Life & Work with TAH

Today we’d like to introduce you to TAH.

Hello TAH, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers?
Of course, When I was about six years old my mother had me in numerous auditions for modeling and commercial opportunities to be possibly signed to top agencies but we never came out successful. The problem was not getting noticed by the judges or them not wanting to sign me but it was the financial strain it would put on my mother being a single mother. After every audition, she would always say ” If they really saw your talent and potential we wouldn’t be giving them money.

They would know that you’re an investment and will make them ten times more.” I’ve listened to her ever since. It was the death of icon Michael Jackson that officially started my creative journey as a Model/Creative Director. I remember that day I flew into Memphis, Tennessee like I did every summer for a month from Toronto to see my grandmother. I heard the news on the plane while I was listening to the radio station playing from my armrest and his image lit up every screen I saw when I got off the plane.

My grandmother was deeply saddened by his passing and played his “Off The Wall” album the whole ride home. We stopped at the beauty supply store before we got to her house to pick up a few things when I got the idea to grab a white cloth like gloves, hair glue, and some jewels. When we finally made it to my grandmother’s house I rushed to the dining room table and got to work.

I made my very own Michael Jackson glove and flashed it to my grandmother while I tried to imitate the moves I had seen in his “Bad” video I had watched. The jewels started to fall off as I twisted and jerked (I was too impatient to let it dry) but I kept going. That was the first time she smiled since she picked me up from the airport. That was the first official garment I made.

Years later, I continued to dream of being a model but as puberty started and I continued to get taller but my confidence didn’t. I was always the tallest girl in my class and felt awkward. My body felt unproportioned and I started to feel like maybe modeling wasn’t meant for me at all especially how clumsy I had become. I kept hearing family and peers say I have the perfect height for basketball and volleyball. Although I didn’t start playing volleyball until my senior year of high school, I took quickly to basketball and continued to play for six more years.

Now fast forward, to my senior year of college and I’ve lost my passion for basketball especially after getting injured beginning of my junior year from a torn ACL and sitting out for a full season. Long story short, I was NOT trying to go to college to play basketball. So, I ended up getting accepted into Murray State University for the Fall semester of 2017-2018 to become a physical therapist because that was what I thought was ideal at the time.

My first semester at Murray State was a blast and I found out a lot about the real world and people but most importantly I found out that I didn’t belong there. I was destined for something greater but didn’t know what exactly. It was the type of feeling I couldn’t shake so I finished up a full semester at Murray and headed back to Memphis.

While moving back I attended the University of Memphis for my Sophomore year of college and started to get back into modeling… my true passion. When Covid-19 hit the world, it was a blessing and a curse for me. During the pandemic, I wasn’t able to connect with photographers, go to studios, or shoot in general. I found myself getting depressed day by day and just feeling the weight of the uncertainty of the world during that time, but one-day things changed. I was scrolling through my archive on my Instagram page one night and saw my old prom pictures. All the memories came flooding back instantly.

I remember telling my mother I wanted to make my own prom dress and asking my Great Aunt to help me. My Great Aunt was not only extremely talented with the sewing machine but her ability to pay attention to detail was something I was always impressed by. I Also, needed her to help me get out of my comfort zone at this time because I was such a tomboy and hated anything with glam, flowers, or sparkle. I wanted to start with a base for my dress so I thought of an idea to purchase a bodysuit and add a skirt to the bottom with a bit of a train. I ended up finding a low-cut black mesh bodysuit with extra-long split sleeves.

This gave the simple met gala look I was going for. A couple of days, after Receiving the bodysuit in the mail my great aunt and I went to different fabric stores to find the perfect fabric pattern for my skirt. All the fabrics I liked she protested and all the ones she liked were just not my styles. We simply didn’t agree because of our different tastes in style but we eventually came to a middle ground after finding a fabric I could tolerate.

It was black with black flowers trimmed along the bottom and she knew I HATED flowers at this time but I trusted her when she told me it wouldn’t be that many on the actual skirt when she was done with it. After a couple of days of measuring, cutting, sewing, and embellishing my dress was complete and I couldn’t believe I had a vision in my head and was able to see it right in front of me.

Remembering this made me realize that I always had it in me from the start. I didn’t need a photographer or a set prepared for me to still model and get content out on social media. I could do it myself. And that’s exactly what I started to do and this not only released what had been brewing inside me but created what I now go by as TAH. TAH is my brand name that came about over Covid -19 that means Timeless, Authentic, and heteroclite but I recently changed the T to Truth.

As I continue on this journey as not only a model but Creative Director, I hope to continue to push myself to constantly go against the grain with what society is doing and push myself through my art.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I struggled with confidence as a preteen and even now as a 23-year-old trying to work on not doing the same things as everyone else or constantly trying to outdo my last photoshoot or concept.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a model and creative director who is known for doing everything myself. When it comes to the styling, making of props, set design, and concepts I do it all.

My work is bold, brave, and definitely grabs attention. Throughout my career, I want to keep it this way because that’s what the TAH brand is about. It’s about going against the grain and really creating something different that society has never seen before.

I think what sets me apart from others is my willingness to do everything myself and push my mental limitless to be in my own lane with my craft.

Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
I like the pride that Memphis has when it comes to the city. You can go anywhere else and if someone is from Memphis you’ll definitely know and they’ll be proud to say which part.

What I like least about our city is the mentality that things will never change within our city. A lot of people just say ” Well that’s just Memphis for you” when things continue to happen in our cities like violence and crime.

Contact Info:

• Email: tahhoff21@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tah__.o/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCijZTmKVbItAZwuWYFFo6Ng
• Other: https://music.apple.com/us/album/eye-of-horus/1541086561

Image Credits:
TAH, Eric Smith, Marcus, and Dewayne Brown Jr.