As some of you guys might know, last year I was invited to go to Paris Fashion Week. I created a GoFundMe but did not meet my goal. I was not able to attend the show and of course, I was devastated and disappointed and even blogged about it here. Nevertheless, I continued on working and making Moon & Milk better and created new designs every week in hopes of new opportunities.
Not having given up on my goal to go to Paris, earlier this year, I applied for a Covid-relief grant from the state of California. Weeks went by and thought that I was probably not going to get it because I had already applied to so many programs and had gotten zero. A few weeks went by and one morning I woke up to the amazing news that I had gotten the grant! I was ecstatic and knew instantly that I was going to Paris in the fall.
The show took place on September 30th at La Galarie Bourbon, in Paris, France. It is October 15th and I still haven’t processed it all. Everything happened so quick and days before the show I was running around trying to get the finishing touches. I lost 5 lbs. due to stress and lost a lot of hair as well! The show was two weeks ago and everything seems surreal to me. I cannot believe that this girl, second generation, who grew up in one of the poorest neighborhoods in Los Angeles, who went to one of the worst schools in the city, who got fired from her job about 6 years ago, was actually in Paris showcasing her best creations. It is dumbfounding the things you can achieve when you believe in yourself and just go for it.
It is easier said than done. To throw yourself completely into the unknown and really trust in the process but most importantly, trusting yourself, trusting your voice, it’s not for the fainthearted. There have been many times I just want to throw everything out the window and hide under a rock for eternity, but giving up is not in my vocabulary. What I learned in this experience is that being confident or fearless is not enough. You’re going to have millions of different opinions bombarded at you, people telling you what's good and what's not good for you. Ultimately, you HAVE to know yourself and what you want for yourself at the end. Like Jeff Bezos says, “Listen and be open, but don’t let anybody tell you who you are.” Thankfully, my parents raised me well and I know exactly who I am and nobody will tell me otherwise.
I didn’t get to see the show, I didn’t get to see my earrings on the runaway show because I was backstage. It’s ok, my friends took hundreds of photos and videos. I want to say thank you to all the people and friends that donated to my GoFundMe last year, the funds were definitely used towards the show. Special thanks to Felina Beckenbauer who tolerated my tantrums days before the show and still managed to take awesome images. And of course, my family. My mother, my father, and my two sisters who are the pillars of my being. They are the reason why I keep pushing everyday to become a better human being in this chaotic beautiful world.
Keep dreaming everyone, they do come true.
Love Always,
Alejandra G.