The Alembika Team Furaha of @furaha.moye is a multi-talented woman who wears many hats… She is an actress, model, singer, tap dancer and photographer. The beauty of all these things, she says, is how they all fit together. “I choose to believe that everything happens for a specific and finite reason.”
What did you, or do you do, for work?
Before I returned to NYC at the tender age of 50, I was a Custom Picture Framer. That journey started at the age of 23 in Atlanta, GA. I was fortunate to build a solid business; I was well respected as a framer and, as such, rewarded with amazing projects for framing from original art and artifacts to
documents and photographs. You name it, I’d frame it. I opened my own shop in Atlanta on my birthday in 1987. My years of being a custom framer have impacted my senses of color, design and framing as it relates to photography. Framing was a very natural progression into acting, singing, dancing, fashion and photography. In my living room I have a 4’ X 7’ worktable complete with a 60” mat cutter and the necessary tools and samples, and I’m proud to share that the quality of my work is the same as it was when I had every piece of equipment in my shop that I needed to make the job easier, which only makes sense given that I’ve now been a Custom Picture Framer for 50 years!
What do you do when you don’t know what to do?
Now that’s a really tough question as I seldom don’t know what to do. Fortunately, I’ve been gifted with multiple talents and am ever finding things to do that are of major interest to me. There are times, though, that I choose to have nothing to do and that’s when I get comfortable in bed with my computer; the television is on, I’m editing my photographs in Lightroom and Photoshop and I have a bowl of Forbidden Chocolate ice cream waiting. Then it’s time to go to sleep and prepare for ADIP! Or… Another Day in Paradise.
What would you do if you had the whole day to yourself?
Fortunately, the majority of my days I have to myself. I’m healthy, single, retired, talented and blessed enough to be able to call New York City home. My days are typically filled with walking the streets of my city and taking pictures of everything that captures my attention, and later determining how many miles I logged that day. There are days I’m working on my repertoire as I prepare to do “open mike” sessions in my city (which, incidentally scares me to death). There are some days (usually rainy ones) when I’m frustrated, yet also determined to conquer learning to sew. On rare occasions I will spend the day binge-watching and working on my computer. There’s more I can find to do (like reading about spirituality) but I don’t want to bore you to tears or yawns so I’ll end here.
What is the best thing about being a woman?
For me the best things center around the importance of being strong-willed, intelligent, willing to take risks, standing strong in my beliefs, the ability to nurture and care for others, being happy and whole within myself, confidence, and being able to be a “girly girl” (you know…the makeup, the nails, the perfumes, the sexy lingerie). Self sufficiency, the ability to take charge when something needs to get done in a timely manner, and being true to my word, myself and getting it done. When appropriate to be sexy and/or sensual. Unafraid of intimacy where it’s safe and understanding when it is not. Intending to be productive, positive and optimistic; I see these things as being contagious. Supporting others and building them up are as important as building myself up. Finally I will say that determination given the culture is likely for me one of the most important facets of being a woman in a man’s world. Thank God that that’s changing a little bit at a time.
What is the one piece of clothing you cannot live without?
Oh, that’s real easy. My shapewear. One of the most interesting things about this aging process is how it impacts my body ever so gradually over the years. Now that I’m 72, there are concerns I never had to think about before and it is my intention to look great in my clothes in spite of these changes that I have no control over. The shapewear smooths everything out and supports me throughout the day so I’m able to concentrate on the important things while it provides me with the confidence that I look great in my clothes.
