Model Behavior, Anajah Hamilton

On a snowy afternoon in Midtown, Hannah Black, Hannah Siegfried, and I had just finished our $4 mimosa's at the YOTEL. Shortly after, singer/ songwriter Anajah Hamilton would take the elevator up to the fourth floor to meet us on an improvised shoot during a New York Fashion Week winter storm. There's something magical about working on our magazine in the city that never sleeps. Perhaps it was the professionalism of our bright-eyed-dewy-faced model, who quite literally, looked like she had just stepped out of a picture perfect Glossier campaign, or maybe it was the mezze off the Green Fig menu — while the rest of the girls shared a bourgeois pizza. From the very beginning, Hamilton's presence was entirely nimble. Even in her descriptions of memories she shared with us about late night batty MTA encounters, she was, on every beat while seated, radiant and charming. The 19-year-old ArtHoeCollective contributor, who recently participated in Saint Records 'An Ode to' 2017 at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, shares the most incredible realization that has happened to her this year, and two things in life she hopes to never repeat.

Isis Nicole: Thank you so much for coming out from New Jersey to NYC to meet us! Let's start with a brief introduction to who you are professionally.

Anajah Hamilton: I'm known to dance, sing, act and model, but I'm mostly a singer / songwriter. I was a part of the "Class of 2017" Urban Outfitters campaign with Hanes and their Champion collection. I did MAKE UP FOREVER in i-D magazine, [it was] this commercial type thing. Those are like the two major things I feel are super cool. I've done a lot of little things here and there, like Hannah Metz, I've modeled for her clothing. I'm doing something for Fashion Week tomorrow [with] Lyz Olko and that's all I can think of. [Laughter] I've done so much stuff.

IN: What have you learned to never repeat? It can be advice in regards to career, relationships, friendships, anything.

AH: There's two things: To not allow toxic people back into my life. I feel like if [I] do [I'm] kind of setting [myself] back because, maybe someone has made a mistake, okay, someone can work on that but like, people who are just consistently trying to bring someone down, they're toxic to mental health and they're not ever good.

The second thing that I think is important is your relationship with yourself. Don't make decisions when you're at your lowest point because you're going to obviously make a decision that your happiest self won't agree with. Like for example, a career choice, or like a relationship choice. If you're feeling down or anything along the lines of extreme melancholy, don't make a decision because if you do, it's not going to benefit you when you're happy because you're feeling really off balance. I feel like [it's important] to always make a decision when you're clear headed. Always take time to do things.

Isis Nicole: What's the most incredible thing that happened to you this year?

Anajah Hamilton: I think it was me realizing that I have potential. Realizing that I am worthy to take up space because I always feel like, "Oh there's people who are going to be better than me." [Sometimes] I feel like I don't belong or like I don't fit in but I've realize that, no one actually fits in. You just have to find the place that you belong so I feel like, you know, learning how to be comfortable in my skin, I feel like that was the best thing that I've realized this year.

@anajah

Originally published in IN #6, Fall 2017

Music, Editor's PicksIsis MarshallOctober 21, 2017IN #6