If humans could be spirit animals Miranda would be mine. I mean take one look at her @letsgetflasy feed and you'll totally get what I mean. With personal style FOR DAYZAAA and this unique funky-retro-avantgarde aesthetic (there truly are no words!), Miranda is an Artist who cannot be contained to one medium and she's definitely not following anybody else's rulebook. Unapologetically an advocate for self-expression, self-love, and self-employment we could probably actually all take a page from hers. 

Based in New York City this 25-year old Stylist/Designer/Creative has built a portfolio so jam-packed with impressive goodness you may actually start to drool. Miranda has worked as an Assistant for the likes of Jeremy Scott and Manish Arora and has collaborated with brands such as Kenzo, Asos, and Amazon. ALSO, her work has been published in Teen Vogue, Paulette Magazine and NYLON. (Did I mention that she's only 25?!) So visiting her website isn't even a question, it's an absolute must! But the best part about Ms. Miranda Banana? She keeps it 100% genuine-authentic-real and relatable. Keep reading to get her Creative Stylist spin on making money, the pursuit of happiness, and the undeniable importance of being a female hustler. 

Who is Miranda? Where are you from? How did you become the woman you are today?

I’m Miranda! I’m a 25-year-old girl born and raised in Paris. All my life, I’ve been surrounded by costumes, theater, music, and dance. My parents are both thespians and have their own theater company. I had a very happy childhood which I have come to notice, not every child gets to experience that. I started being creative very young. Self-expression was always very important to me. At the age of 4, I would have tantrums if I wasn’t allowed to wear the item of clothing of my choice. The high school in France was tough, the only people that supported me were my family and very few friends. Not only was my style a representation of my personality, but it was also used as a shield. It was hard, but this shaped me and made me who I am today.

What is the message you're sending into the universe with your work? Why do you feel so strongly about said message?

I don’t really have one specific message but I would say my biggest one is don’t be scared and be comfortable with yourself. It’s still a struggle for me today but I try to remember that as much as I can. I usually tell people that you’re stuck with yourself for the rest of your life so you might as well like who you are!

Tell us a little bit about what drew you to your medium. Did you choose to work with said medium or did it choose you?

I can’t really choose one medium in particular. I have so many! I’ve always painted with watercolor. Since I was a little girl. I would get sets for my birthdays all throughout my childhood. So I guess you could say it chose me in a way. I’ve been painting on and off since my childhood. I also embroider a lot. Taught myself while I was on vacation a couple years ago. I got a cheap bag of yarn at the salvation army and brought it with me. I haven’t stopped since. I love knitting and hand weaving as well. I used those two mediums for my senior thesis in college. It was a lot of work but so worth it at the end.

You're a successful Stylist, Illustrator, and Designer. Tell us about how you juggle all three and your best tips and tricks for staying organized.

It’s strange to see other people tell you “you’re successful”. I don’t often consider myself a successful person as I’m always comparing myself to everyone else. Which is so sad! I’m always telling myself to find something better, read more books to know more about the world etc... It’s hard to take the time to reflect on yourself. I wish I did that more. “You’re doing fine” is what my mom tells me. We’re very close. She’s kind of like my safe haven. I’ve been taking that more seriously over the last couple weeks.

Writing down my thoughts is something that helps me a lot, making lists of things you want to do is great too. But the most important thing I would say is, try to be happy. I think being happy is crucial to living a long and healthy life. Don’t do things that don’t make you happy. It’s so easy to get sucked in by depression or anxiety.

What is the single most important advice you would give to women in the art industry in regards to turning their passion into a paycheck?

I’m still trying to figure that one out! But if you like what you do and do it well, I’ve always been told the paychecks will be around the corner. It hasn’t been constant for me, I had to take on jobs on the side to pay my rent. I still do. But when you finally get rewarded and paid, it’s the best feeling in the world. It makes you want to pursue it even more.

What do you want the younger female Artists coming up behind you to know about you, your journey, and the art industry in general?

I think it’s important to know that life is not easy but when good things happen, take a moment to be proud and be happy. It sounds so cheesy but I always have a hard time with that. I’ll be searching and searching for something good to happen and when it finally happens I usually think to myself “ugh I’m not gonna be good enough”. I have a chance to finally express myself and be taken seriously. 100 years ago, that would have been completely impossible. Support your fellow female friends, help them out if they need you. Buy from local female artists!

What do you know for sure?

I know I’m going to be ok. I’m surrounded by people I love that care about me. And that’s important! I know that there’s nothing else I want to be doing in the world. I question my career choices a lot, how can I give back to the world, how can I help people. Being creative is what I'm supposed to do on this planet. So I might as well keep doing it. I’ve been lucky enough to know what I wanted to do since a very young age. A lot of people don’t get that and spend their lives trying to figure out what they want to do.

What are some of the biggest challenges you've faced as a female artist to date? What are some of the biggest mistakes you've made and how did you overcome them?

Women underestimate and devalue themselves. It’s just a fact in today’s society. I remember reading that in a history book during high school. The first time I was offered a salary job, I didn’t even negotiate. I just took it without saying anything. Why? Because I probably thought I was not good enough. If I said anything, they would just give the job to someone else. If I was a man getting offered a job, I would of negotiated and gotten a better deal, more benefits etc... As a freelance stylist, I still do that. I’m too afraid. But if someone is not going to pay you what you deserve, is it even worth it? Those are mistakes I make every day. Even my mother told that to be. “Just take it, at least you’re getting paid!” All my female friends are too scared to ask for more money. We NEED to change that. We’re all brainwashed with the idea that we don’t deserve the same treatment as men. But we do!

How do you stay motivated? What does your daily routine look like?

Staying motivated is actually one of the hardest things when you’re a creative person. Traveling is probably the best way (but also the most expensive one). Discovering new cultures, new foods, new fashion is what keeps me inspired. New York is also great for inspiration, so much to see, so much to hear. You never get bored here. I like to people watch, thrift shop, even go to the grocery store. I’ve also been listening to a lot of podcasts. It helps when you don’t find the time to read.

Give us three of your favorite/ most inspiring things right now. Could be a book, a food, a destination, a song, a person, etc.

Let’s choose a song, a person and a destination. I feel like that’s a good variety. My favorite song is most probably any song from Christine and The Queens. She’s been one of my favorite musicians for a while now. I’ve been following her work and success, she’s so inspiring and every one of her songs makes me want to be happy and dance all day.

For my favorite person, I have so many inspiring people that I want to name but I’m going to choose my two parents. I know, typical answer. I’ve said it before but they have supported me my whole life and I know how hard that must of been!!! I wouldn’t be who I am today without them. I’m very lucky to have them.

A favorite destination would be my parent’s house in Normandie. I have such good memories from being a kid there and having such a fun house to run around.

What are your future plans for your work? Where do you see yourself going 1,3,5 years from now and how do you plan to get there?

I’m hoping to be styling or art directing full time. Meaning that I can actually live of off it! The hard part is getting there but nobody said it would be easy. I’m choosing a path that requires the word “hustle” a lot. That’s definitely not my favorite thing to do. I don’t like reaching out and seeing who knows who. But everyone keeps telling me the same thing over and over again: “girl you gotta hustle to make your way up there”. So I’m going to try my best. I’m hoping that with the right amount of work, I can move up.

What's the best advice you've ever been given?

I don’t really want to repeat it but it’s the only one I’ve got... just keep going. That’s what I tell myself. There’s no reason not to. Don’t do it for anyone but yourself. Make yourself proud.

For more information on Miranda and her work please visit www.mirandastarcevic.com