challenge: Comparison
Yes, we all know comparison is the thief of joy but yet it still happens.
Navigating through the fashion industry, I don’t know one person who hasn’t compared themselves to another. It’s almost the nature of the job. To look at someone’s outside appearance and determine whether they are fit for the role. It’s something I honestly still struggle with to this day.
However, this is not the way God made us to be. It’s easy to look at someone else’s harvest and feel inferior but do you know the seeds that were sown to get to that point? What if they told you it took 10 years of rejection, hard work, sacrifice, and sleepless nights? Would you still feel some type of way toward their success?
The Lord has ordained a plan for every one of us, that will manifest in His timing. By remembering that we are not on this earth to please man but to please God (Galatians 1:10) comparison becomes pointless.
Creators paving the way
Amongst all the chaos, some creators currently champion what it means to go hard for Christ as well as express their fashion interests.
These include:
Catlin Dada - a UK-based preacher, teacher, and fashion/beauty creator.
Natasha Lambkin, founder and CEO of the US brand Tashee Inc.
The brand Provision of Grace, is a Christian clothing company that supplies eye-catching and fashionable streetwear.
The Magnify Collective, a platform and community dedicated to empowering ambitious women of faith to thrive and impact mainstream industries and culture.
How we can change the narrative around faith and fashion
There are a lot of different ways to approach being in the fashion industry as a person of faith, but the most important thing is to start the conversation. Speak up to people on your team, be bold enough to say when you’re uncomfortable, ask questions.
If there’s anything my Black ancestors and the Bible encourages us to do, is to learn from other people’s mistakes. Unless we take the time to implement ways that can educate and inspire people to simply be aware of these matters, things will continue to stay the same.
As believers, I feel it’s our responsibility to have patience with people around us. You may not be able to understand why others live in a way that is different from your surroundings, but we should show kindness to people as they are.
Hopefully you’ve been able to gain some insight into how people of faith can respectfully navigate through the fashion industry. If you’re still unsure about how to put this into action in any area of the creative industry as a Christian, send us a DM on Instagram and we’ll be happy to help!