My Path to Content Creating Was Far From Linear, Shares This Black Creator
Ornella Kondo always knew she needed to be in the world of fashion, but pressures to stick to a traditional career tested her decision.
WHAT COLOR DEFINES ORNELLA KONDO?
I’m looking at it right now in my room [Kondo laughs]. I love pink; it's me, it’s very chic and feminine. Pink is definitely a color that speaks to me and for me — and I love all its shades, I don’t discriminate.
Ornella Kondo, now a 26-year-old content creator based in Ottawa, Ontario, was born in Kinshasa, Congo, before finding her second home in Canada.
“I had a really good life [in Kinshasa] but for political and safety reasons my parents decided to bring [my siblings and I to Canada] to have a ‘better life,’” Kondo tells Palette.
Kondo remembers the exact date for her move, December 29, 2001. When asked about her sharp memory, she laughs and says it was a few days before the new year.
“I came last to Canada with my father,” Kondo says. “We landed at the Montreal airport and my entire family was there; aunts, uncles, and cousins. Then, we drove to my aunt's house in Montreal [for a gathering, before we headed home to] Ottawa.”
There was also another reason for her sweet memory for that day — snow.
“Seeing the snow in real life I was like, ‘what is that white thing?’” Kondo says through more laughter. “It was my first time seeing snow.”
After living in Ottawa for nearly a decade, Kondo says she watched herself grow “from a lady to a woman” — though the transition was not an easy one.
“Growing up, when we all moved here we didn't know any English. My entire elementary school I went to a French school and by the time I was growing up in grades seven and eight, things weren't the same,” Kondo says. “My mom moved me to a different school, to St. Patrick’s Intermediate, to learn English; she really emphasized I needed to know both English and French to live in Canada, and especially Ottawa [which is bilingual].
Kondo continues, “I was not happy because I didn't know any English, that was a struggle for me. I had to do whatever it took to learn the language and I’m so proud of myself because within the span of five months did! But before that, it was an uncomfortable feeling and place for me.”
The language barrier is one of the struggles Kondo shares with Palette. Though currently she maintains the status of an influential content creator — with tens of thousands of followers on Instagram, a self-curated style in the fashion scene, and a blog — Kondo, like most, took some time to arrive there.
“I’ve always known I would be working in the fashion industry, I just didn't know what I would be doing,” Kondo begins. “Every African child can attest to dressing up to go to church, weddings, even picture days at school — which, that part was really embarrassing [Kondo laughs]. It was always in me. I've always loved doing that and loved helping my siblings dress up.”
She continues, “Grade 11 was when you started picking what you wanted to do after high school and I remember telling myself I want to go to school for fashion, but there wasn't anything in Ottawa.”
Kondo says she would often hear the same comments when talking about entering the fashion industry, “Go to Montreal or Toronto.” Looking back, she says staying in Ottawa pushed her to discover her own style and space without being consumed within the already saturated fashion scenes of the other cities. Kondo also wanted to help establish the fashion scene in Ottawa, which continues to grow currently.
“So, I wanted to go to college because it's shorter, two years versus four in university, and I’d follow my passion for fashion on the side. My parents thought I was limiting myself so they encouraged me to apply for university,” Kondo says. “I applied, got accepted, started attending in September 2012, and I just hated it. I did not like [university and found it was a] waste of money. From a young age, I just knew it was my calling to do something in fashion so why was I there? I attended the University of Ottawa, studying general arts up until Spring 2013, which is when I left.”
Kondo’s parents, after her departure from the university, then encouraged her to enroll in college. She applied at Algonquin College with plans to become a law clerk.
“I was excited about it but not 100 percent. By then, I knew for sure I wanted to become a fashion stylist. I didn't think of becoming a blogger yet, so I was like okay fashion stylist. I hustled through college so I would have a plan B.”
College, like university, proved to be a challenge for Kondo, who knew inherently she was meant to be in fashion school but was limited by the resources around her.
“I started college in 2015 and I was in and out of it — one semester going to school and the next not going to school. It was so stressful. I used to think I was dumb because of math in elementary and high school,” Kondo says. “I used to think I was stupid every year because of math. I think that affected me in college and made me believe I wasn't smart enough. It was a struggle and I had lots of sleepless nights and crying.”
She continues, “I finished in 2018 and I am super proud of myself; I used to think I would not even come close to graduation. It took a lot of prayers, talking to myself, encouraging myself, and support from loved ones. Also in college, studying to be a law clerk, there was a course called All The Creditors and in it my worst enemy was math. You had to pass the class to finish. I'm not the only one who failed the first time, I failed that class at least three times, but then I passed and I was so proud.”
During this period, Kondo was working within retail as well. In total, she worked in retail for five years with the belief it was the closest place she had to fashion.
“Especially dressing up mannequins; I thought to myself, let me start working in retail and go from there,” Kondo says. “I would see myself grow within a company from sales associate to the role where you dressed up the mannequins, then head office, then being a buyer — that was my vision. But I hated retail, especially customer service because it was just annoying.”
At this point, Kondo came to the full realization she did not want to work for anyone else but herself. In 2013, she had launched a blog after seeing few hubs for fashion in Ottawa. But, she did not share the blog publicly and so started a new blog in 2014 on WordPress.
“I remember speaking with my friends saying, ‘I’m just scared, I don't know if I should launch it,’ and I did it because they said to. I got good, positive feedback. At the time it was Faith and Fashion, now it's just Ornella Kondo. I was sharing about my faith and my fashion — fashion was fashion and faith was encouraging people in their journey,” Kondo says.
She continues, “That was the birth of who I am now as a creator. There were times where I was discouraged but I was inspired by what was out there. Some people on social media envy other people but now I’m inspired to be a better version of myself, versus feeling like you're staying at the same spot.”
Instagram influencers live within the hub of micro-influencers — generally speaking, the creators with less than 10,000 followers — and macro-influencers — those generally with more than 10,000 followers. Kondo lives in the realm of a macro-influencer and says growing an audience was not easy but there are lessons she learned along the way.
“Consistency is key, seeing what's out there, looking for inspiration — my go-to is Pinterest — talking to people, hearing about other people’s stories, seeing how other creators started, and most importantly, being nice to everyone,” Kondo says.
Black creators in particular have to put in the extra leg work to grow an audience as racism and anti-Blackness extends to the online.
“I think [anti-Blackness] has been happening for years — it will just always, unfortunately, be that way. This year, throughout the George Floyd tragedy and the Black Lives Matter movement, I think it shed a light on Black creators, but before that moment I would say it's always been hard,” Kondo says.
She continues, “My mom always tells us to this day, ‘you have to work twice as hard as white people.’ [Black creators] have a lot of potential, we are just as bright as the white creators. They don't see that so we have to prove it to them like through pricing and your rates as a creator. The same brand reaches out to you and white bloggers and they'll tell you they don't have a budget, but you know they're paying white bloggers. We’re just as bright and creative as these other bloggers so we should all be treated equally and the same.”
Kondo has big plans for her future; traveling and styling celebrities like Solange and Rihanna top the list. After such a path to being solidified in her career choice, she says going forward there’s only room for creating.