Anaya & CO Studios L.L.C

Last night, I was one of four business professionals honored at Boston Caribbean Fashion Week. I received an honor in beauty and had the opportunity to sit on the panel.

And honestly, I almost didn’t let myself recognize how much it mattered.

I thought it would be more casual, with many people receiving recognition. It wasn’t until I arrived that I understood the significance of being one of those four.

I’ve been thinking about why I downplayed it. This year alone, I’ve been featured in several magazines, and I’ve barely shared those accomplishments.

I grew up hearing that you shouldn’t brag or talk about yourself. That you shouldn’t make people jealous. That being too proud could mean God would take it all away. Those messages stay with you. Even when you’ve worked hard for something, celebrating it can feel uncomfortable.

So I work behind the scenes. I figure things out. A lot of nights, I do it alone. When there’s a problem, my instinct is to solve it myself and keep going.

Last night, part of me wished I had invited my close friends and family. I would have loved to look out and see them in the crowd. I hadn’t given them that opportunity because I hadn’t fully given myself permission to see this as something worth gathering for.

I’m grateful for my friend Ashley Carlson who came with me and the familiar faces Racine Bell Melina Cortes-Nmili who helped make the evening special.

And I’m letting go of the belief that humility means making myself small. I can be grateful to God, proud of my work, and honest about what I’ve accomplished.

I’m allowed to be seen.
I’m allowed to be heard.
I’m allowed to be celebrated.

Thank you to the organizers Boston Caribbean Fashion Week for this beautiful honor and to everyone who has trusted, supported, and encouraged me along the way.

My heart is full. Next time, I’m inviting my people.

I don’t think I knew how much starting with makeup would change my life.

At the time, I was doing something I loved and trying to find my place in it. I couldn’t have pictured all the ways that work would grow, or all the people I’d get to meet because of it.

Now, I’m being recognized as a 2026 Beauty honoree at Boston Caribbean Fashion Week. And honestly, I’m proud of myself.

I’m usually so focused on what I need to improve or what comes next that I forget to give myself credit for how far I’ve come. This is one of those moments where I want to stop and let it sink in.

Makeup is still a part of who I am. Over the years, I’ve also found a love for photography, filmmaking, styling, and creative direction. I call myself an image architect because I love bringing all those pieces together. Helping someone see themselves differently, then creating something with them that reflects who they are and where they’re going.

I’ve had to give myself permission to grow beyond the version of me people first knew. Sometimes I’m still learning how to do that.

So this recognition means a lot. Especially as an Afro-Latino creative with Puerto Rican roots.

Thank you to everyone who has sat in my chair, stepped in front of my camera, referred a friend, or believed in me while I was figuring things out. I remember those things. They matter.

I’d love to have some familiar faces there as I celebrate this milestone.

October 14, 2026
ICA Studio, Boston
Doors open at 6 PM. Event runs from 6:30–9 PM.

Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bcfw-honors-2026-award-ceremony-tickets-2000806455970?aff=oddtdtcreator
Enter BCFWINSIDER in the promotional code section and click Apply before selecting your ticket.

And I’d love to know: what’s something you’re proud of yourself for that you haven’t given yourself enough credit for? It doesn’t have to be an award. Let’s celebrate that, too.

You don’t need to be famous to be photographed like you already are.

Most people wait. They wait until the business hits a certain number, until they lose the weight, until they feel “ready.” Meanwhile the version of them that’s already worth photographing keeps getting skipped.

Luxury personal branding isn’t about fame. It’s about deciding, on purpose, how the world sees you before you ever say a word. Your photos are doing that work right now, whether you’ve claimed it or not.

I build personal brand photography and video experiences for founders, executives, and creatives across New England who are done waiting to be discovered and ready to be positioned.

If you’re ready to be a priority, not a project, comment “ICONIC” and I’ll send you the details.

📍 Haverhill, MA | Serving New England & beyond
🎥 Photography, video, hair, makeup, and creative direction, fully integrated
✨ Application only, 3-4 clients a month

Most people wait for the right time to invest in themselves. After the promotion. After the kids go back to school. After life finally calms down. Here’s the truth. The timing was never the problem. Somewhere underneath the excuses, you already know something needs to change.

As a luxury personal branding photographer, hairstylist, makeup artist, and creative director based in Haverhill, Massachusetts, I work with entrepreneurs, executives, and public figures across New England who are ready for imagery that finally matches who they’ve become. Hair. Makeup. Styling. Creative direction. Photography. One vision, zero compromises.

People decide who you are before you say a word. Right now, your photos might be deciding wrong.

Comment ICONIC and I’ll send you the Luxe Visibility Blueprint, free. If we’re a fit, we’ll take it from there.

Applications for this month are open. Limited to 3 to 4 clients.

I’ve been doing this for over 20 years. Hair, makeup, styling, creative direction, photography, one person, one vision, thousands of sessions.

Here’s what nobody tells you about brand photography.

The photo was never the point.

The point is watching someone’s posture change halfway through a session because they finally see what everyone around them has already been seeing.

The point is a client texting me weeks later saying they walked into a room differently after their gallery came back.

That’s not something a quick photoshoot gives you.

That’s what happens when hair, makeup, styling, and photography are directed by one person with one vision, instead of stitched together by four different vendors who’ve never spoken to each other.

I take 3 to 4 clients a month. Application only.

Not because I’m trying to be exclusive for the sake of it, but because this kind of transformation cannot happen at volume.

If you’ve been sitting on this decision, circling it, telling yourself “someday,” this is the sign.

Comment ICONIC and I’ll show you what it actually looks like.