Fashion & Food: Tools Used to Combat a Circumstance

“My name is Tonny St. James. Two years ago, I changed my name after moving to Los Angeles in search of a new identity. This wasn’t easy for me as I quickly realized how expensive it was to live in this city. I navigated this city as a young, queer person and went back to college to learn a few trades. Culinary, fashion, and music. From there I got gigs as a stylist and got a chance to write songs with artists in the studio.”

While Tonny’s story centers around a passion for food and fashion, it does not disclose the way clothes and style can be used as a tool to cover hardship. As a child, Tonny had a knack for cooking and trying on different clothes, but his father never approved of his interests. This influenced his decision to relocate to Los Angeles and attend fashion school. While there, Tonny recalls making his way into a classroom and immediately stealing everyone’s gaze. His classmates would comment on the color and placement of his clothes but beneath those garments, they would have never guessed the experiences he carried. Fashionably, Tonny would reach into his car’s trunk that served as a wardrobe. He also ate and slept in the back seat. The car was his home.

Tonny’s lived experiences speak on a subject that is seldom considered — alternative forms of homelessness. The common image that comes to mind when thinking about homelessness is people sleeping in tents, but what is not incorporated into this category are those nesting in their cars or lying on a friend’s couch, also known as hidden homelessness.

For Tonny, clothing holds special importance because it allowed him to shield a segment of his life and be measured by his craft — not his personal circumstances. Similarly, his passion for food is also embedded in survival, where he would offer to cook meals for his friends as long as they provided the ingredients and a kitchen. This was a solution to fill his empty stomach and keep his food insecurity a secret.

“While figuring out my life, I joined the Homeless Youth Forum of Los Angeles (HYFLA), a youth forum convened to help advocate for young people experiencing homelessness. While in HYFLA, I met Yahniie, who I’m grateful that I met ’cause my life completely changed. She encouraged me to apply for the Creative Futures Fellowship, and through the fellowship, I’ve learned a lot and met people who inspired me to do great things. I also got the opportunity to uptake an internship with TAG, a music management company and label run by Gabe Saporta, and learned the ins and out of managing artists and how the music industry works. I want people to know that the moment you start believing in yourself and trusting yourself doors will start opening. Networking and building a relationship with people as well as advocating for yourself will get you far in this city. Also, sometimes great things are worth waiting for.”

Unable to make ends meet during the current COVID-19 pandemic and his immigration status in constant limbo, Tonny is again facing the threat of displacement. Having undergone homelessness several times, he is asking for financial help so that he can return back to Rwanda and reunite with his family.

The Numbers

Homelessness is a term that does not entirely capture the severity of the issue because it often does not include those living in shelters, cars, or the houses of friends:

• Nearly 41,000 unaccompanied youth ages 13–25 experience homelessness (NCSL)
• LGBTQ youth represent as much as 40% of the homeless youth population (Trevor Project)
• Black people make up only 9% of the general population but over 40% of those experiencing homelessness in the LA county region (LAHSA)

The Action

Here are tangible ways that you can support our fellows and combat the homelessness crisis:

• Use people-first language that focuses on the person rather than their circumstance. Alternatives to the word homeless include: “person experiencing homelessness,” “houseless,” “home-free,” and “housing insecure”
• Help Tonny with his fight against displacement so that he can return home with his family: GoFundme
• Support and follow our fellow on their creative journey: @st.james97