If yo� wer� t� describ� your busines�
i� on� wor� wha� woul� tha� wor�
b� an� wh�?
Unique. Of course I’m not the only Jamaican
doing this. However, there’s one thing about
my brand that makes it truly unique; I am
very reliable. Most
Jamaican small
businesses falter in this area. If I tell a client
that a custom piece will be available by X
date, it will definitely be available by that
date.
My customer service is also great and I have
a quick turnaround time. A custom order is
usually done within 2 to 5 days but may take
2 weeks if the fabric must be sourced
internationally.
I� ther� an� boo� or podcas� tha�
yo� us� for inspiratio�?
Let’s start with the book that I believe helped
me win Mission Catwalk, “Think and Grow
Rich” by Napoleon Hill. It’s one of those
books that’s on every book list as a must-
read for a reason. The key nugget of truth I
took away from the book was that all goals
must be written down, accompanied by a
timeline, and a clear statement written about
what you intend to give in return for what
you want.
Following this principle, I sat in my home
workspace one day and wrote this,
"
"On November 10, 2018 I will win Mission Catwalk. In
order to win this competition, I will create the best
collection; I am capable of showing the best quality pieces. I
have a plan that I will use to win and I will stick with it."
ISSUE:4 APRIL 2019
I looked at this paragraph each morning
when I woke up and said it aloud. It inspired
me to succeed. Let me let you in on a little
secret...I have never created a collection
before Mission Catwalk. Remember that I
am a self-taught designer who had basically
used YouTube and advice from a local
seamstress to learn how to sew.
Therefore, I knew that I had to put in the
work to make winning Mission Catwalk a
reality. This meant that I had to be very
strategic about the fashion show. I spent
days watching endless videos of fashion
shows and became truly inspired by the
Ralph and Russo shows. Those shows are
extraordinary; they really go out of their way
to impress the audience. Modeling my show
after theirs meant that my music had to be
on point and each piece had to flow
cohesively to tell the story I wanted to
portray.
Therefore, I got one of my clients who is a
radio broadcaster overseas to do a short
recording that introduced the collection. I
then spent hours listening to strange music
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