An Interview With Janaya Hampton, The CEO of Asterisk* The Brand

Janaya Hampton is a rising designer from New Orleans, Louisiana and currently resides in Los Angeles, California. Hampton is also a recent graduate of Howard University's Class of 2017. While at Howard University, Hampton studied Journalism with a minor in graphic design. In addition to maintaining her studies, she played volleyball all four years and became a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated, Alpha Chapter. Hampton has always found herself to be interested in fashion, news, and sports. Midway through junior year though, Hampton started realizing if she is truly passionate about something she shouldn't have to feel like forcing herself to do it. Although, sports is something that she loves to write about, sports journalism came from her mother’s dream to be a sports journalist. In focusing on sports journalism while in college, she soon realized she was forgetting the creative fashion side of herself. Fortunately, I got the chance to speak with Hampton about The Asterisk* Brand and its creation. 

Korede Akinyelure: Let's dive into The Asterisk* Brand. What really caught my eye about Asterisk* was that you were able to curate original & hip looks through crocheting. Seeing the outfits that you've created made myself and many others that have seen the looks all want a custom piece for ourselves. “So when I saw those looks on twitter, I was like wait a minute, I need these pieces!” So as founder of the Asterisk Brand, for our readers, we would like to know what was the inspiration behind the formation of Asterisk* ?

Janaya Hampton: It’s so crazy. I started crocheting when I was like 10, around the time of Hurricane Katrina. My mom taught me how to crochet while we were evacuating. I would also sell scarves and stuff while at school in Dallas, Texas. It became a hobby for me. As I got a little older, I really started getting into volleyball and that started taking up most of my time. So I didn’t really crochet at all anymore. Until I came home over the summer after graduating thinking and brainstorming about what I wanted to do with my life. I applied to a few journalism jobs, but I just knew in my heart I didn’t want to do that. So one day I was sitting in my room going through a journal that I had from a long time ago. It basically had a bunch of ideas in it for branding purposes, if I ever wanted to start something of my own. I came a across a page basically talking about this brand of athleisure wear called Asterisk* that I wanted to do. I didn’t forget about it, but I just didn’t think be an entrepeneur and follow your dreams when I was brainstorming what I wanted to do with my life. Like B*tch how are you going to use your degree? Anyways, when I saw that I started to dibble and dabble in crocheting and make some money over the summer. I started crocheting different summer tops and things I enjoyed. I started realizing that I got a really good response from them, a lot of people liked them and I really enjoyed doing it. I really forgot how much I loved to crochet and it brought me back to my childhood and the bond I had with my mom while doing it too. The name Asterisk* was chosen because an asterisk has so many different meanings to it. People use it to correct things in text if you spelled something wrong or something. People also use an asterisk to signify importance, stuff like that. I initially thought when I made the brand a long time ago that this is something that can be used vividly & tremendously in a brand for positivity. Then I like the name Asterisk* because of the part in it that says “risk” because I am a risk taker. I feel like when you don't do the things you want to do, and take the risks in life. I feel like that’s where the stress and anxiety comes from, so I’ve always been an advocate for doing what you want if it logically and emotionally makes sense. Being a risk taker and living a stress free lifestyle is Asterisk*. With all that being said, I put all of that together and it turned into something that was beautiful that I really love. I’ve also gotten into mixed fabric designs too. For instance, the howard set that I did. I saw one of the first sweaters that I got from Howard when I signed up to play volleyball. I was looking at it like this can be something super cute that I can make with this. Every morning, I wakeup and draw new designs so I looked in my book to see what I had. I literally had a design for a shirt I cut in half and thought I could do the same thing with my howard sweatshirt and it would be so cool. So yeah, that’s how Asterisk* started.

KA: It's very admirable that you have built a company on your own straight out of college, with a true meaning & purpose behind it. When you talk about a stress free life, I think about Stress and Mental Health, which is such an important topic in the African American Community. That is often ignored & brushed under the rug. For you to bring this matter to the forefront through the creation of clothing is quite influential. What made you decide to be the person to bring awareness and enlightenment to Stress and Mental Health?

JH: I just remembered my older brother and sister. When my sister came out of college, she was so stressed out about finding a job and I don’t want to say it drove her crazy, but it literally drove her to tears everyday and anxiety attacks. I really didn’t want to feel that way after graduating. There’s good stress and bad stress, but I’ve always been a person that never wanted to not know how to deal with stress. Stress is inevitable, so you have to know how to deal with it by taking those risks and look at situations with a clear eye view. What inspired me other than that to go into this direction, is that it embodied something that is very important in the world today and embodies something that is completely me in general. I’ve always been somebody that wanted to advocate for just like your mental state, knowing exactly what you wanted to do and putting your mind to it to just doing it. Taking those risks and letting go of anxiety.

KA: Describe your personal style for our readers?

JH: I would describe my style as classy tomboy chic. I’m the type of girl that really believes in turning bummy outfits into high fashion. I don't know that’s always been my thing. For instance, the Barbara top that I created you can use it for so many different purposes. I hiked up Runyon Canyon one day wearing it, I’ve worn it to pool parties, and as a crop top too for a regular day. So multipurpose clothing. I love stuff like that, its completely my style. Multipurpose clothing, classy tomboy chic is me.

KA: What's your favorite luxury brand?

JH: I am obsessed with Saint Laurent right now. Then Streetwear brands just because I'm really into Streetwear are Opening Cermeony and Off-White. Those are the two that really catch my attention and I actually have a few pieces from Opening Ceremony. Those are my favorite.

KA: What's your favorite black owned business?

JH: I'm more of a person that likes independent black owned businesses especially when it comes to fashion. So a girl in LA has this athleisure brand, but not really. It's a very minimalistic clothing brand called Matte Brand. Basically, a young black woman she's like 25 years old, her own muse, the designer, and CEO of her company. Basically, everything I want to be just young and doing it. It's amazing to see young black people-- especially females f*cking shit up.

KA: Now, let's talk about this orange halter top & jeans set. What made you cut a slit in the back of your jeans & crochet into it?! What was creative process behind this outfit?

JH: At Howard though, I really got to express my fashion sense. Because Howard is just like a f*cking fashion mecca you know. When I got into cutting slits in the back of jeans, that was my thing. I didn’t really have a pair of pants on the weekend that I would wear without a slit in it somewhere. So when I was thought about the next outfit for Asterisk* I was thinking of what was truly me that other people love too. People love creativity and originality. So I made the orange wrap around Versality top. You can wear it any kind of way. I had this orange Sorella Boutique visor and I just thought this outfit looks so incomplete like there has to be something else that I can do. I was thinking of crocheting a pair of shorts to go with it, but I was like no. I've already been thinking and had it in my design book that I wanted to mix denim and crochet in different outfits. So I pulled out jeans that I got from the thrift store, and was like damn what can I do with this. I did have an idea where I cut shorts and just crocheted at the bottom. But I looked at the jeans and saw that I already cut a slit in them so I was like wow that would be such a cute accent on it, just have something subtle. Less is more. Lets be real, everyone knows less is more. Something as subtle as embroidery or lining of the slit on the jeans says so much more as opposed to lining the entire end of the jeans. So yeah, that’s what inspired me to do that.

KA: As a African American Woman how does it feel to be the Boss of your own brand?

JH: It’s so crazy like the boss of my own brand, but that’s really what it is. As an African American woman, you see other people like Michelle Obama and the girl from Matte Brand making their own platforms to be an inspiration for others. To be myself, not comparing myself to either of them because I’m not on their level, but the concept for me to have the potential to do something like that and have the potential to see my business grow. As an African American woman it shows me that anything is possible. No demographic can stop you from doing what you want to do or becoming who you want to be in life. There were times that both guys and girls would ask me how I would do this and that when I spoke about Asterisk*, having their doubts and saying I can't start a business by myself. But I can and I am doing this by myself. Anything is possible with God, some ambition, and people that support you literally.

“If you have the ambition and fire to do something like I do, you just have to do it. People will always have something to say. So I was just like f*ck it, I’m just going to do it and put my sh*t out there. Put your content out there and let people decide if they like it or if they don’t.”

KA: As a business owner you could be a great inspiration to young girls that aim to start their own businesses as well. Growing up did you have any women that inspired you to become an entrepreneur?

JH: When I was younger I was only focused on my mom. My mom was my biggest inspiration. She also crocheted and learned from her mom. She would sell scarves and other items. I didn’t even see it as her being an entrepreneur back then, I was just like "oh mommy makes scarves, something fun". As I got older I realized my mom was making money and doing it provided for me; I looked up to her. But I never thought I would be able to do something like that, I don’t know it's crazy. Like people do this sh*t all the time, as long as I put my entire focus into it. Through the good graces of my mom she’s been behind me with everything.

KA: I feel like this generation is so open to just jumping and going for whatever it is we want to do. We don’t care about what anyone else has to say, we're doing it and that’s it. Now that you've established your own brand, What advice would you give to those that are afraid to take the risk & become business owners?

JH: The biggest advice I'd give to someone that wants to do something and doesn’t know how to start is just do it, and write your plans down to track them. I plan weekly for Asterisk*. So three things of advice: 1. Go for it. 2. Write things down so you can visualize it. And 3. Seek a mentor in your field.

KA: Where do you see Asterisk Brand in the next five years?

JH: In the next five years, I want Asterisk* to be such a big thing in the fashion industry, I want it to break barriers. Crocheting is viewed as something your grandma does or some sh*t. I want to remodel the entire brand of crocheting. Like crocheting can be sexy too and young people can crochet clothing as well. I want Asterisk* to have a store on Melrose and take over E Commerce in general. I want people to understand that Asterisk* isn’t just about clothing it’s a Brand. I want to have stress relief oils and whatnot. I just want it to be a big a** f*cking deal literally. I'm taking it one month at a time trying to get different brand influencers into my clothing to be able to put my brand onto new platforms.

KA: Where can people purchases items from Asterisk*?

JH: I am currently working on my own domain, but you can make purchases now from my Etsy store.

KA: Where can people follow your brand?

JH: You can follow me on Instagram @AsterisktheBrand and @Naysayerr . Be on the lookout for whats next for Asterisk* The Brand!