Fashion in Motion with Jean Paul Dia

COURTESY OF JEAN PAUL DIA ON INSTAGRAM

Fashion cinematographer Jean Paul Dia brings beauty to life with his work. I sat down with him to hear about how he became the talented and in demand creator that he is today.

What has your career path looked like?

I started off behind the scenes for different photographers, just strictly behind the scenes content and creation.Then I wanted to create an artistic hero commercial stylized video that would mainly focus on the fabric, the clothes, the beauty. I transformed that into creating my own editorial fashion films. Looking at the editorial space, I felt there was an element missing. You get these beautiful, phenomenal shots of imagery, but I wanted to see what it would look like in video. I tried to formulate a unique way of telling a particular story– from editorial stills to video. Working with different photographers showed me different styles, not all photographers were welcoming because I was coming in as a cinematographer in this still life space, but I learned about different styles of imagery. There have been a few obstacles, but with the support of people on set and the relationships I have built, I have backup so it’s not just me advocating for myself but having others to advocate for me.

What drew you to photography/videography and fashion?

I wanted to capture some amazing moments that I was a part of. I was involved in marching band and I wrestled, and I wanted to capture and document my experiences. Through that I learned that there’s so much of a story to tell. I was drawn to fashion because of my mother, who was a stepping stone for everything. She worked two jobs and still made time to dress up, put on lipstick and perfume and go out to functions and events. When she transforms, her energy transforms– she shines. It was not the same lady that’s making his cereal in the morning once she transformed, that was one of things I was most intrigued by. As an only child, I would always go shopping with her at Fordham Road in the Bronx, 5th Ave, and Jamaica Queens. This was in the early nineties in the roughest, truest part of New York that you can imagine. Then in college I majored in English and minored in mass communication because I wanted to go into the journalistic field to change the perception and the way people thought of people of color. We’re highly depicted in one way and one way only. People that look like me were always portrayed in this negative light. I wondered how I could change that perception in the highest light, and I thought of fashion. I had a friend who was a makeup artist and esthetician that knew about every model and their career, and she opened my eyes to new designers like McQueen. I think that was the first designer I fell in love with in terms of his work and aesthetic. I especially love this black blazer of his with dragonfly wings from one of his previous spring/summer collections. That was how I really stepped into fashion.

I see that you’ve worked with Essence many times, how did that relationship start and develop?

James Barnes, who goes by JD Combo or JD Barnes was someone I had worked with in different editorial spaces like Marie Claire Malaysia. He mentioned me for an editorial and shared my work with the editor in chief. The editorial shoot was with Leyna Bloom, and that was my first time working with Essence. It was a great opportunity. The goal of the shoot was to elevate the style and give it a feel that people aren’t used to and to create something that’s intriguing to watch and inspires people.

Do you have a favorite project or some that stand out to you?

The Valentino Resort 2020 was a lot of pressure. I had to shoot within fifteen minutes. There were about twelve girls, and I didn’t have any stylists to help, I was doing everything myself in such little time. It wasn’t a campaign, but I was creating content for the resort collection and only had like two or three hours total to work. I loved working with Pier Paolo, he’s an amazing creative director because of his approach to creating the dress and putting it into everyday life but with New York luxury. The way Paolo thinks is amazing. We ended up shooting this storyline of an experience everyone has had–playing telephone. We even went outside to shoot some and ended up doing a Beatles-like shot on a crosswalk around 82nd and Central Park. Working with Jasmine Tookes, Maria Borges in Cannes, Cindy Bruna In Cannes, Duckie Thot were all amazing experiences. One that went viral was shooting Anok Yai who was Storm at Halloween for Heidi Klum’s event. I was just waiting around and started shooting, including Duckie dressed as Janet Jackson. The flashes from shooting reminded me of lightning and thunder, so I played into that since Anok was Storm, and it turned out really cool. I think that has over 5 million views now.

Since you travel a lot for work, do you have any favorite, memorable locations?

I love Paris, my name being very French as both my parents are West African. La Paz, Mexico, Capetown, South Africa were amazing. Mugello in Italy by the Ferrari race track was my very first international job. One place I would love to shoot at is Zanzibar; the naturally beautiful water and sky, the animals, the serene locations–definitely have that on my wishlist.

Where do you draw inspiration from?

Definitely a lot from nature and sometimes from the fabric and the fashion itself. There was a shoot I did with Riley Montana in St. Croix where the street lights were red because it stops and protects sea turtles from crossing the street. I ended up using those lights to create some beautiful work. So inspiration comes from location and also life experiences. I think about if I were writing to myself in a journal–what would I say and what would I feel. And in New York, how do I see myself in New York space. The model would then express herself through the way she’s moving, because one thing about New York is that it never stops moving–it’s the city that never sleeps. It’s the hustle and bustle, but you have to be able to flow and not get flustered.

What has been the most challenging part of your career?

Excelling. Being able to work on bigger commercial jobs, being paid properly, people trusting my work creativity-wise, being consistent as much as possible without having all the resources. We make the best of what we have and push it to further heights. A lot of us get frustrated in the fashion industry because there’s only a select few that are working on specific projects and fashion shoots. Being a black man in the industry you have to continue to prove yourself even though you were hired to do that job. You have to prove that you belong here and earn their respect, and say “I’m going to make this look amazing.”

COURTESY OF JEAN PAUL DIA

What has been the most rewarding part?

I would say the relationships that I’ve built are everlasting. It’s one of those things I appreciate the most. Many people would just say money, you know, money pays the bills, but the relationships create different experiences that no one really thinks about. It’s something you just can’t buy.

What’s one really good piece of advice you’ve gotten throughout your life?

Don’t be afraid to fail. Try new things. Learn, of course, from your failures, but just don’t be afraid and keep going. There’s been a few times I’ve wanted to stop. I remember I did a shoot with Duckie for Marie Claire Mexico. The shoot went well, it was amazing but as I was heading home I told the stylist, a friend of mine, Davian Lain, so I’m quitting. I didn’t think this was for me right now. Lain said to me, “how can you quit, we just shot Duckie Thot, this is Marie Claire, this is the cover.” I was just thinking that bills need to be paid and things are not happening at this very moment. But moments after it grew; things happened and opportunities came. I think the biggest thing is being consistent–being consistent with your work, with your relationships. Being consistent is the best thing you can do.

What are your goals for the future?

Short films, commercials, and eventually a feature film. It’s going to be one step at a time, so first it’ll be short films or commercials, and work my way towards the feature film. I’m just looking forward to being in beautiful spaces to create beautiful work.