Model, Singer-Songwriter & Designer Olay Noel Recreates Infamous Moments In Black Music History

The fashion model, designer, and internet maven has added singer-songwriter to her portfolio with her debut single “Flowers”! “Flowers” is a tribute to the wonderful Black female artists Olay has been inspired by since infancy, and it recreates some classic photos and album covers to honor these women as well as Women’s History Month! Olay is excited to begin this new chapter of her life by paying tribute to the artists that came before her and can’t wait to tell more about her future endeavor.

The Atlanta, Georgia, native understood from a young age that she was meant to walk the catwalk, drawing heavily on Naomi Campbell as inspiration. Olay took a trip to New York City while studying at Kennesaw State University and returned with a modeling contract from Wilhelmina Models, the world-renowned agency that has clients such as Naomi Sims, Anjelica Huston, Beverly Johnson, Patti Hansen, and Whitney Houston, among others. Despite encountering challenges in the modeling profession as a woman of color, Olay has continued to book several jobs, including Essence, Cosmopolitan, and L’Officiel. On the guidance of her parents, she expanded her portfolio and co-founded MIANIK, a clothing and jewelry company that celebrates the Black Diaspora, with her sister.

Cox: Olay Noel, I’m excited to speak with you because you are a creative woman. Before we get into that, I want to know a little bit more about Noel. 

Noel: Well, I was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, by two Caribbean parents. Both of my parents are from Guyana. Most of my career has been in modeling. That’s where I got my start when I moved to New York in 2013. I was only twenty when I made that move. After a couple of years, I stopped modeling to pursue my career in music. Singing was actually my first love. I was in a choir when I was in church growing up. In the south, you can’t avoid being in a choir. 

Cox: You moved to New York at an early age for modeling. How was the experience overall? 

Noel: I was twenty, trying to be grown. You know, at that age, we think we know everything. But reality really hit when I had to pay my own rent and feed myself. I had to really tough it out and figure things out because I didn’t have anyone, I could call to say I didn’t have this for rent or food. New York was very much that experience for me. 

I toughed it out living in an apartment in the Bronx, taking the train daily for an hour and a half to all my casting calls. I was even walking through the snow. It really was a learning experience, for sure. And it helped toughen my skin. 

It also helped me get out of my shell because I’m an introvert like nobody’s business. If you don’t spend at least a month with me, you won’t really get to know me. I’m only myself with my small, tight-knit group of friends. 

Cox: You were really hustling in New York? 

Noel: Yes, I was even a recruiter for Abercrombie and Fitch. This was a time when we would basically go out on the streets and talk to people about sales associate positions in the store. It was hilarious because we would go out as a team and basically talk to strangers. This is how I fed myself and paid my bills while modeling and going to casting calls. 

Cox: You have Caribbean parents, so I know it wasn’t easy letting them know you were moving to pursue a career like modeling. 

Noel: After high school, I just knew this was something I wanted to do, and I also knew there was an age range in this industry. So, I just flat-out told my mom, “This is what I’m going to do. At first, she was like, “So you aren’t going to finish college and waste all the things I did for you at this point?” I told her I was going to just visit New York for two weeks to try it out. Two weeks turned into four years. 

But the thing about my mom is that she is very supportive. She just wanted to make sure I would know how and have the means to take care of myself. 

Cox: In terms of music, what were you doing when you chose to pursue it and stop your modeling career? 

Noel: When I paused my modeling work, I was working in a girl group. It was giving off those TLC vibes.  

Cox: How was that whole experience working in a girl group? You know, we hear many stories. 

Noel: I grew up in a house with sisters, so I kind of have been in a girl group my whole life. You know all those things come up, from disagreements to bickering, so I was used to it. But me and the other ladies actually got along pretty well. 

Cox: Obviously, you are now a solo artist, but what made you stop wanting to be part of the girl group back then? 

Noel: It was a timing thing for me, honestly. We got along pretty well, but it just was no longer fulfilling in the way that I thought I wanted to be fulfilled.  

Cox: I love the fact that you stopped something because it wasn’t fulfilling you anymore. That’s so important. So, what does fulfillment look like for Olay? 

Noel: I wake up every day excited about what I’m going to do. I’ve watched my family sacrifice and do things just because they have to pay rent and bills. I’ve never wanted that for myself. I always wanted to have a life where I wake up every day and it’s different and I’m doing exciting things. I feel like I’m making my own schedule with all these things I have going on with modeling, singing, and my multiple brand projects. 

I’m just blessed to be able to do this and be in this creative state. I want to make sure I can give back and inspire others to use what they have and share it with the world.  

Cox: Touching on the topic of creatives. I want to understand your thought process behind that amazing photoshoot with flowers you did for your single release. 

Noel: A little back story: when I was in the singing group, I dressed up as Princess Jasmine for Halloween in 2016, and it went viral. It was posted everywhere, and it was like the third-top post on The Shade Room in 2016. It’s a tradition for me now every time Halloween comes around. 

Now back to the question. When I initially thought about this concept, it was about the song because it’s about flowers. It’s about me giving people their flowers while they are still alive. I think we have this thing where we only give people flowers when they aren’t here anymore, and for me, that doesn’t make sense because we have all this time when they are alive to give them their flowers. These are people we love, so we have to do better. 

So, for me, I wanted to give these iconic women their flowers from their amazing covers. It’s my way of saying thank you for bringing me up to this point in my music career. They inspired me enough to go down this journey as an artist. And the images I chose had to be some of the most iconic ones because I knew they would be the most easily identifiable with people.  

Cox: When it came to the song Flowers, what was your inspiration behind that? 

Noel: Initially, when I got together with my producer, we were thinking of something with R&B vibes because of the woman artist I was honoring. But I also wanted to incorporate some pop and something upbeat because I didn’t want the song to be too moody. I wanted it to be something that gave off good energy. So, from there, I got in touch with a writer, and they understood that this song was about giving flowers to these women who came before me. Then we all just bounced ideas back and forth from the production to the writing of the song. 

Cox: As a creative in this space, what’s something you live by while navigating social media? 

Noel: It’s easy in the day and age of social media to get swept up in ideas of what you think you should be doing or who you should be. Don’t get me wrong; if I came into this right now at this time with no identity, I could easily be swept up in it. I’m a grown woman who knows herself, so I’m not easily steered in any direction I don’t want to go. In this industry, if something doesn’t work for me, it doesn’t work, and I’m not forcing it. 

Being my authentic self always works for me. I love myself and feel good about the woman I am. Why would I want to be anyone else? 

Cox: I want to ask you: what is some advice you like to leave readers and your followers with because you are someone who had to get out of her own comfort zone and make her own way? 

Noel: Like my last answer, I like to tell people to continue to be themselves. And I want to encourage them that being yourself doesn’t mean you should just be comfortable. You should also experiment with who you are. Through experimenting and doing research, you really start to find out more about what you think you know and who you should be. Then you find out that you actually don’t know all that you thought. 

But don’t just study and sit there watching a YouTube video on something. Make sure you apply it and really push yourself outside of your comfort zone. It’s uncomfortable to put yourself out there at times, but you never know what’s going to make a world of difference in your life. 

Cox: As a busy woman, you need time to recharge. What does self-care look like to you? 

Noel: It’s my alone time. I’m at peace when I can just relax by myself. I think, as women in general, we are brought up to think we must take care of someone else. So, when I get the time to be alone, I’m really at peace. That’s when I get to focus on myself. I’m working out regularly, eating right, getting my nails done, and making sure this baby hair is right.