BagLady of Style: Asha & Ayanna Diaz of Wadada Movement

BagLady Basics Oversized Shirt Dress & Cocoon T'Shirt Dress

​Name: Wadada Movement

Current City: Port Of Spain Trinidad

Occupation: Designers

How would you describe your style?
Asha: Boho // Carefree
Ayanna: simple and conservative

Describe your current life in three words.
Asha: Adventurous, Blessed & Yoga 
Ayanna: Blessed, Adventurous & Passionate

How does your current lifestyle affect your style?
Asha: It keeps my style simple and carefree. So i'm usually comfortable clothes.
Ayanna: It keeps everything simple.

Do your cultural roots and religion affect your style in any way?
Asha: Living the Rastafari lifestyle has a few influences in my style, for example I won't wear pants to go out, as I feel that women are Queens should dress like Queens. You don't see the queen of England wearing pants, do you? hehehe
Ayanna: I won't use the word religion I'll rather say the my lifestyle as a Rastafarian definitely keeps my style a bit 'royal'

 What are some obstacles that you face/ have faced as businesswomen?
Asha: Like, Ayanna said, as women I don't think we have faced any direct obstacles. Other than the usual small businesses in the fashion industry obstacles; no platform, production issues ... 
Ayanna: I don't think the obstacles we've faced are because we're women, I believe as any other business person we've faced financial obstacles and also production obstacles. Growing our business is definitely a learning process for me so obstacles are part of the journey.

Tell us about the Wadada Movement and what it encompasses. What is The Wadada Movement?
WM is our ready to wear clothing line, with a mission to design pieces that will make any female feel royal. Our lifestyle  plays a great deal in our designs, as we take pride in our earth and our beliefs; as we do with our pieces. Each piece is inspired by our natural surroundings, designed with detailed simplicity and made from love. The Wadada movement is not something planned out as a business step but we do see the clothing line evolving into a lifestyle brand.

What inspired you to start/create The Wadada Movement?  
We both always tried to be fashionable and trendy growing up, but we always had the same issue everytime it came time to shopping ... everything was either too big or too short, as we were already 5'7 by 14 years, barely weighing 200 lbs combined. So eventually we had no choice but to get everything custom made, so by 16 we were designing our own outfits for different events. Not until 12 years later did we decide we could actually do this as a career. You know "love what you do and you'll never have to work a day in you life" something like that.
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Who or what influences/inspires your style?
Asha: My Lifestyle influences my style ... I'm not really a person who's into all the different designers and all that stuff, I jus consider myself an artist and fashion is the outlet. So I'm more influenced by my experience and travels.
Ayanna: I'm not much of a follower of fashion, I'm more inspired and influenced by experiences and by the way things make me feel.
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Have you ever had to make any hard sacrifices in order to pursue your dreams/career? (If so, feel free to give an account of such a time)
Asha: I've definitely been blessed enough, to say that I haven't had to make any major sacrifices to pursue being a fashion designer. 
Ayanna: Blessed being my first description of my life makes it easy for me to answer no. I believe that we've been blessed with the opportunity to do great things and thus far no major sacrifices have been made.

BagLady Basics Oversized Shirt Dress & Cocoon T'Shirt Dress

Describe your life 10 years ago in three words.
Asha: Student in Forida 
Ayanna: Easy, Fast paced & City

What does being a BagLady mean to you?
Asha: Classically cool 
Ayanna: Being fashionably comfortable

What do you like most about our garments?
Asha: The simplicity and trendiness of the dresses
Ayanna: The simplicity and comfort.

Which countries have you visited?
Asha: Egypt. Holland. Germany. Spain. England. US. Canada and many Caribbean Islands
Ayanna: South Africa, Germany, Holland, Spain, US, Canada, and a few Caribbean islands in between.

Have your travels shaped your style in anyway?
Asha: Definitely. Being able to travel has opened my mind to more creative ideas and merging the different cultures I had the opportunity to experience.
Ayanna: Our original ideas came through inspirations while we both lived outside of Trinidad.  So definitely yes our travels have.

Have you ever been afraid of expressing your personal style?
Asha: Perhaps when I was younger, like 10 years ago, but definitely not now. I've learned to love myself enough to not be afraid ;) 
Ayanna: Not really. I was always very simple.

What’s one thing that you’re proud of doing/accomplishing?
Asha: WADADA ......
Ayanna: Creating Wadada

What is the most important value you want to instill in your daughter?
Ayanna: The most important for me would be Humility. I believe staying humble in any situation is key to coming out on top.

Is there anything you wished more people knew about you?
Asha: I'm not a b*tch as people may perceive. hehe
Ayanna: I wish they didn't know as much as they do now. Lol.

What would you say to your 18-year-old self?
Asha: Don't rush ...
Ayanna: Don't worry you are going to be okay..

What’s the best advice you’ve ever gotten?
Asha: Nothing happens without a reason. Stay positive
Ayanna: Ask, believe and receive.

Do you have any advice for our readers?
Asha: Do Good. Be Good. 
Ayanna: Stay humble and continue being Kings and Queens.