We’re looking forward to introducing you to Vanessa Duncan. Check out our conversation below.
Hi Vanessa, thank you so much for joining us today. We’re thrilled to learn more about your journey, values and what you are currently working on. Let’s start with an ice breaker: Who are you learning from right now?
Funnily enough, Pamela Anderson has been a huge inspiration for me for several years now.
When I was a kid, she was always so confident and wild in the media. People would make fun of her but I really admired how she dressed & carried herself.
More recently she has stepped into a second phase of stardom and of creativity and it has been really inspiring. She has made mistakes, been judged & ridiculed, but she’s managed to hold onto her identity through it all. I admire the work she does on her homestead, a slower-paced life. She still does a lot of animal activism & she also has been wearing less and less makeup which is pretty cool in a world so often viewed through a harsh lens of vanity.
I admire her & always keep an eye out for projects she’s working on!
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Vanessa, or ‘miamifox’, and I’m a multi-media artist and vintage collector based in Miami, Florida.
I’ve spent years looking for bizarre & unique vintage collectibles & clothes. I’m bordering on hoarder at this point but trying to keep things organized. It’s hard to say no to a really cool piece!
Right now I’m really focused on integrating sustainability into the projects I work on. I find myself saving things from the trash often to repurpose into clothes, collages, and funny little outfits I’ve been making for photography/Instagram. It’s been a fun challenge and feels rewarding knowing that I can breathe life into things that would have been discarded and forgotten in time.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
I was a really shy and anxious child. It was very comfortable to stay in my shell unless I was with friends. I’ve always known I wanted to have a career in art of some kind, but in this society it’s really difficult to network and create and be successful without being out of your comfort zone. I’ve definitely opened up and become more comfortable in discomfort, but I sometimes think about how nice it felt to be a naive kid without the pressures of finances and networking. It sometimes feels a bit performative.
What fear has held you back the most in your life?
I am definitely my worst enemy when it comes to this- the fear of failure or of embarrassment has held me back big time! But luckily, with experience (and failing here and there), it gets much easier to put yourself out there and care less about the outcome. I used to be so afraid of embarrassing myself or being judged that I wouldn’t even give myself a chance to potentially succeed.
I think time, experience, and confidence are the only way to conquer this fear, and so far it’s been working out!
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What’s a belief or project you’re committed to, no matter how long it takes?
Sustainability is so important to me.
There are pushes & trends that support sustainability and it’s something I’m committed to and hope that more people will try to take part in.
The vintage community is so incredible in this way. By shopping secondhand you eliminate so much waste. So many older products- clothing, electronics, etc.- are made to last decades and can truly withstand the test of time. People are so quick to replace things when they break or tear, and it is causing irreparable damage to the environment.
I think if people can shift their way of thinking and embrace a slower-paced lifestyle it would greatly benefit them. Mend an old shirt with a patch, repair an old refrigerator, save an old magazine & create art with it.
There are so many ways to embrace sustainability and I really hope to share this with as many people as I can moving forward!
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: What will you regret not doing?
I would regret not really putting myself out there and taking risks. Sometimes my comfort zone is my enemy, and I do my best work when I force myself out of it. I want to do more creative projects with people and create things that make an impact, just need to keep the momentum going because once I’m too comfortable it’s hard to keep it up.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.miamifox.com
- Instagram: @miamifox_ www.instagram.com/miamifox_
