In Transit with Moya Annece

Published On: September 6, 2022
Contributor: Marleisse Stephens
Creative Credits: Photographer Destinee Condison

Many immigrants and first-generation children like myself grow up with a sense of living in America being the end goal — a land of promise and opportunity that is sure to reap fruit if we just adapt and outwork everyone else. Most immigrants or children of immigrants will tell you that they live two lives: one that aims to maintain the traditions, habits, and moral codes of our culture and another that attempts to adapt to the “Western way.” It is truly extraordinary to think that so many of our parents migrated to the U.S. to grasp a better life and within a few decades their children are seeking refuge back in the same places they fled. It is no mystery that the constant strife of xenophobia, racism, and violence is becoming too big a cost for the American dream, but where do we go next when we have been told we have already reached the end goal?

Over the last few years, many young Black Millenials and Gen Zers have adopted a more nomadic lifestyle, electing to balance borders and work remotely. Specifically, interest in longer-term travel and exploration in Black countries has risen, whether in the Caribbean or Africa. Within the last few years alone, we have seen countries like Anguilla, The Bahamas, and Ghana adjust policies to attract those desiring a more transient lifestyle. We could assume this shift is a result of many things, but what I would like to focus on is the general disillusionment of the “American Dream.”

Circa 2020, fed up with the lack of inspiration, safety, and identity in my big city life in Los Angeles, I also elected to split my time between The States and the birthplace of my parents, Jamaica. Now I know many will squawk at that and say, yes, of course, who wouldn’t elect to live in a paradise if they could? But that’s because most people view Jamaica solely from the vantage point of touring the white sand beaches of the North Coast. Well, just two hours south of the white sand beaches of Montego Bay, you will find the city of Kingston. A newly constructed 41-mile highway that begins in the tourist city of Ocho Rios on the Northern coast links to the capital city of Kingston. Prior to the construction of the highway in 2016, it was an extremely difficult and burdensome journey to traverse the edges of Jamaica, but the highway has been a conduit of commerce, tourism, and employment.

In a personal essay, Marleisse Stephens compels us to reimagine the geography of home during a night out in Kingston, Jamaica with Moya Annece, co-founder of Ashya and a like-minded global resident.

Moya Annece and Marleisse Stephens cheersing to a good night. Photographed by Destinee Condison

Most immigrants or children of immigrants will tell you that they live two lives: one that aims to maintain the traditions, habits, and moral codes of our culture and another that attempts to adapt to the “Western way.”

I met Moya Annece last summer when I started to spend more time in Kingston. I was introduced to Moya by a mutual friend and celebrity stylist, Ade Samuel. Moya is an innovative creative powerhouse, beloved daughter, and sister, and has become a cherished friend of mine. Moya is originally from Spanish Town, St. Catherine, which neighbors Kingston, but grew up in Brooklyn, N.Y. At the age of twelve, Moya and her family left Jamaica and moved to New York where she grew up and eventually attended the Fashion Institute of Technology. “Growing up between St. Catherine and New York, I’ve been fortunate to have a colorful worldly view from a young age,” Moya says. “Migrating to New York as an adolescent, I was predominantly surrounded by people of African, Caribbean, Hispanic, and Asian descent. Then transitioning to university, my world consisted of people from all walks of life.”

After graduating, Moya worked and interned at a few fashion houses before deciding to develop her own design firm, ASHYA (pronounced “agh-shya”), in partnership with her best friend, Ashley Cimone. Moya owns cultural connectivity as an “inherent attribute” and similarly, the vision for ASHYA, has always been rooted in travel and cultural awareness. “It is mentally and spiritually grounding, it aids in my wellbeing and allows for a stronger sense of self and belonging. We have experienced erasure due to colonialism, so the preservation of culture within the Black community I find to be a revolutionary act,” says Annece.

ASHYA was conceived as an “ode to exploration” motivated by global Black, Brown + Indigenous communities and the transient modern life. ASHYA approaches design with effortless mobility and essentialism in mind. The brand was conceptualized during a trip to India where Moya and Ashley realized there was a gap in accessories that encompassed both style and utility. The two put their minds together and developed a design-forward approach to travel accessories, including a line of luxury leather goods that can be worn in a myriad of ways, handheld or hands-free.

“It’s an interesting time [in Jamaica’s art scene],” says Lawrence. “There’s particular energy. There are artists challenging the various status quos, and accurately tapping into the social pulse — a wave of artists tackling issues like poverty, gender, and sexuality; taking them on explicitly, and making statements. There’s a social consciousness, and they’re trying to make a difference.” – O’Neil Lawrence, Chief Curator, National Gallery of Jamaica

Grand exterior of the AC Hotel Marriott, Kingston photographed by Destinee Condison

Finding community and friendship as an adult can be so much more difficult, especially as an entrepreneur. The law of attraction tells us to go to places that make our hearts thump deeply and we are sure to meet those whose blood beats to the same rhythm. Moya and I surely share a wanderlust for the transient modern life. In between back-and-forth trips between the U.S., Canada, and Jamaica, Moya and I have managed to gain a deeper knowledge of the capital city of Jamaica, which we call our forever home. I had an opportunity to co-produce an editorial with ASHYA that was hyper-focused on introducing their Heritage Collection and brand journal. With the goal of establishing a new path as a Black women-led heritage brand, Moya and Ashley’s latest collection feature a newly designed emblem that embodies the brand’s values rooted in storytelling as a means of cultural preservation. This emblem, four A’s facing inward, represents the power of community and the importance of cultural exchange.

The pool lounge at AC Hotel Marriott Kingston photographed by Destinee Condison

During the pandemic, the AC Hotel Marriott Kingston, Jamaica, became a safe space for us to work remotely, dine, and unwind with friends in the city. This hotel is situated on six acres of island greenery within the ‘golden triangle’ and business and entertainment mecca of New Kingston. AC Hotel Marriott Kingston, Jamaica, is Jamaica’s first art hotel with a museum-quality collection of fine art.

Moments of design at the AC Hotel Marriott, Kingston photographed by Destinee Condison. Far right, ”5Invasion II’ made of coloured cotton threads shaped in resin by Jamaican textile artist Katrina Combs.

I have observed that Jamaicans living abroad are not aware of the progress that the city of Kingston has made over the last two decades. Most, even our own elders, think of Kingston as a city filled with only violent warfare and extreme poverty. While this may not be wholly inaccurate, could we not say the same for New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta, or really, any city in America? Kingston has always been and continues to be a mecca of entrepreneurship, education, and politics for the entire Caribbean region. American history books, politicians, and news pundits teach us to believe in the hope and dream of America while branding Black countries as inherently bad and terminally helpless. If we can look past the indiscretions of America and still find hope that our wildest dreams can bloom, we can surely do it for Kingston, Accra, Bridgetown, and Lagos — and we are.

In Transit with Moya Annece and Marleisse Stephens