Meet haniyyah dixon | Creative Direction & Model

We had the good fortune of connecting with haniyyah dixon and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi haniyyah, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
Pursuing a career in the arts came extremely natural to me and I wasn’t necessarily seeking it. Ever since I was a child, I always saw life in color. While I come from a stable household, I experienced a lot of trauma early on. My way of coping was through my imagination and I always felt safest in an environment where I could express myself. I went to college for fashion and currently work in fashion tech but creatively I am so much more than that. I have found strength in modeling, creative direction and collaborating with like minded artists. As I’ve gotten older, it has become more apparent that by continuing to follow this path, I will eventually become a full time artist and be able to sustain my lifestyle through my creative passions.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Career wise I work at Amazon Fashion as a stylist. Before going into my career, in school I had this idea that I would go into the corporate fashion world, climb the latter (quickly) and become a fashion director in no time. While I know this is still a possibility for me, I know that the route I’m on creatively can open those same doors. I don’t necessarily have to climb a corporate latter, I can actually create my own latter and climb that one instead. I do however value the work I do especially the business aspect of it. I feel like I’ve learned so much about time management, how to advocate for myself and work on teams. It wasn’t easy getting into my current role, there are high expectations for our team and when I first started I struggled a lot to find my voice and footing. Being in this position for the past 3 years, I am now a top performer and leader on our team. My greatest lesson in this is things don’t happen overnight and going into any situation with full confidence, drive and hard work is how you get the results you want. I want people to know that a path is not linear, there are ups and downs and sometimes what you think you’re suppose to do is actually the complete opposite. I have stability within the corporate space but that doesn’t stop me from pursuing my passions and I don’t think it should ever stop anyone. When I’m ready to leave, it’ll be the right time and in the meantime, I am using this position as an opportunity to grow as a business woman. I am so many things, I could never define myself as just an artist or just a business woman or just a fashion stylist. I am all of that and being able to expand in all sections has been enlightening, challenging and so much fun.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
My home is also my friends home at this point so this has happened to me quite a few times. I live in Bushwick, Brooklyn so there is always something to do. I like to start the visits off with dinner, one of my favorite spots Gran Torino, they have the best spicy margs and the atmosphere is amazing. Then of course bar hoping, I go to so many places and in this city the names are all ridiculous, so I couldn’t name all of them but some of my favorites would have to be Starr Bar, Pauls Casablanca, The Flower Shop, The Jane Hotel and The Blonde. I also love a good house party or events that my friends are throwing for their art – that is probably the number one thing I’ll look up when trying to show my friends a good time. Also there is always a good museum exhibition, so that’s always on the list too. Not to sound like a socialite but I usually get invited to places and then let my friends know that is where we’re going! (lol) I don’t usually remember where I go, I just go and if I have a blast, I go again! I definitely have to be better with the names.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
The two groups that give me the most love, support and inspiration would have to be my family and friends. My father and brother are both naturally very creative. My brother has a huge personality and is an amazing performer (singer, dancer and actor) although his main focus right now is real estate. Him and my mother are both very logical people, so they ground me and assure me to be realistic while also following my goals. My father is an artist although he was a marine, student and social worker first. After the pandemic, he was able to focus his time, energy and resources on his art and I believe that comes from seeing me going for it full throttle. They have always supported me and have seen my growth and now understand that this is not a hobby but a way of healing for me. My inner circle is amazing, I want to shout out my friends Senochi, Ciara, Aria, Mikayla Kim and Meghan for seeing me in a way that sometimes is hard for me to see in myself. Ciara and Mikayla constantly send me freelance opportunities whether that be styling, modeling or creative for brands and businesses. Senochi and I live together and she is never shy to suggest doing a photoshoot, collaborating or suggesting we start a business together. Aria is also a creative – specifically a writer and she comes to me with advice but also has taught me so much. Her lens is that of a trans woman and I know she uses her art as a form of healing. When I met Kim and Meghan, it was like fate and we have stuck together in life ever since. I feel most confident with them and in general with all of these women I feel supported, loved, secure and safe. They are my inner circle and I consider them all family like my brother, mom and dad.

Website: https://www.haniyyahdixon.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/haniyyahdixon/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/haniyyah-dixon-76a2b5b3/

Image Credits
1st image: Shot by Snikka for her series @spacesxsnikka concept by Haniyyah Dixon 2nd image: Nuclear a Prelude by Francesco Rende (designer) concept by Haniyyah Dixon shot by @kwamilee 3rd image: Dula’s Neighborhood designed by Kareem Dixon, concept by Haniyyah Dixon and Senochi Kang shot by @VincentRutherford 4th image: Shopuppleva designed/concept by Rivers Whiting shot by @createdbyKaylee 5th image: My Soul is a spaceship concept by Haniyyah Dixon and Senochi Kang shot by @HowaboutMia 6th image: Cool Trans Girl the blog by Aria Brooks, concept by Haniyyah Dixon shot by @cityratgirl 7th image: Shot for Sincerly Tommy by Creative Director and photographer of said brand @VincentRutherford 8th image: Shopuppleva debut fashion show concept and designs by Rivers Whiting, Hair by Haniyyah Dixon and shot by @ElsieDombek