OUR MISSION:
To provide opportunities for self identifying women and femmes of color to develop socially conscious art while forming sisterly bonds.
Flawless Brown is an artist collective and sisterhood for self identifying women and femmes of color. Our sisterhood exists as a network for women of color seeking hands-on experience and artistic collaborations within their fields while fostering a supportive and healthy environment where every voice is valued. There are currently four departments: Flawless Stage (performing arts), Flawless Pictures (visual and media arts), Flawless Writes (writing and publishing, Flawed (Comedy) and Flawless Marketing (PR and marketing). There is also an online alumni chapter and an affiliate chapter in Los Angeles.
History
FEBRUARY 2014
FLAWLESS BROWN FOUNDED BY NYLA WISSA
Flawless Brown was to started as theater troupe for women of color at Emerson College that was based on sisterhood. Wissa felt that women of color didn't have enough opportunities, especially in predominantly white spaces. The majority of plays put on at Emerson during this time did not offer any lead roles to people of color. One month after the initial meeting, the group had written a full piece and five of the seven original members put on their first show.
Fall 2014
FLAWLESS BROWN GROWS
By the fall, Flawless Brown grew to thirteen members. Practicing in empty hallways and classrooms, the women began to build the first fall showcase, consisting of short scenes, individual and group spoken word pieces, and movement pieces. The fall showcase remains a staple in Flawless Brown's annual line up to this day. The fall showcase was held in Emerson College’s Multipurpose Room, which filled the room to capacity.
Spring 2015
FLAWLESS PICTURES FOUNDED
After creating a short documentary on the organization for a class, Taylor Jett had the idea of creating a section of Flawless for Visual & Media Arts students like herself. By the end of the semester, Flawless Pictures (originally Flawless VMA) had written and shot an original screenplay, Full Card, with a crew entirely consisting of people of color. Full Card is currently in post-production.
Fall 2015
FLAWLESS WRITES FOUNDED
Flawless decided to expand even further, offering a chance for other majors to work in their field. The section was founded by Lissa Deonarain who planned and lead the new department with the help of Alexandria Ellison. Writes posted four articles to their blog and created Flawless Mag, Flawless Brown's print publication. The magazine was nominated for "Outstanding Print Publication" at the 36th Annual EVVY Awards and has been featured in both ISSUU's and Harper's Bazaar's list of must-read feminist publications.
Spring 2016
FLAWLESS MARKETING FOUNDED
After working with Flawless Writes, Allie Martinez and Kala Slade saw the potential and need for another new department: Flawless Marketing. The department has since evolved into one that creates and manages marketing campaigns, advertising and social media for each section of Flawless Brown while building the members skills in various areas.
ACHIEVEMENTS
NOMINATIONS
EVVY Award for Outstanding Theatrical Production
EVVY Award for Outstanding Choreography
EVVY Award for Outstanding Print Publication
FEATURES
Flawless Mag featured in HARPER'S BAZAAR article,
"The Rising Feminist Magazines You Need To Start Reading"
Flawless Mag featured in ISSUU's curated Feminism stack
PERFORMANCES
Opening performance for ANGELA DAVIS at "Black Lives Matter: The Meaning of Freedom" concert in her honor.
Opening performance for event about power-based violence featuring MATT MCGORRY as a speaker.
Performance at the 36th Annual EVVY Awards
BOARD MEMBERS
BOARD MEMBERS
Lissa Deonarain
President of Flawless Brown
Lissa Deonarain is a senior at Emerson majoring in Documentary Film Production & Producing. She was born and raised in Omaha, NE and is of both Guyanese descent. She has played piano since age six and loves studying foreign languages. Lissa aspires to make documentaries that share the stories of people of color and other marginalized groups around the world because she believes the best stories are not waiting to be written, they already exist. Lissa is the founder of Flawless Brown Writes and has worked closely with Flawless Stage, Flawless Pictures, Flawless Writes and Flawless Marketing.
Jasmine Williams
Vice President
Jasmine Williams is a sophomore Communication Disorders and Sciences major at Emerson College.
Sydney Rae Chin
Chair of Sisterhood
Sydney Rae Chin is a junior Media Arts Production major aspiring to be a show-runner on streaming platforms diversifying the web. She is a proud third generation Chinese American originally from Philadelphia. She loves to cook and Instagram food in her free time. Sydney aspires to empower younger women of color to unapologetically tell their own stories, but also live their full truths with confidence.
Issel Solano-Sanchez
Chair of Flawless Stage
Issel Solano-Sanchez is a sophomore Theatre & Performance Studies major at Emerson College. She is a Boston native and first generation Dominican-American. Issel aspires to be an actor on TV, where she can develop a platform that pushes the narrative women of color have on the screen.
Amber McCleese
Chair of Flawless Pictures
Amber McCleese is a junior Visual and Media Arts major at Emerson College.
Lucie Pereira
Chair of Flawless Writes
Lucie Pereira is a senior Writing, Literature and Publishing (WLP) major at Emerson College. She is from San Francisco, CA. In addition to her involvement in Flawless Brown, she is the co-chair of student advocacy group Protesting Oppression with Educational Reform (POWER), and the editor in chief of The Luminary, the blog for Emerson's Office of Diversity and Inclusion.
Taylor Carlington
Chair of Flawless Marketing
Taylor Carlington is a senior Marketing Communications major at Emerson College.
Samantha Schechter
Treasurer and Secretary
Samantha Schechter is sophomore Visual and Media Arts major at Emerson College. She is also currently serving as the Vice-President of Earth Emerson.
Nyla Wissa
Creator & Founder of Flawless Brown
Nyla Wissa is the Creator and Founder of Flawless Brown and is a Boston native. She graduated in Spring 2015 with a BA in Theatre Education: Acting. She received the President's Citation from Emerson College President Lee Pelton. She also has received the Spirit of Emerson Award. She spent her last semester at Emerson College's L.A. campus and now lives and works at Buzzfeed. She continues to hold an advisory position with Flawless and has recently opened an affiliate chapter in Los Angeles.