Playboy Creator and model Aziza sat down with us to talk about her cat David Bowie, her idea of a perfect day, and the occasional hurdles she overcomes in the cutthroat world of fashion.
Playboy: To start us off, where were you born?
Aziza: I was actually born in Southern California. My hometown is West Covina, California. I lived there, and my grandparents and extended family, they all lived close by.
Playboy: What was the first thing you’ve ever dreamed of achieving?
Aziza: Honestly, modeling. Being a fashion model, even though I’m 5’4″, I was going to make sure I got on the runway. And even though during that era I was born in, they were very anal with size and height, weight—everything. But I was determined to break barriers.
Playboy: Are there any challenges that you face on a day to day when it comes to modeling?
Aziza: I would probably say my height poses a challenge and from time to time, depending on the brand. Obviously, there are brands that look for a specific size. But as far as everything else, I haven’t had other issues. That’s it really.
Playboy: What are you passionate about?
Aziza: Oh, my goodness, I am passionate about creativity, in the sense of being a creative with everything. Whether it’s traveling, cooking, redecorating the house…anything. I absolutely have such deep love for being creative.
Fashion, of course. I think it’s good to try and be creative every day, in my perspective. I look at it as everything. Make life your coloring book. You are in charge of creating it, how you want it, how you view things. It’s all about perspective.
Playboy: What do you most want to change about the world?
Aziza: You know what I would say…just people being more open minded. And yes, we all have different views on things. But if someone believes in something you’re not into or uncomfortable with…you don’t need to be an asshole about it, you know? I think there’s just so much hatred and hostility all around the world, culturally, especially, around issues like women’s rights.
Plus, the LGBTQ+ community, minority rights…everything. If people could just be open minded and accepting, as long as they’re not doing anything evil, or hurting people. I feel like like life would be much simpler and easier with a little more kindness. Chill out, mind your own business!
Playboy: No arguments here! Describe your perfect day.
Aziza: My perfect day would be in Malibu, spending the whole day at the beach. I actually have, I would say, a few ideas for perfect days. I love to travel, and I love tropical places. So for me, it’s being at the ocean. I was such an ocean girl growing up. My mom always took me to the beach, and Malibu was a main place that we would always go to.
And it’s just…it’s serene, peaceful, a nice getaway. In the sense of, there are so many cool hideouts throughout where people don’t even know where you are. And as bad as it sounds, when my phone has no service, I’m like, “Perfect, no one knows where I’m at.” I’m just at peace, having that me time and meditating, getting into the water, and enjoying the beauty of Mother Nature.
Playboy: What’s the best piece of advice you were ever given?
Aziza: Growing up, my grandfather was always like, “Work hard. Don’t care what people think, carry yourself well.” And I like to add to it, which is, “Literally, do what makes you happy, it doesn’t matter what anyone thinks.” The ones that are angry, that are mad at you for whatever reason… that’s on them. They’re spending that energy on that. If it’s making you happy or making you the big bucks…then that’s all that matters. Because it’s your life, and you’re in charge of your destiny.
Playboy: What possession do you treasure most?
Aziza: I would have to say my cat, David Bowie. He’s a black cat. I am a Bowie fan. It’s funny, because when I first got him, my mom wanted to name him Freddie Mercury. She’s a Queen fan. But I’m a Bowie person. And I mean, they’re both amazing human beings. But just how he is, as far as personality. Like Bowie, my cat just also does his own thing. I just felt like the name matched. It’s funny because he responds to either Bowie or David Bowie. Sometimes I’ll call him Mr. Starman, and he’ll come right up.
Playboy: What about Aladdin Sane?
Aziza: No, that’s next. But you can’t train cats [laughs].
Playboy: What food do you reach for when you’re feeling blue?
Aziza: Well, I have a massive sweet tooth. So you will catch me either drowning myself in some delicious, super moist tiramisu coffee ice cream or custard stuffed cupcakes.
Playboy: What’s a talent you wish you had?
Aziza: Ooh, Singing! There are so many amazing musicians out there. Of course, I sing in my car and whatnot. But it would be amazing to actually have a nice singing voice.
Playboy: What was the last thing you Googled?
Aziza: I was looking for a dress, actually, for my goddaughter’s Baptism. Something appropriate for a Catholic Church. I was raised in a Catholic household, so I already know about the whole shebang.
Playboy: What quality do you think is most desirable in a person?
Aziza: I would say being genuine and having compassion. Being genuine and being compassionate go hand in hand. And I think you can really tell quickly about someone, if they have a heart, if they’re loving. I’m also into someone that likes to take charge. I’m so used to taking charge of things and being in control. So for someone to just say, “Sit down, relax, I got this.” That that’s a massive thing that I look for.
