Have you ever watched Sex In The City and saw the ladies head to New York Fashion Week and wonder do people really live that sort of life? I always wondered what it would be like to sit on the sidelines and watch the models parade down the runway with the dresses swishing behind them or teetering on six inch (maybe higher) stilettos. I always used to watch the runway shows in the 90s during the time of the 'supermodel' and think how fun all the craziness the fashion world looked. I would read fashion magazines religiously..sneaking down the nearby country mart and use my babysitting money to buy Harper's Bazaar, Vogue, or at the time Seventeen Magazine. I would sit in my room and study the clothing, try to mimic the makeup with my own eye shadow and lip gloss. I was not allowed to wear concealer my mom would always tell me, "You are too young to conceal your skin, it is perfect wait until you are older than you will know what I am talking about." I could never understand but yes now that I am older I do. I don't have as much time today to read all the magazines and study all the clothing or makeup, being a mom and business owner is to blame. However I do read more business related publications such as Women's Wear Daily to keep up with the trends and see how the retail marketplace is shaping up. The fashion world that I am apart of now is more of the behind the scenes, trying to create pieces that mean something to women who have seen a dark part of life. It means to struggle, cry, celebrate small victories, grow thick skin, become friends with those who one might never have met in another lifetime, and most importantly it IS to have fun but to be smart about what choices you make for your line.
I was invited to be apart of LA Swim Week a few months ago. When I received the invite I was quite excited. I remember telling my husband that I would love to see my swimsuits on the runway, a dream that I would love to make a reality. However, as we sat down and looked at the costs...having to create new pieces for the show, paying to be apart of the show and of course needing to get all of my patterns, fittings, and materials complete within the course of a couple of months on limited means it meant a lot of stress. I realized quickly that this was not my time to shine...not yet. Instead I am going to sit on the sideline and applaud the hard work other swimwear designers have accomplished, maybe make new friends, and enjoy an evening of celebration and effort. To be in this industry a company has to make very very smart decisions to stay alive and I want my line in particular to be apart of this magical world for a long time. It is to help women and to give back so it needs that lifeline and to be the mother of this new infant that I call Hulabelle it means to mother it so at one point it will be a be able to stand on its own without my protective arms around it.
A meaningful story about my husband and myself...I told my husband that I was going to be in LA for the evening and he was alarmed. He forgot to get the day off so he could take care of our son. He tried with all his might to get the day off but when he went to work he looked at his day and called me. He said to me that he had three breast cancer cases. I said to him there is no way he can postpone those, and he never would in the first place. I eventually was able to find a sitter for my son but I felt that it was ironic as my husband operates on newly diagnosed breast cancer cases, I am going to an event that will someday help to promote my line that will help those women today. We both are working on opposite ends of the spectrum to help women diagnosed with breast cancer. If it involves an operating room or a runway we both are doing our part to make a difference.
