Sweatshirt KUON, shirt OVERCOAT, coat ADRIENNE LANDAU, necklace L. JARDIM.
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Sweatshirt KUON, shirt OVERCOAT, coat ADRIENNE LANDAU, necklace L. JARDIM.
In an interview, James and I got to unpack like two distant cousins at a family barbecue. An undeniable gift of James is his ability to bring you out of your comfort zone. I wasn't prepared to talk shop while he was in the middle of cooking pancakes. This conversation was organic as it traveled across a file of topics. And for those that may believe skating is just a set of wheels, a deck, and some bearings— you're wrong. Nevaskimp will show you that.
When did you begin skating? And what does it mean to you?
So I started skating when I was about 13, turning 14. Before skating, I played basketball for most of my life. Like, when I first moved here from Jamaica, I moved straight to the Bronx. And then it was either I was gonna be on my block like or learn how to do something that I liked. I chose basketball. So I played 'ball for a little while, and then when I got to high school, things began to change. While my mom was very overly protective, as my high school was downtown. So, it was a lot when I wasn't in class as I was dealing with a lot. It was either old protective mom, or just me not being able to go outside because I wasn't old enough. I'll tell my mom like, "let me go downtown," and she would not let me go. My friend persuaded me to sneak downtown and one day, I just went. My best friend was the one who introduced me to skating, and in Jamaica I used to ride those BMX dirt bikes, so it was easy to go into skating. It was like the start of a whole new legacy coming downtown. I got into a park, I ended up meeting one of my one of like, the people that I looked up to for a very long time, and his name was Andre Beverley. I met him, made friends with him and from there, I just started going to the skate park over and over again. When you enjoy doing stuff, you're gonna put time and effort into it. You know, I mean, when you put time and effort into something, it pays off because people see the work that you do.
When did you know that skating would turn into like something you could do professionally?
Probably when I came back from college, I stopped skating for almost 11 months when I wanted to stay to college. I was gonna go get my Associates in auto mechanics. An auto mechanics is a vocation, and my father— He's the immigrant from Jamaica. He wanted me to get a job that was gonna have me currently in work and always in work so I wouldn't have to worry about stressing myself out, making ends meet. So, I was in school, and l was doing okay, but I wasn't happy. I was depressed, as I was away from all my friends for mad long. In Syracuse— that shit was not it. It was snowing every two days. When I came back from school, I made a promise to myself as I did what my mom wanted me to do so now, I'm gonna do what I want to do. I want to try to see how far I can go with that. So I was 17 or 18, and after I finished, I came back home. I'm gonna just fully escape and I'm gonna really focus on skating and making clothes because that's what I wanted to do. And I just did that for the next three years, man, faithfully. I went out every day, I was breaking myself off, I was scared like— yeah, hurt me. You hurt yourself on a daily basis. You sign up for this when you learn how to skate. And I started getting good at skating. From there, I had so much fun and I was getting some connections out of it. People invited me to places, and I'm starting to meet people I never met before. I'm getting offered like, photo shoots and that created a window to modeling. Skating honestly opened the doors for a lot of things for me.
So, that would be the same process that like helped you transition into the modeling world.
I got into the modeling world after designing a two piece set for my friend's daughter. He sent me the sewing machine and tools all the way from Belgium and I just— imagine a set of baby trousers and a baby bubble jacket. He was so happy with the finished product and asked if I wanted to take some photos. I didn't even know what modeling was like, that was not my forte. I was pretty self conscious. And I was camera shy. You know? I mean, don't get me wrong. I could be in front of a crowd, but it was just having a camera lens pointed at me. That just wasn't my ideal. Like, that wasn't what I was into. So, he invited me to my first photo shoot, and I did something for a men's fashion book that went well. People were asking me like, "yo, like, what agency? Are you? Are you fine?" I believe it's solely from me being with the right people and representing yourself the right way. Plus, speaking up when you're supposed to. Closed mouths don't get fed. I'm gonna say this to all the young, upcoming skaters that are trying to get in the industry or want to make the name somewhere. If you don't speak up, nobody's gonna hear you.
Jacket, pants, and hat LOUIS VUITTON, necklaces L. JARDIM, ring BERNARD JAMES, shoes DC.
Your background is from both Jamaica and the Bronx. How do you think you'll impact the skating world? Plus, with what you've already done, how does it differ from other skaters?
Jamaica is a very beautiful but corrupt place. Skate culture isn't really accepted. It's not even really popular right now. We just got a Skateboard Federation. So, it's like people just skate for the country now. If you're like good enough, or if you're accepted, and you get inducted into the US or the Jamaica skate team. I already have one of my peers already doing it, his name is Lucien Clarke. He was one of the first skateboarders to get a shoe with Louis Vuitton. He set the bar so high for himself. We kinda can't go further than what we've already done because what he's done is what people said that nobody could do and now, he's done that. Now he's on to bigger and better.
I think it's important to have different people from different backgrounds because I mean, on a mainstream level, a lot of skaters that are promoted are white. So that needs to be ruptured a little.
Tell me about it. Say it again for the people. They need to include a lot more melanated skin in the industry. Especially, in terms of what the ideal golden child looks like. Like, so many kids that I know have way more credibility, way more swag, way more style to them but have just been shunned you know? Just because they'd rather take a chance on a clouded up white kid. Nobody wants to say it but I will.
Definitely.
And it's the truth. It's alright to say the truth in life, because I didn't even think I would get an opportunity like this and now I'm doing it. So imagine if I could keep my mouth shut. I need to make sure that everybody who can relate to me or that can look up to me can support me, if they don't already.
Shirt and pants OVERCOAT, coat ADRIENNE LANDAU, shoes DC.
It wasn't something I planned on asking but the pandemic, one of the biggest moments where they showed love to black and brown skaters. Do you feel companies have continued to show support or has it declined since then?
I feel like it was almost a publicity stunt because it happened during the pandemic. And then it was Black lives this and Black lives that. It's back to normal almost. It's like hard to speak on it because I don't really know and I'm not, I'm not fully in the industry. I can only give my opinion on it, you know what I mean? But yeah, I do feel like that. It made a drastic change where it was promoted on television amongst everybody. And then after the pandemic finished, now everybody's back outside. Nobody has anything to sit in the house and think about.
It's as if we took the physical masks off, but there's still a mental and psychological one.
The pandemic literally shifted the whole world's demographic in terms of how they view everything. And it took a series of sicknesses and deaths for everybody to realize that people need to work with each other as a collective.
That's a good segway. When it comes to your own brand, what do you want to do with Olyympian?
Olyympian is a skater street brand, as it's not high-end fashion. It's gonna be affordable for sure. But I would potentially move into a designer brand. If I want to indulge in more and more textiles and design aside then I'll do that but I want it to be affordable design. You are paying for the name, but you're also paying for the love. You're not paying for it because you see everybody else has it and those who might be doing better than you. It's mainly on how much swag you got. If you don't got no swag, don't put my clothes on as there's people with no swag putting on such expensive clothes, and still looking stupid.
Have there been any scary moments for tricks that you were trying to get down?
So to approach a trick that you've never tried before, you got to bring yourself enough mental and physical confidence to try the trick one time, only one time. The first time you ever try the trick will be the scariest time compared to any other time. It's scary because you haven't tried it yet. You're nervous, your nervous system is on edge. Your body is uncomfortable. You're forcing yourself to try something new. So, you gotta bring yourself enough confidence. If you get hurt on that first try you might not ever try that trick again. But if you really want that trick, and your mental intuition is telling you, "I need this trick and I will do this trick." You're not going to stop until you do that trick regardless on what the repercussions are. Whether you get hurt, whether you break your arm, whether you scratch your body up when you break a board— that's just what comes with skateboarding. That's why I said it's all mental.
Jacket, sweatshirt, pants and shirt BALENCIAGA, bracelet L. JARDIM, rings BERNARD JAMES, shoes DC.
That's good for people to know, because a lot of people, may back out a bit just because of the fear of consequences.
Yeah. People don't attempt it because they're scared of failure, and they don't want to fall. They don't like how it feels to fail or fail hard for the first time. Everybody who's met me— they appreciate my work ethic. I had to develop this work ethic. Like, I wasn't born with it, you got to develop it. I've done a number of things where I've had to trial and error myself until I felt that I was where I wanted to be and I'm still not where I want to be. You literally just have to say what you want and do what you want until it's in front of you.
How do you avoid compromising your own authenticity?
Don't ever let somebody try to mold you into how you know you look. There's been a number of situations where I've dealt with and, people would want me to act a certain way or follow this code. If you can't be yourself when you're by yourself, how are you going to be yourself in front of a million people?
office had the chance to enter the Metaverse and explore Dream House before sitting down to speak with Leiomy about her experience taking part in the pioneering virtual community. While the development of new technologies and ways of interacting with our chosen communities and families are undoubtedly exciting, Leiomy emphasizes the responsibility to stay true to the culture and heritage of Ballroom and use its history to inform our ever-developing technologically advanced communities.
How did you come upon stepping into the metaverse and exploring this kind of space to interact with your art form, as well as your fans?
Well for me, I found out about Metaverse and Oculus via my own gaming experiences. I love gaming. I now have the opportunity to speak on this panel in the metaverse and discuss the idea of chosen family, and also learn how to create an avatar and use gestures to get different facial expressions and stuff like that. It's been really, really fun. I'm looking forward to possibly teaching dance class through the Metaverse because the movements are really so fluid.
I’d love to talk about your experience here as someone who so prominently expresses herself through your body movements and physicality. Now that we are starting to understand a new form of physical presence with this platform, how do you reconcile your relationship with your real-life physicality with existing in such a virtual space?
It's still kind of something new. I'm getting used to it but I am really, really so interested in just how everything moves. And I'm able to do some voguing here like that's so cool. I can only imagine how much further we can get with this technology but I feel that so far it's really fun. I enjoy everything about it. The fact that you can even make facial expressions and give high fives and put your hands up to get confetti…
It’s also nerve wracking, and quite vulnerable compared to what a more traditional online experience is. Ballroom too is such a space where you have to make yourself vulnerable to others.
Yeah it is. Because you know, you have to get out there and get in front of people and be judged for whatever you're representing. That can be very tough.
What was your experience the first time you stepped into the Ballroom community?
I was introduced to voguing through a VHS tape which is so different compared to how so many people now can just hop on YouTube or social media and find out about it. I feel like my introduction to Ballroom was more so me finding myself as a woman of Trans-experience and finding a place where I was able to be myself and showcase my talents in a competitive way. But then also in a way where I feel like voguing shaped me into being who I am today. I was able to learn how to express myself as a young teen and I was able to, you know, express my emotions and disappointments and my happiness and every every emotion you can really talk about through it. That's something that has been a huge journey for me: being able to express everything that I've gone through through my artistry.
Now, being the mother of your own house, you have a global scale of respect and admiration. What kind of responsibility do you feel accompanies that?
I've been a mother even before starting my own house. I've had kids who I've been mentoring for years and have been under my wing. And I feel like as I’ve been becoming a house parent, that has become more of an international thing. I was able to create a family and a house for kids around the world and bring together so many people who wanted to be a part of ballroom, but didn't have the proper mentorship or the right leader. A lot of times, people just come up wanting to be a part of ballroom just because of the excitement and entertainment of it, but they don't understand the culture and familial aspect behind it. I wanted to get a place where I could provide a family to those people who didn't have one at home themselves.
There is visibly a new crowd of people who have been propelled towards Ballroom as a result of the international exposure. Shows like Pose, and then later Legendary which you are a part of, have brought the community into the limelight. While it’s fantastic to see a range of people be introduced to and explore the history and culture of Ballroom, do you think that there is a reason it has been very intentionally gate-kept in the past? Will Ballroom need to continue gatekeeping as a form, almost, of self-preservation?
It's still important to gate-keep Ballroom because a lot of times, yes, ballroom is getting all these opportunities in the mainstream and all these things are starting to open up for people in the community. But a lot of times those opportunities, even though there have been given or open to ballroom people and the people who are actually a part of our own, those are not the people that are able to take the opportunity because a lot of times it's through dance agencies for instance, and they're looking for voguers and they're looking for people who are part of ballroom and here comes somebody who just learned about Legendary last month and then they’ll try to take the gig. That's why even till this day, I’ll constantly call people out and say “sorry, but not sorry, this is not proper. This is not somebody that should have had it.” I don’t do this in a sense of hating, but more so because there's so many people who could have had the opportunity. Brands who choose the wrong person are ultimately cheating themselves and they're cheating their viewers because they're not giving them the proper, authentic talent. I still am a firm believer in this and I stand behind gatekeeping because it's important that we still have boundaries when it comes to getting opportunities through involvement in a Ballroom community.
Leiomy's avatar pictured in Dream House within Horizon Worlds.
On Legendary as well, your critiques are famously very candid and they express exactly what you're talking about, which is that it's about more than just the movement. It's the emotional connection. The dramatics are part of that real-life, lived experience that translates through the story that you're telling. How are you looking forward to sharing those experiences physically, and dramatically, where we are now: in the Metaverse?
I think it'd be fun to teach it like a voguing class. Even if it's just hand performance. It would be fun to get people involved this way. Also, in live classes, you come across people who clearly don't want to be seen. A lot of times they're joining the class, but they're in the back, but I'm the type of person that when I'm teaching those classes and I see those people I push them to the front and I'm like, no, like, come to the front. Don't be afraid to mess up, don't be afraid to come into this space. That's what I'm here to do: to teach you. So I feel like teaching classes through here would be interesting dynamic-wise. Even having panels where you can have a couple of the icons sit around and just share the experiences with others and share how it was in their eras and when they came around, opposed to, you know, nowadays, where things are far more accessible.
Do you think that this is also going to provide avenues for people who may not have the physical ability or mobility to participate fully in vogue and Ballroom to come into that community virtually?
I think it does open things up, especially for people who are not as mobile. This is a place where people will have so many endless options and endless things to do which is pretty inspiring. I love the fact that you even brought that up because I'm sure a lot of people don't even think about that. We should never forget about including everyone in our community. I’m looking forward to hearing from someone who has been able to experience new types of mobility here.
Is there anything that scares you about the Metaverse, considering how different it really is from real-life?
I haven't looked at it in that way. I honestly feel like this is more of a safer space for a lot of people where you don't have to meet people in person. For example, a lot of trans women are being murdered right now. Something like this can open up places where you can meet someone and try to get to know them on a better level where you don't have to go out of your way to meet them and put yourself at risk of violence. Even for trans kids who want to be able to be in spaces where they're not being pointed out because they're trans, who are now able to live experiences and share things with other people and not always have to be surrounded by their physical reality. It is inspiring.
I want to get into all of your amazing accolades, of course, but first, there’s important business to take care of. You’ve spent time in Philadelphia and I also grew up in the Philly area. What is your favorite cheesesteak spot?
I actually only lived in Philadelphia until I was nine years old, and then my dad moved us to Baltimore to try and get us out of the hood. The Wire wasn't out then, so he had no idea what we were walking into. I spent time in Germantown though, but I never really spent enough time there to find a favorite cheesesteak spot. I know Pat’s is one of the big ones and there are a few other popular places, but my friend took me to a hole-in-the-wall place once and that was probably the best I’ve had.
It’s always those types of spots that are the best actually. Do you feel that spending time in cities like Philadelphia and Baltimore has helped you persevere and succeed in navigating a rather difficult industry?
Definitely, living in Baltimore and Philly for a bit taught me to work hard and made me a little tougher. Being from the East Coast, I think people have a bit more hustle in them. When I moved to LA, I think I learned how to slow down a bit. But I think my upbringing totally shaped me and the way I approach my work.
What is the largest obstacle you faced in your pursuit of becoming an animation producer and writer, and how did you power through that?
I tried everything when I got to LA. I was editing, writing, producing, and acting — I wanted to do anything that would get me ahead. At one point, I had written and produced 2 independent films before trying to pursue tv writing. I was in a movie with Kevin Hart on Netflix, so I thought getting into tv writing would be easy — it wasn’t. I still had to go back to the beginning and start from scratch. I took a writing course and really focused on my writing and started to build back up from the bottom. There was a time when I almost gave up and went back home; I was struggling to pay rent and didn’t think it was going to happen for me, so I’m glad I kept going.
You say that the indie movies didn’t exactly help you in the way you thought they would, but did the making of them still teach you valuable lessons?
Definitely — I learned how to run a team and how to fund a project. All of the things that are important to know in general in the entertainment industry. So it ended up paying off anyway.
The logistics. That’s definitely valuable, even if the path you took wasn’t what you thought it would be. Can you give an example of an episode or segment of writing that you are most proud of?
I wrote a movie that came out in theaters. I actually cringe when I watch it now, but seeing it there was probably my proudest moment. I did the acting thing once and I don’t need to do that again.
That’s the thing that a lot of actors usually say — some don’t like to watch their tv shows or movies. But that has to be the biggest moment of fulfillment as a screenwriter though — seeing your ideas come to life on a big screen, with an audience.
Exactly. I wouldn’t say it’s my favorite project, but I think it’s something to be really proud of, coming from Baltimore and finding my way through a more non-normative path.
Did you watch any animated shows growing up, and do you think they shaped your current sense of humor? And to follow that up, if you had to describe your sense of humor in a few words, how would you?
I watched a lot of South Park. My parents didn’t really like it back then, but they love it now. It’s the first tv show that truly introduced me to satire. I love the idea that comedy can be entertaining but it can also bring up important topics and discussions. I’d say that show, The Simpsons, and just other Saturday morning cartoons definitely influenced my sense of humor, but I also put my own spin on it. I became really interested in South Park and Trey Parker, Matt Stone, and Loren Bouchard’s work. I began just studying their art and how they bring real-world situations into these 25-minute episodes; I think that’s what really pushed me to get into comedy and tv writing. And if I had to describe my sense of humor, I would say satirical, sometimes irreverent, and hilarious.
I would definitely hope you’d describe your own work as hilarious! How do you reconcile writing jokes that align with your own sense of humor, but that also toe the line of politically correct, yet still comical, in the current state of the world where sensitivity can run high? I imagine this can be difficult, especially with adult animation.
My answer to that is that for me, it’s easy. I’m not an offensive person and I don’t think my jokes come off that way. Growing up in Germantown for a bit, like I said it was the hood. Then we moved to Baltimore, where we kind of lived in a suburban area outside of the hood, but a lot of my friends were from the hood. And then I moved off to LA. I feel like having those different experiences taught me how to write for all different audiences. As the executives say in the industry, I think my humor hits four quadrants — adults laugh at my jokes, kids understand them too, and so on. On the flip side, I have a script that I just finished and some of the characters are inspired by real-life friends. That one is more niche. I feel like some people watching or reading that may not understand where certain things are coming from, but there are audiences who will really enjoy and resonate with those types of jokes. Obviously, some of the writing I do is just for adult animation, but I think I’ve gotten really good at knowing how to write with a universal sense of humor.
Do you think comedy can be a form of therapy?
Definitely — I mean laughing is therapeutic. I had this existential crisis when I was in quarantine.
As many of us did.
Yeah — it was the first time I had an anxiety attack. I thought I was having a heart attack at first. I just started really thinking about whether or not what I do is important. It was actually right around the George Floyd protests, a lot was going on in the world. I just felt overwhelmed and I couldn’t stop thinking about whether or not my work mattered. I was upset that maybe what I was doing wasn’t important to the world, in the grand scheme of things. I remember watching a movie around that time though, I can’t remember what it was called but it was a black and white movie. It’s about a man who was a screenwriter during the Great Depression, who was also wondering what he was doing with his life and whether or not it was constructive. He ends up getting locked up and has to spend time in jail. While in jail, one morning sitting with the other prisoners, cartoons come on the television, and everyone starts laughing. These men, some of which were going to be locked up for over 20 years, or even life, were enjoying watching cartoons on tv with smiles on their faces. That made me realize — making people laugh is important. Providing an escape does make the world a better place.
Especially today, many people need that escape. It’s essential.
I think once I started thinking of my work in that way, I really started to appreciate what I do more. Everyone needs to laugh sometimes.
As one of few black animation writers in Hollywood, how do you think the industry can begin to foster a more inclusive community for all?
I think it’s definitely improving. There are so many tv shows that now have black directors, who bring on black producers, writers, and actors. There are surely still times when I am the only black writer in the room, but I think we’re beginning to improve. Most people, if they want to pursue a career in this industry, they take the traditional path of becoming a PA or a showrunner's assistant. But a lot of those people also have a connection or a friend who helped them get there. I didn’t approach things that way — I just took a chance, but a lot of people don’t get that chance. The industry can be very nepotism driven so my best suggestion is to try to open up ways for just anyone on the street to be able to apply for these positions, instead of just always basing everything on connections. There’s definitely still some work to do, but I know there are a lot of programs now that are giving creatives these opportunities.
There are tons of grants and programs to assist people now for sure, but I agree that there is still progress to be made. Not only are you a writer and producer, but your creativity also spans the design world, as you co-founded your own brand, NoOne. How do you traverse the design world; do you find yourself channeling a different creative version of yourself with this endeavor than in your writing and producing?
I was very challenged by this project because the creative parts of fashion are a bit scary to me. When we were deciding if we should take this on, I was so scared. That’s how I knew it was a good idea. My friend Lenard handles the more creative parts of the design process. I’m learning a lot from him. I want to learn more, so I’m taking a really open approach to this whole thing. I started to look at it as storytelling.
Exactly. Any creator, at the end of the day, is sharing a story with an audience. In fashion design, the designer is telling a story that the wearer then becomes a part of by putting the clothing on their bodies.
Yeah, once I started realizing that — that every creator is telling a story, it’s just the mediums that are different, it became less challenging. We mix traditional, utility styles with more non-traditional elements because that’s how both of us dress and how we approach life. We both got to our goals in unconventional ways.