Interview / Bri Ng Schwartz
Photos / Andrew & Sam @indiestudios.nyc
Stylist / Phil Gomez
Beauty / Rory Alvarez
Hair / Isaac Davidson
Set Decorator / Alex Murphy
PhotoAssistants / Jordan”JP”Price, Rachel Cara
Stylist Assistant / MarianoGarcia
New York Nuyorican It Girl and multifaceted talent LEAF is shining in all of her glory in lieu of her most recent EP release, In Your Dreams. LEAF continues to bring the heat with jazzy melodies, rap tracks and R&B bops, all with her signature regal confidence. Thematically, the album explores themes of ambition, financial abundance and romantic pursuits in the hustle and bustle of the city. Her home of New York City has always been the backdrop for her creative DNA, coming from a family of New York musicians and artists, and having spent her teen years at LaGuardia High School.
As an alumni of a performing arts high school myself, I was thrilled to spend a warm morning in Bushwick getting to know the dream girl herself. LEAF was a relatable ray of sunshine joining us at the start of our day, with our chat taking place while in the makeup chair. She came ready to collaborate on her look, being a fashion girl on top of a songstress. Having attended fashion week this past February, we discussed her roots in fashion and how her style shows up in all facets of her career, from her visuals to other creative sidequests.
You were at New York Fashion Week last month. What were some memorable parts of that and what inspired you during that time?
My favorite show was KIM SHUI and AREA. Kim is just amazing. I’ve been following her work for years as she’s a friend of mine, and also being a New York girl, I’m just so proud of her. AREA’s silhouettes this season were astonishing. It was an elevation from what I’ve seen in the past shows.
I’d love to hear more about your history with your own style and fashion.
I grew up in New York, so fashion was always part of my life. My father collected sneakers, my mom loved fashion. I figured out that fashion was an industry when I was about 16 and that’s when my style changed.
Is there an aesthetic or movement that inspires your style?
A lot of my style, which I’ve talked about throughout my whole career, has to do with pinup culture. I’ve always had a huge appreciation for Hollywood glam. I’ve always gravitated toward it. Especially because I always loved bike culture and tattoos on pinup girls.
What or who have been some of your sonic inspirations?
When I first started out in 2016 to 2018, the internet was just getting its way, and a lot of my music was based off the underground rap songs of that time. That’s what I was into and listening to. Now I’m into different things, and In Your Dreams was inspired by my jazz influence. My great grandfather was a jazz musician and it’s always been a big part of my life.
You’re a LaGuardia kid! I’m interested in hearing more about your influences from that time in your life that you still carry with you in your art-making today?
I’m so blessed to have become a vocalist because of LaGuardia, and speaking of jazz, I got into LaGuardia singing jazz songs like “My Funny Valentine” and “Valerie”. I love the textures. I love the melodies. At LaGuardia, I sang a lot of Opera and Broadway that also gave me the vocals that I needed.
You’re loud and proud about your Puerto Rican heritage. In what ways do you think your culture shows up in your work?
Spending a lot more time in Puerto Rico with my cousins has helped me come up with ideas for making things in the future. A lot of my friends are Dominican, and I think that Dominican culture is beautiful as well. I feel lucky to grow up in a place that has so much story.
“Nobody” is the first single off In Your Dreams, and you released a few visuals to go along with the song. What can you share about the creative choices behind those?
I told my team that I wanted it to feel a little bit like Janet Jackson’s “Any Time, Any Place” where she’s sneaking around with her neighbor. That was the strongest reference we had.
Where did that concept for In Your Dreams come from?
In Your Dreams is part of a trilogy and if you know me, you know that I love threes. Dreamgirl l was my first project in my Dreamgirl era. In Your Dreams is my second project. It’s a double entendre. It’s like “you can only see me in your dreams” and then it’s also “in your dreams” as an expression. I think that’s why the music is so playful, and the messaging is very confident.
Jacket + Hat, ESQUE/BY. Skirt, Vintage. Jewelry, stylist own. Shoes, TAO TAO.
Outside of sound and style, You’re also an actress! Tell me about your “Dreamgirl Diaries” Instagram series from your last album and how that came to be.
I always wanted to be in Sex and The City. I feel like we need shows, so we got to make our own. My girls are always getting into some crazy, dramatic, mental relationships, so I wanted to just showcase that.
Do you identify with any of the Sex and The City girls?
I identify with every girl just a little bit because they all have such strong personalities that it gives place for them to have strong conflict. It was a little before my time, but I feel like it’s even worse now in New York with dating. I feel like nothing has changed which is funny and interesting.
All of those girls are ambitious in their own right too, which is one of the themes of In Your Dreams. What is your current relationship to ambition, and how has that evolved since you first started making music?
I realized that you can have ambition, but also need to have self care. The first song on the album is “Revenge” which is definitely a mature way that I’ve adapted to ambition. For the best revenge, and I will continue to say this, is being your best self. Getting revenge is a moment. Becoming the revenge yourself is forever.
In Your Dreams is the soundtrack for any New York girl strutting down the city streets in their main character glory. LEAF’s unabashed poised presence reminds us all of the power of using one art form to inform another. Lyrically, sonically and visually, she brings the heat in this next phase of the Dreamgirl era, leaving us dreaming about what she’ll do next.
Top, Melke. Necklace + Earring, Susana Avega. Bracelets, Alexis Bittar. Tights, stylist own. Yellow diamond bracelet, Viviana Halil. Shoes, Benedetta Boroli.
Corset, Sahar Jaberian. Gloves, ESQUE/BY. Hat, Dolce Gabbana. Shoes, Benedetta Boroli.
