Meet Walter Atta | Creative Director & Wardrobe Stylist

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

Hi Walter, what matters most to you?
Humility. It is what has allowed me to receive opportunities that are often closed off to most people. It’s the main reason why I’ve been able to get this far in what I do. Of course, hard work and consistency are important components in achieving any level of success, but if such things are the bricks of one’s career then humility is the cornerstone.

I can’t say that I have succeeded on individual merit alone. With that being said, one needs to understand as early as possible that who you know matters and the person that you are matters as well. I don’t label myself to be an extrovert; in fact, I’m shy by nature. As a result, most people have perceived me to be unapproachable when in reality I was just being socially awkward and unfortunately this perception blocked my blessings to a certain degree. Part of it was my pride as well, I didn’t want to look stupid or ask for help because I assumed that no one would care. But eventually, you will realize that people are not mindreaders.

Once I became aware that it was my pride that was in my way and not a lack of social skills, I decided to make a change. Stepping out in confidence (and humility), collaborating, and networking has allowed me to meet invaluable peers and mentors that are equally as invested in my success as I am theirs. Without these people, I would still be toiling and trying to figure things out. Meeting such people has allowed me to diversify my experiences, and I have become a more versatile creative. For this I am grateful.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My greatest struggle was finding mentorship for wardrobe styling in D.C. and Maryland. I have been a stylist for 8 years and I still have not found a wardrobe mentor. In a way, this has worked in my favor by allowing me to experiment and form a mentality around fashion that I believe to be unique. In hindsight, I consider it a blessing that I never found a wardrobe mentor. Establishing a foundation without one has made me that much more intentional about how I style. I do still very much believe in mentorship, while I may not have a wardrobe mentor, different professional creatives under different disciplines decided to take me under their wing. Seeing my profession through their eyes allowed me to expand my vision to see beyond what I expected to do and see the opportunities that were presently available.

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.
First, I would tell them to follow @dccheapeats on Instagram and plan their meals around what they find most attractive on the page. I have used this page as a guide for casual meals, dates, nights out with the boys, etc. If they’re looking for fun, a location with interesting people, or a place to shop, U Street is your friend. You can’t go wrong with Chinatown, Metro Center, Georgetown, Adams Morgan, or Dupont Circle either. If you’re looking for a super mall then your best option is Tyson’s Corner Center. If thrifting is more your speed I’d recommend going to 2nd Avenue in Laurel, Maryland, or Unique/Value Village in Silver Spring (it’s a super thrift store comprised of two individual thrift stores). Any place worth thrifting in Virginia is too far from the city so I’ll leave it at that. But if you’re willing to go that far then you might as well check out Baltimore. The food in Baltimore is better than the food in D.C. in my opinion, and the thrift stores have more vintage catalogues. In Baltimore, Cross Street Market is your friend.

I believe this goes without saying but the National Mall is low hanging fruit for anyone having a hard time figuring out what to do. You can see the monuments and there are a bunch of free museums for both art and history.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I can’t choose just one. But I’d like to shout out Othello Banaci, Samson Binutu, and Aaron Tucker. The growth that I have been able to achieve in the last two years has been attributed to these three individuals.

Website: walteratta.com

Instagram: walternogetenemy

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/walter-atta-4a319998/

Image Credits
Samson Binutu Phelan Marc Mike Adedayo Ciara Dawn Brandon Combs