Today we’d like to introduce you to Lia Bass.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I am known to my peers in the fashion world as “Slim.” I was born & raised in Springfield, MA. Currently residing in Boston, for the past four/five years, on & off. I grew up in a family of athletes. My entire family played basketball or football. My father was a huge basketball star back in his day. He was the first to ever put a ball in my hand, & that helped us build a very strong bond between one another. He & my mother also had a thing for shopping, we lived in the mall, & I’ll never forget my first piece of clothing I fell in love with, was a Baby Phat Sherling. I wish I knew it was a classic back then, haha. I would’ve held on to it longer. But my father’s basketball success also made growing up playing basketball in his shadow very difficult, but not until my high school years.
As for my mother, she was always my backbone. She allowed me to always be comfortable being myself, she offered me freedom in more ways than one, & although she had big dreams for me being a basketball star; whenever I had crazy ideas of their being more for me, she always encouraged me to go find what it was I missing. Self-expression was big to my mom, she always let me wear whatever I wanted, even if none of it matched haha Her & my grandmother, who I’m very close to, always called me a gypsy. Which explains my story & character perfectly, haha.
For a long time, I was the only child. I had an older brother, & older sister, but they lived in Georgia with their father. My mom & dad & I lived together, & I was the only child until about eight, when they planned to have my little brother, LJ. Coming close to Lj being born, my father & mother separated, because of my father’s infidelities. That made things tough for my mom & I, & in some ways made me grow up faster than I needed to. My dad’s absence also resulted in less phone calls regarding school, him no longer practicing basketball with me, & just diminished the father/daughter relationship we always had. Lj was born months later, & the two of us & my mother were left to move in with family members until my mom was on her feet enough to move us out.
Before going into high school, I played on an AAU basketball team, known as the Springfield Sparks. We traveled, won national championships, & the team rooted around all the players & coaches being together since the start at age eight. Going into high school, the majority of us went to the same school to continue balling together. The dream was to get to college & possibly go overseas. I played Varsity in HS, freshman-senior year. As a freshman, I was the 6th man off the bench. We won states that year, which was monumental for a freshman. By the time, my senior year approached, basketball was no longer fun, due to my dad antics when showing up to the games. He was a heavy drinker, & saying that he’d come into the games wasted, & embarrass me, was an understatement. He’d tell me I was ruining his reputation, etc. & eventually, I didn’t want to play anymore, the fun was sucked out of it for me, but it was really all I knew.
After senior year, I knew I didn’t want to play basketball anymore, but I felt I didn’t have much of a choice. My family always pushed for me to do that & nothing else. I got my first scholarship in Nebraska, I hated it, & needless to say, I blew the scholarship before the season even began. I then returned home, with nowhere to live, because my mother had moved down south & my dad & I relationship was so bad, I’d rather had been homeless at the time. I bounced around from friend to friends house, tried moving to Alabama w/my mom, but something was always missing, so I always found a way to get back to basketball, cause it was the only part of me that made sense. I then ended up in Boston, at Roxbury Community college, to get back into the ball & be recruited to go on to a bigger school.
While playing there, I was still in & out of wanting to be on the team, but my coach saw what I had to offer & knew my life back home & refused to let me go backwards. It was rough, most days, I ate ramen noodles for dinner, but I LIVED in the thrift store, constantly looking for new patterns or looks of clothing to wear. After two long years of not being fully committed to playing, but avoiding being homeless or returning to spfld, I got recruited to play for a team in Miami.
When I got recruited in Miami, my mom & dad were happier than ever. I was back to living the Dream they had planned for me. I got to Miami, & I just didn’t feel like after all my bouncing around, all my soul-searching, that I fit this basketball lifestyle everyone wanted me to fit into. My teammates would be in ball gear, & I was dressing up & mixing patterns just to go to a team meeting, haha. I was always into fashion, but mainly for myself. I loved getting dressed, & Instagram was the main place I could share my outfits w/the world w/o any real thought into how they’d be perceived. I enjoyed Miami, but as I’m sure you can guess, that was short lived as well.
I began reading this book, called the alchemist. To this day, it is my all time fav book. It spoke volumes to me. For so long, this Shepard was searching for treasure, that only he believed was there. He gave up his herd & all he knew to go after this treasure, & came across many obstacles along the way, & although everyone else thought he was out of his mind he still went after what was in his heart. In the end, he found his treasure, & also found his true being. This resonated w/me, because I found the same. It taught me to find my innocence again, to get back to me, before all the institutionalized thoughts, connect with”kid Lia”, again. It got me back to my artistry, my pure core being.
I’m doing my best to tell the short version of this story, but I’ve lived in over 6 states, in the span of five years. I made decisions nobody else stood by but me, & I had felt more in my heart but didn’t know what it was until I went after it. When I left Miami, nobody understood, once again. It was a great opportunity, etc., etc. But nobody grasped how it just wasn’t the opportunity I needed. I left with no true idea of what was going to find me, I just trusted that it would. When I got back to the East Coast, this designer from NY wrote to me & asked me to model for her. I expressed that I’ve never modeled for anyone, besides just taking photos of myself & my outfits. She told me to come, she thinks I’ll be perfect for the look, etc., so I met her in Brooklyn & the feeling I got from shooting, just was something I’ve never felt before. We killed the shoot, & later found out it was published in a magazine overseas. The days following that, I just knew modeling was what I wanted to do. I was meant to be in front of a camera, whether it was editorial, runway or commercial, I felt capable of doing it all.
I worked, as much as I could. Having shoots w/photographers, some that I knew, some I didn’t, just to gain more content & practice my new craft. Then, it came the time, I felt I was good enough to be signed. I began submitting to agencies, to be told “NO”, time after time again. I’ve heard a million times, that my Look is too edgy & they don’t know if it’s marketable. It was discouraging then, & it’s still discouraging now(being that I’m still told that). So, I marketed myself. I made Instagram my online portfolio. I emailed nonstop, asking designers to collaborate w/me. I went castings for NYFW on my own, & walked every season for the past two years, without help from an agency. I did finally get signed, to an agency in NY, but it didn’t necessarily make things any easier. Getting to castings & things can be difficult, being that I live in Boston & these things can pop up w/less than 12-hour notice. But I want this to be a full-time career, so I make it work. I’ve tried getting signed to the Boston based agencies, so I can do work closer to home, but they won’t take two looks at me. I’ve learned a lot about the industry over the years, & even more about myself.
Although it takes tough skin, it’s moving to see the changes being made within the fashion industry as the years go on. The years playing basketball, traveling alone making ends meet, not always being backed by those closest to me, & finding my true being, prepared me for this. My mother is proud of me, as she always has been supportive. My father & I relationship has grown, as he’s seen me really go after this dream full throttle. It feels amazing to hear that he brags about me finally, which was all I ever wanted growing up.
Although I struggle getting signed here, Boston has amazing artists, from hair stylists, music, to photography/film, designers, etc. & I eventually found a creative circle that helped me express myself, & still be myself. I’m grateful for that, being that this industry can really tear you down. I’m still working & learning, & pushing to get the masses to see in me, what I see in myself. I have goals of landing a big campaign, working w/big designers; I’d love to walk a Paris fashion week, & break all the boundaries & execute this industry in ways they continuously told me I’d never been able to. Although this is me telling my story, the main part that really sits deep in my heart is setting a platform for others to feel comfortable to tell theirs, & not settle behind boundaries as well. I haven’t reached pinnacles I foresee for myself just yet, but it’s motivating as well as inspiring, when those who I don’t even know are watching or don’t know I inspire, reach out to whether it’s via DM Twitter or Instagram, asking me for advice on how to chase their dream. It makes it all worthwhile. I want kids, young & old to trust themselves. Don’t stick to rivers & lakes you’re used to, & if you have a vision, go after it. Find the kid inside of yourself. Just as the Shepard in the alchemist unveiled his treasure; I’ve given up my life as a basketball player, to go after what was always in my heart, even when I didn’t know it. All of my treasure will be revealed very soon as well. I appreciate those who love & support me, & can see my vision. You guys have my heart forever.
You’ve faced a lot of struggles along the way. Looking back, how do you think about your journey so far? Do you feel it’s been a somewhat smooth road in retrospect?
It hasn’t been a smooth road at all haha between family struggles, personal issues; finding myself, believing in myself, finances, & just regular industry struggles, there’s been times I’ve wanted to give up. But I have amazing people in my life, friends & family, even those who I don’t personally know but believe in me, all that keeps me going. It’s funny how much just finding the beauty in small moments or others forcing you to see beauty & light when you can’t, can you push you past any obstacle.
What else should we know about you and your work?
I am a model, but I don’t want to ever just limit myself to that. I believe myself to be an artist. I anticipate taking acting classes, & making my way into sitcoms, Netflix shows, etc. there are no limits. I never want to be categorized. I’m proud that I can be a voice or a figure for those who do admire or support me, even my siblings. Mainly because, although my parents were amazing to me, despite our differences, they grew up in a different time, & didn’t have what I have grown to learn & obtain, so they weren’t able to provide it for me. But I can provide it for others, distant or near to me. I believe my versatility sets me apart from others, I enjoy being able to tap into my feminine & masculine energies.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
More than anything, I think I just need to continue to trust myself. I find any moment that I doubt what I’m capable of or think too deep into how everyone outside of myself will feel about it/perceive it, it never feels as genuine & because of that, I find the work produced doesn’t reach as many people. It’s a strange thing, but I believe people really can feel that energy, whether it’s sincere or not, & if it isn’t it won’t go unnoticed haha on the other side, your most genuine work won’t go unnoticed either, & because of that it’ll resonate w/the masses & be successful. Stay grounded, humble, & forever grateful, manifest all i want in my world, by sharing & giving it to other people the best way I can.
Contact Info:
- Phone: 8572718881
- Email: liabadu7@gmail.com
Image Credit:
Ally Schmaling
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