With 3-4 delicate gold chains around her neck and 5 fingers filled with gold midi-rings Vashtie sits over a candle lit dinner and explains her latest partnership with LG on their wearable smart watch collection.
Seated next to me at Spring Studio’s dinner table it came as no surprise why a creative that was the first female to collab with brand Jordan on her own Jordan sneaker is now the first to partner with LG on the unveiling of their latest two smartwatches with Google, the LG Watch Style for the trendsetter and LG Watch Sport for the fitness. Vashtie has an eye for trends and innovation so seeing as the LG smartwatches were able to fuse fashion with technology in a way that hasn’t been done before (a smart watch that actually looks like a fashionable watch with a circular display but has all the functions of a smartphone), the two’s partnership was just a matter of timing. You can catch the sit down below.
What made you want to collab with LG for their ‘wearable’ smart watch collection:
“For me, technology has been a major influence in my life and I’ve always been interested in technology. Growing up, I was just always fascinated with technology like getting a cell-phone when no one had a cell phone like “Why do I have one and if no one is ever able to return your call?” But for me, it was a no brainer because I love it, but also as someone who loves technology I realized that this new venture in my life I’m trying to be more mindful and connected to authentic conversation so that I can talk to you and not be like “Oh yeah, hold on let me just check something.” The way that a smart watch, especially this watch allows you to live your life is that-we can talk and talk and talk but if something pops up that I need to look at, it just shows me and I keep the conversation going, I don’t need to scroll through. Because on a phone, one app can take you to another app. So in a way it allows me to do what I want to do, it allows me to be creative too like when I’m dj-ing I can literally put my phone away and DJ at home, practice, or whatever, and if there’s something I need to do it will pop up and I don’t have to be like “let me check it and see.”
When you think of fashion and tech together what is the first thing that comes to mind?
“Honestly I think of a jacket like this, I’m going to be honest with you (points to my oversized Ivy Park metallic puffer jacket.) Growing up honestly I would see these things and be like “Oh, this is the jacket of the future” So for me it’s something that feels a little foreign but it feels so forward and it’s cool in a way. So to be able to bridge it, I feel like when people do it right and do it well it feels right. And this piece specially (lifts her wrist to show her LG wearable watch) it fits my style and it fits my lifestyle. So for me, when I think a wearable needs to be authentic to the person. It doesn’t matter the brand it doesn’t matter the style- it should really represent you because it’s meant to be representative of you but also to serve a function.”
Vashtie featuring my futuristic jacket
I loved watching you DJ at Webster, in a way your visuals are very futuristic. What goes into creating a set for you:
“For me, it’s really just paying attention to what’s happening in music trend wise. You know, if there is a specific song that’s trending, knowing what’s really happening. But then also for me I like to connect the heritage of that song, you know if it has a sample of another song I try to connect it. So if I’m DJ-ing I might play the sample into the new song. So for me it’s about old and new and bridging that gap.”
Most creatives struggle with being labeled and boxed into ‘just a director’ or ‘just a Dj’, but you’re one of the rare few that are able to eb and flow out of each one. How do you remain fluid?
“I think it’s where I come from because growing up I was always making music videos or making clothes for friends so it’s like all the things that I was doing when I was a kid but like now transitioning that as a professional it’s just really where I come from I think. Honestly, a lot of artists are multifaceted whether they know it or not they might not explore it, but it is there. You see examples of it everyday, that’s why Beyoncé might have because they understand fashion and they understand music. So I think it’s just about the creative process and that sometimes it’s not limited to just one genre.”
You very influential and you definitely inspire many other brown and black girls. How do you feel about being an influencer to so many black and brown girls out there:
“I do. I think in the beginning of my career I was less aware of it and I think in a way I’m never trying to be like ‘Oh, I’m so influential.’ It’s like, I meet people and they’re the same people that say I influence them but it’s inspiring for me to meet them- like right now the amount of women of color that are here tonight, and women of color in business spaces that don’t have to be dressed in a pantsuits. So as much as other young women say I inspire them, they’re inspiring me because I remember 5 years ago I wasn’t even invited to places like this. So I feel like now it’s symbiotic I’m inspiring people who are also inspiring me and I see them and I’m like ‘you’re doing cool stuff, stuff I’ve never even thought of’, so it’s nice.”
