My Journey: From the Classroom to the Catwalk (Well… kind of)

My journey into fashion has never been a straight runway more like a scenic detour with a few unexpected potholes. But every twist and turn has shaped the designer (and woman) I’ve become stitched together by resilience, heritage, and a passion that simply refused to quit.

For over 30 years, I worked in education supporting young people, children in care, those with disabilities, and even the homeless. It was meaningful, life-shaping work. But through all those years, fashion was still whispering my name.

While other 11-year-olds were saving up for the latest toy, I was spending my paper-round money on Vogue. My bedroom looked like a mini fashion library piles of glossy magazines stacked sky-high, bursting with dreams I couldn’t yet name. I’d spend hours cutting, stitching, restyling… basically making something out of nothing.

Then life got serious. I lost my dad at 16, became a young carer for my sister, and watched my mum battle schizophrenia. Fashion had to take a backseat. But even then, I found ways to express myself through clothes. Every outfit was a quiet act of rebellion my way of saying, I’m still here.

Fast forward a few decades, and that same spark brought me back to where it all began to that fearless, creative girl who saw style as storytelling.

Now, my mission is simple: to empower dynamic women who refuse to blend in. The ones who go against the grain, own their edge, and wear their stories unapologetically.