Building Confidence With Collaborations

When I first moved to NYC, I knew less than a handful of people and as a semi-introverted person that was definitely intimidating. If it wasn't for friends like my favorite jewelry designer Cassy Saba and my favorite purse designer Jennifer Boonlorn, I don't think I would have had that extra boost in confidence. They were both there to support my new dream of being a New Yorker.

As I prepare my collections for my September 10th New York Fashion Week show, I realize how important working with other people are and how lucky I've been to have worked with best. I think that's why I am excited to be working with Scottie Kersta-Wilson with Image Diary  and even more excited to meet her in person.

Scottie and I, technically "met" when we were in a private group with our mentor Jane Hamill. There, we mutually respected each others work and got to know one another. Her story was very much influenced by her father and so was mine. Some of her scarf stories told the story of her grandfather's time in the Philippines and of course I was born there.

Because we had stories that were somewhat intertwined, we exchanged ideas and decided that we could design a story of our own. With the collection that will be shown in September, the runway will act as our blank canvas and hopefully, the story of what united us together can be seen. 

If you would like to know more about Scottie Kersta-Wilson and her Image Diary scarves go to imagediary.com.

The photo above was photographed by Davin Lavikka lavikkaphotography.com on a special weekend where my parents and I booked a suite to celebrate their 43rd wedding anniversary. While we were out on the golf course connected to the resort, my parents observed from the balcony like they were my number 1 fans.

Featured in the photo are my cashmere fringe dresses with Image Diary scarves, Soul Carrier purses, and Cassy Saba Jewelry.