Ryle Tuvierra, known as The Fierce Walker is a Syrian-Lebanese/Filipino digital creative and fashion curator who is sharing her journey on inclusivity and spreading positivity with a whopping 66k followers audience on Instagram. From working in a convenient store in Dubai to attending the craziest fashion parties in Paris, we talked to Ryle about diversity, how to stay true to yourself and how to never spend another day not slaying! 

Hello Ryle, can you please tell us how you started your journey as The Fierce Walker, and why did you pick this name?

Hi, Jdeed Team! I started my journey as The Fierce Walker while working at a 7 Eleven store as a staff; at first I wasn’t happy because it was yet another job that I was used to do but eventually with the help of the people around me, I managed to accept my reality and started dreaming big. I started to think of what I wanted to pursue in life; what I am good at is being in front of the camera and I have a good eye for everything fashion related. My grandmother is a celebrity actress in the Philippines and that’s where I got my love for acting and being confident in front of the camera.

Slowly, I started to change my perspective on how I would have to protect myself and my real identity and that’s when I thought of establishing a brand name called The Fierce Walker. I used to watch America’s Next Top Model and Tyra Banks, who’s hosting the show, always says to the aspiring models “Be Fierce!” “Fierce, Girl!” and that’s how I imagined myself as Fierce. Then my dad loves to drink Johnny Walker and I felt like I wanted my name to be a mix of women empowerment and masculinity in a very subtle way. That’s how The Fierce Walker was born. It’s all about being fierce and strong in life and knowing it comes from within.

You’re an advocate for inclusivity and diversity: how is it included in your work?

I always work with a diverse team whenever I do my editorial shoots. I keep it as diverse as possible to execute my ideas with the help of talented individuals from different nationalities. This way, I have the possibility to stand out from my competitors. When it comes to inclusivity, I keep it as subtle as possible since the region is not yet ready for it and it’s a topic that not many are happy to deal with.

My teams in London, Paris, Milan, and Dubai are diverse and inclusive no matter what, I always look for raw talent and not just at the skills of a person. I always make sure that my captions are gender-inclusive and that the way I do my looks resembles the way an artist does art. Positioning myself as an artist and my work as art will make it easier for me to produce my work inclusively in a subtle and sophisticated way.

You live in the Arab World where some topics are more sensitive than in some other areas. How is it to promote your work and fight against stereotypes being based there?

To be very honest, it’s hard. The hypocrisy of the people in the industry is what makes it harder to talk about some topics and to work with them in a good way. They only work with a certain group of people and the industry itself is not exactly inclusive and diverse. They promote diversity and inclusivity just to have something to talk about.

For me, living in the Arab World is something I am truly grateful for because of its melting pot of culture and its great taste. I have developed my taste and my way of thinking within the fashion industry because of living here. Breaking barriers for the underrepresented group of people is such a complicated and long path to take but it doesn’t stop me from fighting for it because I still believe that for change to happen someone needs to stand up for what they believe in. As we enter a new era, I can say that a lot of things have changed and most for the better, but it’s still a long battle to fight.

You’ve collaborated with many brands and are participating in Fashion Weeks all over Europe; What have been key moments in your career that have really made you grown and what is your proudest achievement so far?

I am happy to showcase my talent, skills, taste, and approach to fashion all over Europe. For me, it’s my battleground and attending Fashion Weeks is a big shot. You get to experience what real fashion is with the community and industry leaders. Living in the Middle East and the UK has helped me to have a global mindset of what fashion should be. I am proud to position The Fierce Walker in Europe with the help of my teams and my perseverance to speak for the underrepresented group of people.

Getting private invitations and attending exclusive parties during Fashion Weeks as The Fierce Walker is what I’m most proud of because it’s something I always dreamt of as a child. I always knew that I would be part of this industry. I am also proud to have established 4 different teams in London, Paris, Milan, and Copenhagen to cover some exclusives shows, showrooms visits, and parties on behalf of The Fierce Walker.

We all go through days of insecurity. What would be your advice to always slay and stay fierce?

I always advise people to have a strong faith and keep on moving forward no matter how hard it is. I believe that if you have a strong faith and connection to whichever religion you believe in, you will make things happen. We need to keep on moving forward whatever we do, this way we can develop a sense of courage to pursue our purpose in life.

What is your ultimate career goal and what can we wish you for the future?

My ultimate career goal is to live and work in Europe and level up my editorial content with my Fierce Walker team. Living and working in Europe will give me a sense of freedom, a different artistic mindset and a more global approach to my work. I’d also want to work with brands who believe in what I stand for and what I’m fighting for.

This will help me make my efforts to help the underrepresented people shine brighter on an international stage where the public is way more open-minded and where we face much more accepting societies. I want to represent the Filipinos on an international fashion stage in a way that will inspire them to dream big and make things happen no matter what.

Follow Ryle’s journey on Instagram by following @TheFierceWalker !