As long as I can remember I’ve had an obsession with fashion. Even as a child I had to coordinate literally from head to toe or my energy would be off. My barrettes had to flow with my threads or we’d just have to throw the whole outfit away. While in college I worked for MAC Cosmetics as a Makeup Artist, not realizing that this job would thrust me in the direction of a fashion career. You see, God is so good that even the seemingly tiniest of decisions can lead to something beyond your wildest dreams. While working at MAC I was around fashion lovers that, unknowingly to them and even me, silently gave me permission to be more creatively expressive. It was this creativity that would ignite a passion that had been burning since before I was even born.
I come from a long line of Fashion Enthusiasts. My Great Grandmother, Great Grandfather, and Great-Great Aunts were fashion couriers in their own right. My Grandmother told me stories of an aunt that could literally look at a design and recreate it better than the original. Now let me hip you to how amazing my Grandmother was (and still is, even in her absence). This lady could not only sew, but she could crochet circles around anybody, in my bias opinion anyway. I didn’t realize at the time, but the sewing camps and crochet lessons were her way of pouring into what would later become my entire existence….fashion.
Before she passed she would constantly ask me if I’d “sewn anything lately” and the answer was unfortunately no. I am still trying to find my footing after her transition into heaven, but I’ve come to realize that in my times of the most painful grief, I’ve turned to fashion. In 2019, I lost baby #2 due to miscarriage and during the emotional and physical pain I created a blue jean jacket that I’m still proud of today.
Fashion is not just something I want to do, it’s something I NEED to do. It has pulled me out of depression episodes and has given me something to look forward to during those really dark times. I invite you on this journey with me as I take the torch my ancestors lit and leave my footprints in and on the fashion industry.
Hello Chapter 39, Happy Birthday to me!
~Sujuane~