KYRA ROSA - Founder, MIJA
As a young woman of color in the fashion industry, Kyra felt like her voice was going unnoticed in a space that was lacking representation. She wanted to create a space for young latinx women like herself who needed reassurance, motivation and inspiration—enter MIJA. An online store and digital community, MIJA provides products and thoughtful content to inspire latinx women. From inventory to content creation to conceptualizing killer designs and beyond—Kyra does it all to uplift and empower latinx women who are making moves and paving their own way.
The Basics:
Hometown: Jacksonville, FL
Current city: Jacksonville, FL
Alma mater: Miami International University of Art & Design
Degree: B.A., Digital Photography
Very first job: Victoria’s Secret
Hustle: Founder, MIJA; Photographer
The Interests:
Babe you admire and why?
My mom and my best friends. Each one of them has inspired me in different aspects of my life. My mom, well, is my biggest inspiration. She’s worked so hard throughout her life to provide for our family and will still do anything for her babygirl—even let me turn her garage into a studio. As for my best friends, Maylisa is a photographer and avid reader. Always seeing her reading when we lived together inspired me to pick up a book and get back to reading. Abrianna is super selfless and always helping others; she’s in school to be an occupational therapist, and just a really sweet and loving person. Lexa, really doesn’t take s**t from anyone. She knows her worth and has pushed me as an individual to also not take any s**t and to fight for what I deserve. I guess you could say I’m surrounded by amazing and powerful women!
Maylisa Shuler
Favorite internet rabbit hole?
Honestly I’m obsessed with youtube apartment/home reviews and renovations. It’s just one of those things a lot of us dream of when thinking about our own homes.
If you could have a gigantic billboard anywhere with anything on it, what would it say?
¡Sigue Adelante! It’s a Spanish phrase meaning “keep going.” You never know who would see it and who would need that kind of inspiration. Sometimes life can get rough and all we need is a sign—sometimes a literal one.
Favorite place you’ve traveled to and why?
I absolutely loved Sevilla, Spain. If I were to ever live out of the U.S., I think it would be one of my go-to places. It has modern as well as historical architecture. There are also a lot of street musicians—which I love, and I’m daydreaming about at this very moment.
What’s your power outfit?
Graphic tee, Jeans, blazer, HOOPS! Literally anything with a pair of hoops, because they’re a staple for so many women of color. We throw them on with everything and we get s**t done!
The Hustle:
Tell us about your hustle.
I think the easier question might be what do I not do. As the founder of MIJA, I create daily graphics/social media posts for our Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. I do, luckily, have some help creating content now, as I hired a part time blog/writer, Sabrina Cabrera. I also work on the basic business needs such as inventory and web design. But the best part about my day-to-day work for MIJA is that I am able to brainstorm new concepts/designs for future collections as well as new ideas for content creation. We really want to highlight other latinx women that are also out there making moves!
What first sparked the idea for MIJA? How long did it take to make your vision a reality?
My experience as a young woman of color in the fashion industry—and feeling like my voice was going unnoticed—is what sparked the idea for MIJA. I wanted to create a space for young women like myself who needed reassurance, motivation and inspiration. I would say I'm still making my vision a reality for MIJA. Times are always changing, and my mind is always changing. I have so many ideas about what I want to do with the brand and how It will evolve over time, but for now I think it’s going really well.
How have your past professional and academic experiences and lessons prepared you for the work you do today? How have they not prepared you?
Having been to school for photography, I learned a lot about conceptual work, about creating meaningful work and about basic photography techniques. Also, growing up, my mom put me in Girl Scouts, so I always had some sort of passion to do something similar to that—something that involved empowering women—which is how I got into starting MIJA.
What’s one of the best or most worthwhile investments you’ve made in your career?
Deciding to go to art school really made a difference in the way I see the world, as well as helped me bring my visual ideas to life. I have my wonderful professors to thank: two awesome women, Ana Kamiar and Jen Morgan. They helped me transform my ideas into works of art, and I take every piece of advice I learned from them into the work I still make today.
How has being a woman impacted your professional experiences? What can we collectively do to support and empower women in your industry today?
Being a woman in the industry is a lot harder than some people think. Also throw in being a woman of color, and you just have a nice lil pile of oppression. I have had moments that I've questioned even speaking up for myself because I didn’t want to come off a certain way. There are also times where I’ve silenced my voice cause I just didn’t think my opinion mattered—it’s honestly something I'm still working on, but have gotten better at. As a woman who’s ever-growing, I know it’s my duty to continue to help uplift and support young women, and to help women, even my age, understand that their voices matter. It’s important that women know that they can do anything a man can do, PERIOD!
Who are some women in your field that you look to for inspiration?
I really admire Elaine Welteroth. She’s such a huge inspiration to Black women and women of color. Elaine worked her way up the ladder from being an assistant to Harriette Cole at Ebony, then ended up being the first Black Editor at Teen Vogue. She’s truly inspirational. Her story and some of her experiences resonate with me a lot as I’m still young and working my way within the fashion industry and trying to find my own space where I feel like I’m making a difference.
How do you rest, recharge and find inspiration?
I spend a LOT of time on Pinterest. It’s such a good place to find inspiration. Sometimes I end up looking at inspiration that’s completely unrelated to what I originally looked up—one more of those rabbit holes. I also get a lot of inspiration through my roots. Plenty of Mexican and Puerto Rican inspiration can be found within the MIJA brand.
Career and/or life advice for other babes?
Find what you love and do not give up! Also, be patient. Sometimes we can forget that what we want doesn’t just happen overnight—it takes time and hard work. Lastly, be grateful! Even if you aren’t where you want to be in life, always be grateful for what you do have and try to not dwell on what you don’t have. Having a positive mindset is so important in your progress.
Connect with Kyra:
Website / Instagram: MIJA / Personal / Photography
This interview has been condensed and edited.
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