“I don’t want to make money, I just want to be wonderful.” -Marilyn Monroe

This quote gave me a whole new perspective on fashion today. Our society today relates success with the amount of money you make. Is it possible to be successful on different terms? Your own terms?

YES. I whole heartedly believe your success is determined by how proud YOU are of what you’ve accomplished.

This morning I was describing to my uncle what I do during my two classes. I think it’s difficult for people (who aren’t very familiar with the fashion industry) to understand what fashion designers do. I told my uncle that we make the pattern for the jacket, cut it out, and sew all the pieces together. He simply just shrugged and said, “Sounds fun.” But when I got home it was a whole different story. I showed my uncle the picture of my almost completed jacket, (I still need to attach buttons, the waistband, the collar, and the cuffs), and he was blown away! He couldn’t believe that I made a jacket with my own two hands. My uncle, gazing at the jacket, said, “I didn’t realize how much work you’ve been doing in your classes.” He was proud of me and I am so proud of myself. I think people are now starting to realize and recognize all the time, hard work, and effort that goes into putting together a simple shirt or jacket. It might not have been, “One small step for man; one giant leap for mankind,” but it was a step in the right direction! And right now… that’s good enough for me.

I hope that you guys are proud of yourselves. It’s not easy coming to FIT (an unfamiliar city for some of you) to pursue your dreams. If you came alone, you had to meet new friends, adapt to a new environment, and still meet your deadlines for your projects. But most importantly, be proud of your work and how much you’ve accomplished over the last three weeks. I bet all of you have improved so much since you’ve arrived at FIT, I know I have. SO BE PROUD!

You’re all wonderful, don’t forget it.

Your Care Tag,

Bella