Vashtie Talks Art Basel, Scandi Style, and Being a Cool Mom
It’s no secret that Art Basel attracts some of the coolest, trendiest, and most talented people to Miami every year, and this year was no exception.
We caught up with Vashtie, the DJ-director-designer-mommy blogger-extraordinaire to talk balancing a million creative projects, cool-girl strollers, style, and her latest collaboration with Meta for their “It’s Your World” campaign, where she used a Meta Quest 3 and PianoVision to explore new forms of creative expression..
I feel like your maternity style has been slaying. So can you tell us about your outfit? You already told us about the Gucci shoes.
Thank you! So it’s funny because I’m in Miami but this whole look is Scandinavian. My husband is Danish, so I feel like I’ve been tapping more into Scandinavian brands because of that. So this shirt is from Rotate from Denmark, and the pants are from EYTYS which is from Sweden.
Right, the collaboration! So can you tell us what it means to be part of Meta’s “It’s Your World” campaign?
It’s actually really exciting to be partnered with so many diverse interesting other folks and to be able to utilize my own talents within this collaboration has been amazing. Trying the piano app has been incredible because I DJ and have dabbled in music but I haven’t ever tried to learn an instrument and in a way it really gives you this support in order to try something new and different in a way that is fearless.
Right, you dabble in so many things, from DJing to directing to designing. How do you balance everything and choose what to focus on at what time?
I’m still learning how to do that, it is a balance. As I’ve gotten older I think I’ve gotten better with directing my time and energy into things that better serve me. I think now as a mom, because time is even more limited, it makes me more laser-sharp in a sense of figuring out what projects matter and how much energy each project needs. But as far as how to divide that time, it is day by day honestly. One month can be a lot of DJ jobs, the next month can be less but there’s more directing. So it’s just kind of having grace with myself and just taking my time and figuring it out. I think for me I really admire creatives who have one practice and are very disciplined in that one and only practice. Because I do so many things, I want to make sure that everything I do has all of my focus and effort put into it. I don’t want to do anything halfway.
So have you been to Art Basel before? What are your must-see and must-do tips for newbies?
I’ve been doing Art Basel for years. I think when I first started my angle was more nightlife. I think in the very beginning I was aware that there was art, but I didn’t fully immerse myself in the art because you get caught up in the nightlife, parties, and activations. But I think now it’s appreciating the art and taking time — no matter where it is. If it’s down the street at a cafe, or you’re going to an actual gallery. I think this event is centered around art and I think that’s important not to lose that essence. But I think a lot of brands are doing a good job at incorporating art into their activations, so it’s really nice.
Have you seen any art on this trip? I know you said you’re only here for a little bit.
I’m only here for a little bit, but last night I did see “The Art of Hip Hop.” Ciroc did an event for the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, so the Museum of Graffiti was celebrating that.
I feel like there are so many events that it’s hard to even keep track of them! What are you most excited about for tonight’s event?
I’m just excited to see everyone’s performance with the PianoVision app wearing the Meta Quest 3, and also Victoria Monét. I’ve been a fan for years and I’m just so excited for her. She’s getting all the recognition and credit she deserves because she’s such a powerhouse. We’ve been following each other for years and we just met in person for the first time which was really nice.
So tell me more about your experience with the PianoVision app and the Meta Quest 3. I haven’t tried them myself yet!
Oh! Honestly I feel like it’s the most user-friendly way to learn an instrument. It’s fascinating because you basically sit in front of a keyboard, you see a screen and you select which song you’re going to play and then as you’re about to press the keys you see which keys you’re going to press. It’s almost like a road view.
Oh, like Guitar Hero!
Yes, exactly. The keys that you’re going to press move forward and you see what you’re supposed to press and for how long. So it’s really fascinating because within the first few tries, I kind of got down a melody. I’m making mistakes here and there, but it’s very user-friendly.
That’s awesome, I’m excited to try it! Anything else you’re working on or excited about that you want to share?
I just did a stroller collaboration with Doona. So that is available and I’m excited about that because obviously as a mom, getting to create something that serves the parent community is really wonderful and empowering because I feel like I have a very specific style. I’m from a certain culture, and a lot of baby gear isn’t really geared towards that style of parent. I feel like there’s a new generation and it’s nice that brands are paying attention, brands like Doona that want to also serve different communities.
