Often times the deepest part of someone’s soul are emotions most will never tell. For me, an incurable wearer of my heart on my sleeve, my love for the piano is no secret. Playing the piano however, is truly something I keep for myself. I have been playing classical piano for as long as I have known how to sew, age 6. Growing up my time was equally spent between the piano and the sewing machine. Skills I learned then from an incredible musical genius are still with me today- to truly know your craft, it takes constant daily effort in learning to improve your skills, knowledge, and, with her voice in my ear – practice, practice, practice.  

I always thought my life’s work would be in music. Fast forward to attending college to study music full time, with dreams of playing huge concert halls around the world as a professional pianist. I learned quickly I despised being told how to play my music and I will never forget the moment I was abruptly stopped in the middle of a piece I was lost in playing. I didn’t hear what my professor was saying to me; instead I knew instantly in my heart that I couldn’t play piano for the world. What I knew walking out of that last piano session was the piano I wanted to keep for myself, but fashion? Fashion is what I could give to the world. The next week I told my family I’d like to change universities to earn a professional career degree in fashion design.

These days, what shares some of the space in the deepest part of my soul are expressions of the women when they look at themselves in the mirror with pure joy at how a garment I made fits their body. When a woman feels truly amazing about herself, it does something to her eyes and that is what I keep for myself today in this world of fashion.