TK & Cipriana Quann Talk BLM, Diversity and the Future of Influencers
The twin activists offer their candid thoughts on the industry and meaningful change for a path forward.
If you’ve ever been to New York Fashion Week, you know Cipriana Quann and TK Wonder. The Baltimore-raised twin sisters make a powerful statement with their color-forward, boldly eccentric style, statement-making accessories and beautiful natural tresses. They’re equally upfront in the dialogues they create and engage in beyond visual language. They’ve been pushing the conversation in the industry from the get-go, first as a model and musician respectively, but also as storytellers, artists, photographers, illustrators, editors, art directors and community builders through their platforms Urban Bush Babes and now Arrested Voices Lifted. They are not afraid to be direct.
We spoke to TK and Cipriana during the height of the Black Lives Matter Movement protests this summer, and caught up again recently. The conversation initially arose at a moment when several influencers were trying to unionize in the UK and the US. The concept that may seem like a joke to some at first (aren’t unions for blue collar labor?), but breeds a very real discussion around what it means to work in unregulated spaces, how lack of regulation works in tandem with systems of inequity, and who exactly benefits from corporate partnerships. Will influencers weather COVID-19? And how do conversations around anti-Blackness and systemic racism bring accountability to the influencer industry? It was the perfect opportunity to have a very real conversation with the twins about the future of influencing, addressing institutionalized racism and anti-Blackness in the fashion industry in meaningful and substantive ways, and just what we can expect from the two creative powerhouses next.
First, we would love to hear a little bit about the story behind your outlet Urban Bush Babes. How did you first get started? What are the stories you are interested in telling and celebrating?
Cipriana: I have been in the fashion/entertainment industry for over 20 years. I officially became a fashion model after I was scouted randomly on a family trip to New York. After about 10 years of experiences as a Black model, I eventually cofounded Urban Bush Babes (UBB); a platform where women of color could be seen, heard and appreciated. Unlike the totality of my own career within the fashion industry, which was quite the opposite, where I was told I had to assimilate appearances similar to fellow white models to resemble a more “commercial appeal of beauty,” I wanted to share stories and content that truly supported and highlighted beauty outside of the stereotypical standardized mainstream ideals. My twin sister and I have since founded a new platform, Arrested Voices Lifted (AVL), a virtual safehaven to share and raise cognizance of painful stories from the unheard as well as educate and heal.
Our mission behind AVL is to provide another avenue in which distressing stories are shared and build a community to support, amplify, heal, and lift up voices of the unheard. No matter your age, race, ethnicity, identity or religion, AVL is hopefully providing more awareness and understanding along the way through storytelling.
What is the story behind Arrested Voices Lifted?
TK: I remember protesting in NYC for Trayvon Martin, an unarmed Black teenager killed by police in Florida, in 2012. I remember protesting in NYC for Eric Garner, an unarmed Back man killed by NYPD, in 2014. I remember protesting in NYC for Freddie Gray, a Black man killed by police in Baltimore, with my sister in 2015 and later that same year for an unarmed Black child in Ohio, named Tamir Rice, killed by police. So, when Breonna Taylor and then George Floyd were killed by police along with the countless other names of unarmed Black women, men and children, there was this lingering question in my head for all these years: Why were these killings not considered murder and how were we as a country allowing men with badges to be above the law?
Cipriana was wrongfully arrested and incarcerated in 2015 and was offered a settlement by the NYPD. I was singled out as the only person of color in an airport in Macedonia for a strip search by a male airport security officer and I refused until a female security officer arrived and he left. Afterwards the US Embassy stepped in. We realized there are countless stories of wrongful arrests or harassment by police.
However, the platform isn’t solely for wrongful arrests as it is for providing a space for voices that have experienced trauma and do not have a large platform. The reason why we called it Arrested Voices Lifted is because within the word ‘arrested’ is the word ‘rest’ and there can be a sense of peace by sharing one’s pain in less triggering ways but still just as powerful with words.
What has the experience of working and collaborating with brands been like, as Black women, as your business and visibility grew and as the industry has (or has not) changed?
Cipriana: We [only] collaborate with projects that align with our own message and because of this have lost a substantial amount of potential work. Brands have a tendency to want to collaborate with us because of how vocal we are on certain issues, however for that very same reason some brands feel a partnership would not align.
As a Black woman within the fashion industry, I have had some amazing and really wonderful experiences, but on the other side, I have had countless encounters of those who underestimate the value of my work and worth simply for the color of my skin. This unfortunately is a much longer discussion, due to the amount of adversity I have had to overcome to achieve half of what some white women in these spaces are obtaining consistently and easily due to their race. The pay scale for BIPOC influencers and talent as a whole is unfortunately, for the most part, grossly lower in comparison to white influencers/talent.
With that being said, I have definitely seen progress, but truthfully, the progression has been slow due to many not wanting to take full culpability in their part of consciously or unconsciously feeding a system that continues marginalizing many BIPOC within this industry. From an individualistic standpoint, analyzing the detrimental aspects of ourselves we need to change is never easy... but it leads to the most beneficial kind of growth. Without this kind of honest assessment in the industry, true progression will be impossible.
TK: Let me start by saying I’ve had some incredible opportunities and experiences with brands thus far with my sister, and we have been very grateful for the journey. However, there are some deeply troubling issues that exist and thrive in the industry ‘til this day.
I was in the running for a major shoe campaign along with two other white creatives, however, I was not chosen due to being considered “not marketable for middle America.” [This] hinges upon the company not taking the lead to champion diversity no matter the demographic which is the essential goal of diversifying and breaking this false and backward ideology that white creatives are more marketable.
What other changes do we need to see in the conversation?
TK: We need changes to address the aforementioned and changes that are lasting and viable. Time and time again these issues arise and Diversity & Inclusion boards are the results however, what type of results are these boards providing to truly create effective change that will last? Hire Black and Brown board members who are actually well-informed, have an vested interest, genuine concern and understanding of what can actually be effective for viable change and implementing those measures. Don’t just hire a Black and Brown person or feature Black and Brown creatives or models with no history of advocacy. We see what happens when you put someone in power with absolutely no experience or interest in understanding how to work for effective change.
What structural changes would you like to see in this space?
TK: Diversity from every aspect from the boardrooms to the talent to the photographers to the designers to the stylists to the make-up artists—the list goes on. Monitoring the buying of fake followers, particularly on larger accounts, as that is an issue no one likes to discuss and it really does take away opportunities from those who have organically grown their following, besides it being extremely misleading. Many of the structural changes I would like to see revolve around many of the issues I mentioned regarding the industry.
What are your hopes for the influencer industry in the future? How would you like to see this space change and evolve?
Cipriana: [I would like to see] more transparency and ownership in lasting commitments of change within the industry, to realistically even the playing field for all talented influencers and individuals who are creating quality content, especially regarding making this space more diverse and inclusive.
As Diversity & Inclusion departments are spearheaded to ensure sustainable growth within brands willing to make changes, I would love to see qualified individuals who not only talk the talk but walk the walk, those who have experienced what it feels like to be part of the most marginalized groups. Voices who have been consistently active for years on contributing awareness/education regarding issues of race, diversity, inclusion, LGBQT communities, health/wellness and unethical compensation practices within the industry or workplace. These are the individuals who will provide the efficacy that should be upheld and required.
What are your favorite parts about what you do?
TK: Working in the fashion industry is a part of what I do. My favorite parts also revolve around my other work as a writer, music artist, activist and illustrator. . However, my favorite part of what I do within the fashion field is working with Cipriana. I am so fortunate to have the bond I have with my sister, as she is such a beautiful person in every way. My love for her is infinite and I truly look forward to our burgeoning careers and the journey ahead.
Cipriana: Besides working with my sister, I love what I do because I have the chance to intimately connect with people through transparency, especially women of color who have had traumatic experiences like myself in the past and because of that trauma has dealt with emotions of inadequacy, hopelessness, anger, shame and depression. These kinds of emotions resonate with many and it can often stifle our true potential. Through my platform I can directly inspire someone to create changes in their life that will help them to fulfill their own dreams, by sharing my own success but most importantly my failures. My “virtual family“ (what I call my “followers”) has taken time to invest in me and therefore, I want to take time to invest in them. As cheesy as this may sound, what is the point of life if we are truly not helping others in some way? I've worked hard to make my audience feel they are welcomed, they are seen, they are heard and that they are appreciated.
WRITER: ASHELY SIMPSON
PHOTOGRAPHER: TERRY GATES