Ciara's Perihelion: "Just As It Is"

As a Black woman beginning my freshmen year of college in 2019, meeting someone like then-sophomore, Ciara Haith was beyond refreshing. She came into our fashion tech course with her head, heels, and hair higher than most people. She'd often be the one asking all the questions no one thought to and never hesitated to help the next person. Her energy not only made me feel like the college thing could be a breeze but maintaining a fabulous aura in the process could be done, too. So it wasn't much of a shock when I'd found her on Instagram a few months later and saw all of her radiance receiving the love it deserved. Today, Ciara holds a quarter shy of 100 thousand Instagram followers, over 10 million likes on TikTok, and countless beauty and haircare partnerships from the biggest brands in the country. An impressive feat for anyone, but even more so when you're one semester away from graduating with honors. Ciara proves she's a true powerhouse with an inner magnet for success sure to take her to all the right places. Not by luck, but determination. All of this comes with a lot of time juggling. Luckily, she found time in her schedule for a quick zoom call during her homework day detailed below:

S: What is your name?

C: Ciara or Cici Haith, whichever.

S: How old are you?

C: 21 years old.

S: Where are you from?

C: PG County, Maryland.

S: What is your sign?

C: I'm a Libra.

S: What traits do you feel you display best from your sign?

Maui Moisture Partnership

C: I don’t know much about signs but I’m always called the negative one! *laughs* Which I hear is a big Libra thing. I’ve also heard they can be kinda flirty and indecisive, sounds like me!

S: What has been your favorite modeling experience thus far?

C: Probably when I worked with Mielle [hair company] because it was the full experience. They flew me out to Atlanta and had everything taken care of as far as hair, makeup, and location. It was the first time I did something like that so it was really cool.

S: What does a week in your life look like?

C: So I wake up in the morning around 7 am and film videos up until I have classes at 11 am the first couple of days during the week. Then I have maintenance days towards the end of the week where I clean my room and get organized. Fridays are the days I fully commit to getting my work done, so there’s no waking up and doing my makeup or anything like that I just like to stay focused. I try to have everything done for the weekend so I can actually get a weekend *laughs* I try to relax and not work during that time which doesn’t always work out for me, but I definitely aim towards it by getting lots of work done during the week.

S: When did you know you wanted to take your creative process seriously?

Captured During NYC Study Abroad

C: I knew from a young age I wanted to take it seriously, I just never really knew how or had the platform at the time. When I was younger, I was always creative and would attempt to make clothes and try to sew but it never really worked out. I knew I always wanted to do something creative so I just stayed in the fashion realm still. It wasn’t until I actually started posting my videos that I was like "okay I can really do this” even though my videos started off just being for fun, I knew once they started to perform so well I might as well start taking them seriously.

S: Who or what keeps you focused and motivated?

C: I definitely think my friends keep me that way. I’m surrounded by a group of hard-working women that are so creative and so about their business. When I see them working hard that’s when I’m like “okay let me get out the bed and do something” and once I do it feels good. I think we all carry the same drive and mindset, so it keeps me grounded.

S: How would you describe your style in 3 words?

Princess Polly Boutique Partnership

C: A blend between masculine and feminine, free, and definitely a little risky! I love wearing something that I have to question “does this look right?” Before I go out. That’s when I know I have an outfit on! *laughs*

S: Who is your favorite designer?

C: Peter Do. Design-wise, he keeps his work very clean. I love structure but I also love fluidity. He does a great job of blending the two. I feel like any time I’ve done a project, I’ve found myself pulling things from him for a mood board.

S: Who was the first brand you chose to work with?

C: I first worked with a brand called Texture My Way in terms of actually getting paid to post. I actually really liked their products; that was the first time I was like, "oh okay! I can actually get paid for this! *laughs* I already do my hair every day for free." Overall, it was a feeling I knew I would really enjoy moving forward. The process of getting a package sent, experimenting with the hairstyle I want to try—it’s all really fun.

S: What 5 songs are in your rotation this week?

Texture My Way Partnership

C: Darjeeling - FKA Twigs and Jorja Smith I listen to it every day, Replay - Tems, Colors - Amine is always on repeat, City of Gods - Kanye West, and Here We Go...Again - The Weeknd.

S: Can you recall your first “viral moment”? How did it make you feel?

C: So the first video I posted on TikTok instantly went viral. I had just posted it for fun, I had no real experience with using the app. I downloaded it before I did my hair one day and decided to record it. My sister, on the other hand, had been on TikTok for months. So when I told her I’d posted something she asked me how’d it do views-wise. I asked her “Is it normal to get 20,000?” *laughs* She was like “wait what?!” I remember sitting in her room constantly refreshing and it just kept going up! We were both stunned. *laughs* So when I woke up the next day to one million views it was just crazy. The only feeling I remember was pure confusion! At that time, I’d never even scrolled through the app—it was so funny.

S: With more content creators emerging every day, what is one piece of advice you’d give to someone looking to get their work noticed?

First TikTok Still Shot via @_cicimichelle

C: Don’t delete your content. It’s so normal for people to have content that they like but once they notice it doesn’t perform too well they decide to delete it so they can only have good performing content on their page(s). Keeping everything up—no matter how it performs—shows that you’re human and can post without needing it to be a viral moment, you’re just living; which is great. But keeping all your content present is also a good way to show consistency. I feel like a lot of brands reached out to me before I even felt qualified because they could see I know how to make a quality video and how to promote a product accurately. That only shows through consistency—even if you’re only getting 20 likes at least you’re showing your marketability.

S: How has your modeling life changed since becoming a signed model? Has it made things easier or do you feel any restrictions in your work?

C: It’s been a lot easier! Having an agency behind me has given me a lot more creative freedom to just do my part—which is to create. Without having to respond to emails, negotiate prices, read over contracts or all the other little things I didn’t know came with the industry. It was all overwhelming to me before I signed—I felt like I was a content creator and a lawyer! *laughs* Having a team that handles it just makes this whole thing feel more right. I get to just focus on what I need to do.

1723 Magazine Shoot

S: What is your dream partnership? (Could be a collaboration with a photographer, brand, artist, etc?)

C: I’d really like to work with Nike! I love sneakers and all of their campaigns overall. Eventually down the road, I’d love to be working with designer brands. Be at high-end fashion shows, front row at Paris Fashion Week, all in the crowds, ya know? In the future, I’m seeing Prada, Balenciaga, things like that. Short term, I have to go with Nike. That’s the goal right now.

S: What has been your proudest moment as a model thus far?

C: I recently did a deal with Sony that made me really proud. I’m used to doing beauty and hair products so it was just like wow. It’s not often you see a tech company decide to reach out to a hair and beauty influencer. That’s when I felt like I was making a mark in general, not just in the beauty realm so that was exciting. I also got to tie it all into what I do since I was promoting a camera, ya know? So now my creativity has to come out like "okay I’m gonna use this camera to do my hair!... Now how am I gonna do that?" *laughs* Coming up with that content really pushed me creatively and as a marketer.

Sony Partnership Still Shot

S: What is the number one beauty product you feel everyone should have?

C: Good sunscreen! I don’t leave the house without it. If I have nothing else, best believe I’ll have some sunscreen on. Even if I’m not using makeup that day, the sunscreen still provides a little blur effect that still makes me feel complete. And I use a little cheap one from Neutrogena so it doesn’t need to be fancy to get the job done. I use it every day even in the wintertime. It does wonders underneath makeup as well, everyone needs it.

S: How do you find a balance between your school life and your business life?

C: It’s kinda hard! Somedays, they do end up clashing with one another. That’s why I now have days where I’m focusing on one thing rather than doing a little bit of everything, every day. Sometimes it's hard to do it all in one day and I noticed myself getting overwhelmed. For instance, Fridays I make sure I’m not filming anything—I don’t even bother doing my makeup—I’m fully dedicated to work.

S: Finally, if the world was yours for a month what would it look like?

By.DYLN Partnership

C: There’d be a different form of currency other than money. Something silly like candy or chips! *laughs* I don’t know just something that’s easily accessible for everyone. It’d be interesting to see how people live without the chase for money because it’d be useless at that point. I’d also like to see the world with limits on technology. I’d have everyone turn their phones off after a certain point of the day and study how that affects the world. It’d be interesting to see. I think it would take a lot of strain off of our personal relationships to see the world just as it is—without our devices.