Inside the Wild Mind of Pittsburgh’s Leading Lady
Photography by Madisyn Fecko
Nomi Leasure, No. Me!, KnowMeLea…whatever name variation you know her by, the fact is, you know her. You obsess over her impossibly perfect friend group, her beautiful clothing, and her “girls rule” mentality. But our favorite thing about her is her mind. She’s an educated badass who knows exactly who she is and what she wants, and we couldn’t love that more. We chatted with the petite, Peek Mag writer and found out everything you’ve been secretly wondering! (YES. She’s a feminist. NO. She didn’t get a boob job.)
Maniac Magazine: Who or what inspires you most when it comes to fashion?
Nomi Leasure: You know, it’s funny to be interviewed about fashion because I never really give it much thought. You could say I’m inspired by fit – I’m very petite so I like things that just fit right. When I see a well-dressed tiny person I just kind of gawk at them for a while and try to mentally copy everything they’re wearing. I also need clothes that can take a hit. I’m like all over the place so I need my digs to withstand my lifestyle…traveling from coast to coast, spilling, dancing on tabletops, potentially being slept in and then worn the next day…etc.
MM: Do you have one favorite designer?
NL: There’s only one designer I follow on any type of social media and it’s Giambattista Valli he (Or she? See I don’t even know who it is) creates these insanely feminine gowns that seem like something out of a six year-old girls’ princess fantasy. Some of them are just like ruffles for days!
MM: Do you ever draw inspiration from other things? Does anything in Pittsburgh inspire your outfit choices? Has being around the hip-hop world changed anything about the way you dress?
NL: Being in different cities definitely affects my clothing choices. I find myself gravitating towards things in Los Angeles I wouldn’t in New York or Pittsburgh. I think Pittsburgh still has somewhat of a limited style perspective, so things that are a little more out there really stick out here. I wore a 60s style micro-mini out one Saturday night and everyone thought I was crazy. In New York no one would really think twice. But then again in New York I pretty much wear all black.
I don’t think I fit in to the whole “hip-hop world” fashion aesthetic, although what even is that? Sometimes it can be really trendy and flashy and I’ve grown a little averse to it. Like, I have a really huge pet peeve of girls wearing snap back hats. But that could be for other reasons.
MM: In their Top 40 WorstDressed Cities in America, GQ listed Pittsburgh at number 3. Do you agree with this?
NL: I mean…yeah I kind of do agree with that. Pittsburgh has a sort of delay because of where we are geographically and everything. People can be a little afraid to take risks here and to try something new. It’s got a small town vibe so there’s a lot of trying to fit in that just naturally happens. HOWEVER, it’s definitely changing. People are starting to get funky. We’re starting to have more of a boutique fashion scene and I think that will definitely change things. When you only have chains available to you, there’s not much room for creativity.
MM: It seems that you like to switch it up a bit, bad-ass one day, floral and feminine the next. How would you describe your own personal style?
NL: Haha – hmm, Multiple-Personality-Disorder-Chic? I don’t know, you kind of nailed it there. I like embracing femininity in my silhouettes and then having some edge in the actual pieces. Like I have a black leather schoolgirl skirt that I feel like was made for me. My style is kind of like a kitten – you think you’re bad ass but really you’re just super cute.
MM: Do you like to stick to more classic pieces or explore trends?
NL: I tend to hate trends just because they’re trends. I know that’s such hipster mentality but I shall not tell a lie. I actually don’t shop very often, so I tend to stick to more classic pieces and then grab some stand-outs when I see them and can’t pass them up.
MM: What kind of fashion advice can you give to us?
NL: If it doesn’t fit perfectly DON’T BUY IT. Dress for your body type – oh lawwwd just dress for your body type.
MM: How did you get started with blogging? How would you describe your blog for our readers who may not have heard of it?
NL: Peek Mag was essentially born from an exhaustion of hand cramping. I’ve kept a journal since I was in the fourth grade and moved to an online platform junior year of college. I look at Peek Mag as an agitator. It’s a provocative space where girls rule and boys get nakey. The tagline is “Not for Nice Girls,” because I think change comes from shaking things up.
I love that blogging encompasses such a variety of media. You can write, post videos, music, photos, memes, whatever! Tumblr is also an awesome outlet because there are basically no restrictions as to what you can post.
MM: Do you think that you will always stick with it?
NL: As long as I have something to say I’ll find an outlet to say it. Blogging right now is the perfect outlet – so yes, I think I’ll stick with it.
MM: How do you feel about the fact that blogging is becoming more and more popular?
NL: I think blogging is an amazing outlet, especially for younger people who may not have outlets in their everyday lives to express how they feel. It’s a way to connect with like-minded people and find support for feelings, th
oughts or political issues. I think it’s great that so many people have turned to blogging as a means of expression!
MM: How do you keep yourself inspired? What do you do for fun to keep your mind creative?
NL: I read a lot. There’s a rotation of four or five books on my bedside table at any given moment. I also try to put myself in the space of cultural events as much as I can. I go to talks, art galleries, jazz shows, and poetry readings…essentialy anything that’s free and seems remotely interesting.
MM: A while back, I read your blog, “Natural Born Liar” pretty regularly and noticed that you seem very confident in your sexuality. Now, with your creation of “PEEK.” I see the same thing. Your subtitle itself says “not for nice girls”. How did you get to become so confident and what advice do you have for other women who may be struggling to truly be themselves?
NL: Ah, and here’s the can of worms question! Haha – well, let’s see. I’ve always prioritized knowing exactly who I was and I did that through journaling. I think you first have to figure out who exactly is living in your skin. Study that person, learn her, and then love every aspect of her. Understand that you need your faults, you need your down sides, you need your weaknesses. And realize that there is NO POINT trying to be someone else – because your basic biology will fight you on that.
MM: In regards to “What Does Love Have To Do With My Vagina?” and some anonymous asks on “PEEK.”, why do you think it is important for women to take control of their own sex lives?
NL: I don’t think it’s important for women to take control of their own sex lives – I think it’s vital. Society continues to disempower women through sexual shaming. It’s this old school power move that stems from men’s fear of inferiority. The thing is it results in life threatening situations for women. Whatever your sexual preferences are they are your choices because it’s your body. You belong to no one but yourself.
MM: Again, when scrolling through your blog, it becomes apparent that you yourself are a very strong woman and that feminism plays a big role in your life. What is your definition of that word (feminism)?
NL: Feminism is the belief in the political, social, and economic equality of the sexes. I take it a step further in believing that there’s a sacred quality of women that has long been buried that we as women need to realize and actualize.
MM: Are you inspired by any other strong women?
NL: Everyday women inspire me on a daily basis. Most recently, Bree Newsome, the woman who scaled the flag pole in South Carolina to remove the Confederate Flag. I also look up to Sarah Nicole-Prickett, creator of Adult magazine. She sort of just “gets it”.
MM: Your social media makes it pretty obvious that you have a very close group of girlfriends who support each other. Why do you think there are so many other girls tearing each other down instead of lifting each other up?
NL: I think so many girls wind up tearing each other down because we’ve been taught by mainstream, patriarchal society to fight one another for the attention and approval of men. Women are judged incredibly harshly on almost every aspect of their physical appearance, character, and lifestyle choices that we end up comparing ourselves to everyone around us in the hopes of getting a kiss of approval from some guy. It comes from a place of fear that girls do that. No empowered, self-respecting woman would want to make another woman feel badly about herself. It’s also a knee jerk reaction that we absorb through media images. We as a society absorb so many of our behaviors from what we see played out in TV, movies, songs, etc.
MM: Do you have any advice on how we could change this?
NL: Like many other things, all change starts from within. We must first love and understand ourselves before we can hope to truly love one another as women. I think we must understand that the desire to do harm to another comes from a place of pain within one’s self. Work on you, baby!
MM: I’m assuming you’ve heard of meninism…?
NL: Yes, and it’s not even worth the time I’m taking to write this sentence.
MM: What are your thoughts on the beauty standards that are set for women today?
NL: They’re unrealistic. But at the same time I understand it as human nature to be drawn to beauty. Humans are naturally attracted to symmetry – it’s in our biology. I don’t think it’s a terrible thing to appreciate beautiful women. What I think is harmful is presenting only one type of woman as beautiful in mainstream media.
MM: What is the best question anyone has ever asked you on your blog? What’s the worst?
NL: Best question was where I got my boobs done (I don’t have a boob job). Worst question was “will you listen to my mixtape?”
MM: As a successful woman in your own right, (your blogs, Temple graduation, and job at Pittsburgh’s CW Network are no small feats!), what are your thoughts on being considered a part of a power couple? (Those Mexico Instagrams are too cute!)
NL: I think what’s special about that is the sense of being part of something much bigger that we both share. I feel like you have a responsibility to help people with what you do in life, in whatever form that takes. We challenge each other a lot in different ways – I see strength in that.
MM: What are your thoughts on love in general? Do you believe in the “fairy-tale ending”?
NL: I think a person can fall in love as many times as she allows herself. That being said, I think there are certain people who are meant to enter our lives for specific times and for specific reasons. Some of those relationships may last a lifetime, and some of those reasons may be eternal companionship.
Love honestly makes me a little uncomfortable. I’m not a very big romantic, and I’m not one to put myself in a vulnerable place. I sort of have to be pushed over the edge – I won’t take the dive myself. There’s inherently a lot of pain that comes along with allowing yourself to be loved.
That being said, I do sort of believe in “fairy-tale” endings. Mine just are a bit different than Disney’s. I think a fairy-tale ending is a relationship in which you laugh all the time, challenge each other, and allow each other room to grow. But I love the thought of getting really old with someone, sitting in rocking chairs like, “Hey remember that one time you were your crazy twenty-one year old self,” or “Hey remember when we raised kids and stuff?” Like that’s so cute.
MM: Going back to Temple, what made you decide on Philly instead of staying in Pittsburgh?
NL: I never planned on staying in Pittsburgh. When I graduated high school in 2009 Pittsburgh wasn’t nearly as cool as it’s becoming now. Philly was a great option for me because it was a bigger city, which I wanted, but still close enough to come home and cuddle my kitties from time to time.
MM: How did you get involved with The CW?
NL: Each summer of college I would come home to Pittsburgh and work at KDKA-TV on the News Desk. When I moved home a year ago it was a natural fit to go back there and work on the entertainment side of things this time.
MM: What is your next career move?
NL: I’ve just started as an advice columnist for a new publication out of London Taylor Magazine. Also, I’m moving to New York and looking to get in with a cool publication there. I’d like to keep building a skill set to eventually launch my own magazine.
MM: What is your ultimate end goal?
NL: World domination. Duh.
MM: And finally…Can you describe your most Maniac moment?
NL: There’s like a whole montage of crazy moments going through my head right now – none of which are appropriate for publication.
For more on Nomi, be sure to follow her blog, Twitter, and Instagram!
