Sitting poolside on a property she once dreamed of owning, Natasha Mayne, who is also known as The Vogue Attorney, is as illuminating as the sun that is shining behind her.
It is this radiant energy, coupled with a positive attitude and impeccable fashion sense, that has enabled the popular divorce attorney to garner a strong following.
Both of Mayne’s parents (her mother is from Montego Bay and her father is from St Mary) moved from Jamaica to the United States with big dreams and “a pocket full of hope,” wanting a better life for their children. So she made sure to take advantage of the opportunities that have come her way. “My mother and father did their best to expose us to greatness,” she says. “Greatness” is one of her favourite words.
While her followers get a peek into her lavish lifestyle, Mayne is seemingly down to earth and hasn’t forgotten where she has come from. She grew up in Carol City, a rough section of the South Florida environs. “Growing up we saw the drugs and the gunshots,” she reveals, before quickly adding that where she comes from has shaped the individual she is today. “To be successful in life is not all about academics. To be successful in life you have to be extremely street smart, and I am extremely street smart.”
In a reflective tone she continues, “Being in the inner city allowed me to have certain strengths that kids in the suburbs will never have.”
Considering her childhood, a training camp of survival, she is reassured that no matter the circumstance she may face in life, she will be able to survive it.
MINDSET
This mindset has been an integral part of Mayne’s journey. “Life hasn’t been perfect. I’ve gone through a divorce. I’ve raised my children by myself.” Quoting the Langston Hughes Mother to Son poem, she says life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.
Yet, the fashionable lawyer is appreciative for all she has, “I wake up every morning grateful to God that I got up.” Believing in the ordinary miracles of life, she notes: “Definitely when you are aligned with God, the beauties of life outweigh the dismays.”
It’s a well-known fact that some of the most successful people in the world adhere to strict morning routines, and Mayne is no different. Waking up at 5:45 every morning, she says she sets her alarm to gospel music, “Because sometimes life is hectic and we often want to sink into our circumstances, but when that music comes on no matter what I experienced the day before it just reminds me of how God has always had His hands on me. God never took His hands off of me.”
Known for her signature cropped do, Mayne says the low cut inspires her, and that when she gets a haircut every week, she feels like a brand-new woman. “I feel refreshed and renewed,” says as she rubs her head.
We wonder if she has always been fashionable, and Mayne is quick to let us know that as humble as her beginnings were, her mother always dressed her family in beautiful clothing. As she grew older, she began sewing her clothes and thrift shopping. Knowing she didn’t have ample funds at the time, she became creative and is of the opinion that her modest beginnings enabled her to have such a stylish eye.
Today she enjoys rocking stylish pieces from notable designers. “I am definitely a collector of fine garments for sure.” For funky and eclectic with a vintage twist, she will opt for Gucci. “Alessandro Michele (Gucci creative director) does a great job at that.” For gorgeous dresses, her go-to brands are Valentino and Alexander McQueen. And for suits, it’s YSL.
Has she ever considered hiring a stylist? “Nobody can style me the way I style myself. I will always be the creative director of Natasha Mayne and what I wear.”
Mayne is candid that she has spent the last five years single, but in 2022 is now willing to mingle.
She may be a divorce attorney but considers herself a promoter of marriages. “I never tell someone when it’s time for them to leave.” Elaborating she continues, “My job as a lawyer is to tell people the law. What’s going to happen to your marital estate. My job is not to tell them, ‘Yeah this is it – you need to go,’ because only that person and their spouse know truly what is going on in that marriage.”
THERAPEUTIC
Many of her clients find her talks with them to be therapy sessions. “I want people to always internalise and find their faults, because sometimes we unconsciously are toxic.”
She believes she has healed from many of her traumas and makes sure to speak with a mentor almost daily which gives her perspective. “I believe people should invest in mentors or therapists. One or the other. Someone that you feel 100 per cent safe with, where you can tell them exactly how you feel without being judged.”
A broad smile comes over her face when talk of her children comes up. She is often seen with her six-year-old son Kash on her Instagram account. He knows a queen when he sees one, and she is also mother to daughter Sojourner Truth who is 18. “My two children,” she pauses to ruminate and tilts her head back as the glow of the sun skims her face, “I don’t think I would have felt so fulfilled without them honestly.”
Concerning other people’s opinions, it’s clear Mayne won’t become consumed, “The only thing a woman shouldn’t wear over 35 years old is people’s judgement. I’m just totally against someone telling a woman or a man what they should be doing at a certain age.”
Her advice for other women is simple. “Women need to embrace their feminine prowess.”
She misses Jamaica and says she is long overdue for a trip. Thinking of her time at the State University of New York, Binghamton campus, she reminisces on the “bashments” that used to transpire with dancehall veterans such as Beenie Man and Lady Saw when she was president of the Caribbean Students Association.
With the world arguably reopened, speaking engagements are picking up and Mayne is a hot ticket. “When I’m on stage, I’m alive. When I’m giving my message, I’m alive.”
Asked where she sees herself in the coming years, she says, “I truly believe that we just have to trust the process. Understand that God knows exactly what He is doing. We just have to learn to be obedient, and I feel like now God wants me to move on to the next level and that next level is writing books, speaking on platforms, and travelling the world teaching people to embrace their greatness. So that’s what Natasha is up to next.”
