Rising Stars: Meet Johanna Desrosiers of New Jersey

Today we’d like to introduce you to Johanna Desrosiers.

Hi Johanna, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My story really starts with where I’m from. I was born in Queens, raised in New Jersey, but spent most of my time growing up in church in Brooklyn. So I’ve always felt like a blend of all three. Being in those environments shaped how I see the world early. The culture, the style, the people, it all influenced me without me even realizing it.

I was raised by two Haitian parents who came to America and built a life for us as entrepreneurs and creatives. My dad was a photographer and videographer, mostly weddings and church events, and he gave me my first camera. That’s really where it started. He also owned a health food center in New Jersey, so I grew up watching what it looked like to build something from nothing. It wasn’t something they explained, it was just how we lived.

Creativity was always around me. In my family, everyone creates in their own way. For me, it showed up early. I was always documenting life. In high school, I might not have had my textbook, but I always had a disposable camera on me. Fashion was my first love. It came naturally. I was that girl putting looks together, wearing the newest Jordans, really using style as a form of expression.

After college, I stepped into the entertainment world through internships, just trying to learn everything I could. My first real role was as a personal assistant to Angela Simmons, and that experience really showed me the pace and expectations of the industry. From there, I went on to Derek Jeter’s Turn 2 Foundation, where I built my foundation on the administrative and operations side, supporting executives and leadership teams.

That chapter taught me how things actually run behind the scenes. How to problem solve, manage moving pieces, and keep everything flowing. But at the same time, I was always creating on the side. Styling, shooting, documenting. I was always close to creativity, but not fully claiming it for myself yet. I was supporting other creatives, supporting executives, and building quietly in the background.

Everything really shifted when I moved to Los Angeles. That was the first time I stepped away from everything I knew on the East Coast, and in that space, I feel like I finally met myself. I stopped seeing creativity as something I did on the side and started accepting it as who I am and what I wanted my life to be.

In LA, I started pushing my own ideas. I focused on my clothing brand JAENJOE, started depending on myself for the first time, and really leaned into my creativity. I was there for about three and a half years, and it completely reshaped how I saw myself.

When I came back to the East Coast, I came back different. More clear, more confident, and more aligned with what I actually want to build.

Now I freelance, focusing on creative direction, content, and strategy across fashion, lifestyle, and events. I work with brands and talent to build ideas and actually bring them to life. At the same time, I’m building my own world through my content, my closet series, and sharing my point of view and aesthetic. I’m also working on passion projects like my coffee table book, which I’m planning to release before the end of the year.

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized my story isn’t just about what I do, it’s about where I’ve been. My environment, the people, the energy, all of it shaped me in different ways at different times in my life.

Queens made me, Jersey taught me, Brooklyn loved me, and Cali rebirthed me.

And now I’m just excited for what’s next. I don’t know exactly where the wind is going to take me, but I’m open to it. I’m just grateful for life, for creativity, and for the people around me.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I’ve realized that growth doesn’t really happen in comfort, it happens in the moments that stretch you. I don’t think any path that’s truly meant for you comes easy, but I do believe everything happens with intention and timing.

It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road.

I’ve spent a lot of time in roles where I was supporting other people’s visions, whether that was executives or creatives, and while I’m really grateful for those experiences because they taught me so much, there were moments where I felt like I was putting my own creativity on the back burner.

Moving to Los Angeles was a big turning point, but even that came with challenges. It was the first time I was really on my own, figuring things out without the comfort of home or my usual support system.

And during that time, I went through something really personal. I started experiencing severe health issues and after months of tests, I found out I have endometriosis. There was a period where I was in intense pain for months. I couldn’t work the way I was used to, I couldn’t create, and for someone like me who expresses herself through creativity, that was really difficult.

But I think that season taught me a different kind of strength.

It slowed me down, forced me to listen to my body, and really check in with myself. And spiritually, it brought me closer to God. I had to learn how to trust Him in a deeper way. Not just when things were going well, but especially when they weren’t. There were moments I felt low and uncertain, and those were the times I leaned on Him the most, and somehow always found my way back to clarity.

Even now with freelancing, there are highs and lows. Some seasons feel really aligned and abundant, and other times require patience, discipline, and trusting the process.

I think one of my biggest challenges has been fully stepping into myself and owning my creativity without hesitation. Not treating it like something on the side, but really claiming it as who I am.

But looking back, I wouldn’t change any of it. Every challenge taught me something. It built resilience, strengthened my faith, and gave me the confidence to not only have ideas, but actually bring them to life.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Right now, I focus on creative direction, content, and strategy across fashion, lifestyle, and events.

I specialize in taking ideas and actually bringing them to life in a way that feels cohesive and intentional. I’m very hands on, so I’m involved from concept through execution.

I’m known for my eye and my ability to curate. I know how to make things feel elevated, but still relatable and culturally in tune.

I’m also building my own ideas. I’m currently designing pants for my clothing brand and working on creative projects with my brothers. It’s been a full circle moment for us because we all ended up in creative spaces across entertainment, music, and fashion.

When we come together, it’s not just collaboration, it’s alignment.

What I’m most proud of is building a body of work that actually reflects me. From client work to my own content, my closet series, and my upcoming coffee table book, it all feels aligned.

And what sets me apart is that I don’t just see the vision, I know how to execute it.

Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
What I loved most about Los Angeles was the pace. There was a calmness to it. People were still working and creating, but there was space to breathe. It wasn’t as fast paced as New York, and at that time in my life, I really needed that. It helped me slow down and get more in tune with myself.

What I liked least… honestly, the food. Growing up Caribbean, I didn’t realize how much I relied on that until I didn’t have it. The options out there just didn’t hit the same. I missed real rice and beans, real flavor.

That alone had me running back to the East Coast. The lifestyle was beautiful, but the food brought me home.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jojosayz/
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@j0j0sayz

Image Credits
Breyona Holt (main photo with yellow background)