Tiaja Pierre

TIAJA PIERRE | MAKEUP ARTIST & FOUNDER OF FASHION WEST

Photography by JJ Constantine | @jjconstantine2 Interview by Charlie Price

You have had numerous careers such as welding and being a private detective (to name only two) - now you do skincare, makeup, and are the sitting editor of this magazine as well as assisting with the Fashion West Runway Show. What drew you to fashion and beauty?

When I was a young girl my mother would purchase magazines and books on fashion and makeup, which I would secretly look through. As well, she would dress in ways that reflected the different trends of that time…romantic, classic and a little bit retro. She always wore high heels. I would try on her clothes and shoes when she was not home…putting together various outfits while posing in front of the mirror. Fashion allows one to transform into something temporarily for the moment without needing to say a word. Whether it is the bold colors or patterns, one can change their mood at the drop of a hat. They say that “beauty is in the eye of the beholder” which is true as it does not exist on its own. The thing I love most about fashion is the ability to express while remaining unique. Seeing my mother do her hair and makeup beautifully everyday inspired me to want to be the same as her. I used to sneak into her makeup and try to replicate her routine. When she finally figured out that I was playing in her makeup she said I could have my own makeup but only after taking professional lessons. So when I turned 18 years old, I took makeup lessons and the rest is history.

Before the launching of Fashion West Magazine and Runway Show you were very involved in Denver Fashion Week, have painted faces for every major local runway show and worked extensively backstage at New York Fashion Week. What do you love most about being involved in catwalk shows?

Catwalk shows are unlike anything else. It is not only about the transformation and presentation but the exhilaration that you help create for the audience, who is viewing the production. Working as team to create a catwalk show is rewarding in of itself.

In the past you immersed yourself in competitive fitness, beauty pageants, such as Mrs. Colorado and now you enter many salon industry related competitions. What fascinates you about these contests and what career and personal rewards do you receive from them?

I am a competitive person who loves to raise the bar for myself. These competitions allow me to showcase my strengths but also learn from others and get feedback about how to improve. Additionally, I am able to use these competitions for the platforms that are important to me. The various talents of other competitors also fascinate me. I like to participate in these various competitions to not only keep busy preparing but to keep me learning and on my toes. When entering these competitions I feel a kind of accomplishment as I try to push myself to be my best and it keeps my creative juices flowing.

“Fashion allows one to transform into something temporarily for the moment without needing to say a word.”

You have many causes that are close to your heart. Children’s literacy, immigration reform and gun control are among them. Why are these causes so important to you?

Oh my, this is a wonderful question that is multi-faceted. My thought process is that children are our future and without literacy they will be left behind. We need their fresh thoughts and vibrant hope for the future of the world. We need to help them attain the literacy necessary to live and thrive in life as there are so many others struggle that they will face. The children are our future leaders and we need to do all we can to ensure they have the tools and abilities to make decisions that are taking into consideration all stakeholders.

Regarding immigration reform, I volunteer to fill out immigration forms for those who need help and that English is not their first language. I feel that everyone who has a dream to be able to live here should be able to. We as a society should help those who want to live here, regardless of a person’s nationality, religion, sex or creed. I also attend violations of human rights protests for immigrants that are unfairly jailed or detained. By having more people who come from different countries living in our country, being different will be normalized and we can learn from each other. It is my hope that by having more diversity in the world we will all come together and celebrate our uniqueness while recognizing we are different but still the same. Gun control is at the forefront of my causes. I have testified many times at the Colorado State Capitol on this subject and will continue to do so.

With this said, it is my hope that the world realizes that we are losing too many people to senseless shootings and killings. If there were better gun control laws these matters would hopefully be lessened, if not eliminated all together.

As such a busy person, is there a grand escape or luxurious fantasy getaway that you dream about?

I would love to have an extensive Orient Express experience. It not only sounds amazing but I love learning about other cultures and languages. It may only be a dream for now. The other grand escape, which sounds crazy and maybe is - to climb and summit Mount Everest.

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