Anastasia de Lyon – Working on her craft and learning to love herself first!

BY SIMONE J. SMITH

“When I arrived at the photo shoot, he wasn’t doing anything that I could see, except standing there as the wind blew through her Afro. Her prominent features, and her Amazonian physique were too striking to be ignored, and as her hair settled to frame her face, I couldn’t help but admire her strikingly high cheekbones. Her full lips soothed the lusciousness of her beauty, making her appear like a cosmopolitan film star.”

I have worked with our Woman Empowered feature in the past, and for some reason, life continues to align our path. She was the winner of the 2013 -2014 Miss Black Beauty Contest, she has modelled for Kayla Kay (African Fashion Designer), John Ablaza (International Fashion Designer), and David Dixon (known as the designer guy).

Along with her bustling modelling career, and her community and event work with R.I.S.E and ArtWorksTO, this young lady has put herself on the path to success. I would like to introduce to the Toronto Caribbean Newspaper readers, none other than Anastasia de Lyon

She was born at Centenary Hospital in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada. Raised by two loving parents from Guyana, Anastasia admits, her earlier life was interesting.

“I went to school in Scarborough but lived in Pickering. It was hectic and busy because of the back and forth. I had to pretend a lot. I had to pretend that my family life was ideal, and that I lived at the Scarborough address the school had on record.

My sister and I used to call ourselves the great pretenders. I always had to make up stories and this was very stressful, because you always had to remember your lies. The beauty of it was because I was very talented in school; I used to get a lot of attention. I am shy, yet attention seemed to find me. I was that kid that you loved to hate. I was very underhanded, but the teachers used to dismiss my actions because of my skills. I would definitely get preferential treatment.”

I was curious about how she had got into the world of modelling, so she began to share her journey with me.

“Modelling was always a thing for me. My mom used to model when she was younger, but I was so shy I didn’t think I could do it. My mom took my sister and I to a model agency, and I was so scared.  I remember my sister and I walking the runway together.” She took a moment to laugh at the memory.

“I couldn’t do it without my mom, so we didn’t follow through at that time. My confidence built because I was always singing or acting. When I was nine years old, I made my debut in the Broadway show, Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat. I was one of the corn kids. Even at thirteen years old, I wanted to do more.”

From ages 13-18, Anastasia stopped pursuing modelling, but it was always in the back of her mind. At eighteen when she could travel on her own, Anastasia said that she really went in.

“Someone saw my picture and told me I should model. It was still very tough to get into the industry because I didn’t have all the requirements. 

I was twenty-five years old when I met Jennifer Connely. At the time, she was the photographer working with Kayla Kay. My first campaign shoot was with Kayla K. 

I then found Model Mayhem, and I started taking control of my career. It was something that I wanted to do my whole life. I started researching and doing more modelling for the experience. Photographers started to notice me. I finally felt seen. I had the look, but I didn’t know how to package it.”

In 2013, Anastasia entered Miss Black Beauty Canada, and that is when things really took off for her. She won, but she tells me that it was not a great experience.

“I was there to win. I would not compare myself to other people. I kept to myself, and this intimidated them. People would keep saying you’re going to win. I did win, and it was through this experience that I was introduced to Kareem Roberts; he had a non-profit organization working with children in Tanzania. He was providing youth with higher education and had developed a program that was able to bridge disparities gaps. He brought me on, and I went to Tanzania in 2014, to work with him. “

Anastasia admits that she is not where she wants to be in her career, but life had thrown curve balls at her.

“I rode the pageant win for a couple years.  I started working with Kayla Kay more, and more people began reaching out. This is when I had the opportunity to work with John Ablaza, and David Dixon. I told myself I wouldn’t get where I want to go here in Toronto.

Family situations came up and everything had to be put on hold. I was in school for fashion management, and I had to drop out of school. This threw off modelling, and once again, it had to take a back seat. I couldn’t leave my family, and doubts began to creep in. Was I ever going to be able to do the things I wanted to do?  

Once things got settled, it took me a while to figure out what I wanted to do, so I had to do odd jobs. I fell into a depression. I had this whole plan, and it had not turned out the way I wanted it too. I was very resentful for a while. I found peace in my situation, and I finally came to a place where I was okay.

I began contracting myself out as a producer, and I fell in love with marketing and started doing it full time. I began to make new plans, new goals, have new aspirations.”

The pandemic provided Anastasia time to focus. She started work with R.I.S.E, and more modelling opportunities presented themselves.

“I started to work more with Kayla Kay, and it was like a light switch; one day nothing, and then the next day poof! Everyone wanted a piece of me. I began to build my portfolio again. I got a personal trainer in July 2020, and I began investing in myself. This is when the confidence came.

I have now transitioned into acting, and cross my fingers, I may have a lead in a web series, and I am also in talks to be a lead in a short film. I am working on an audio book, on love, relationships, trials and tribulations of life.

You have to be hungry! Nobody is going to give it to you. Being pretty is not enough. You have to work on your craft and of course, love yourself first.”