I write for a living. Before I was a writer, I had a decade-long career in retail. I loved merchandising — building displays, styling mannequins, designing the layout of collections on the sales floor. And I loved my clientele. Dressing people is like alchemy. You can see them transform — more confident, more self-assured, more authentic.
As a teen, I dreamed of being a designer. My walls were covered with fashion illustrations I drew of the runway collections in my head. Life, of course, had other plans and my mother’s disability meant that at 16, my sister and I needed to pay the rent. So, off I went to get a job at the mall. I’d be lying if I said I’m not disappointed I didn’t get to pursue my dream of jet setting to some prestigious design academy (or George Brown College). That said, my decade on the front lines gave me invaluable insights into the industry and its issues.
I’ve always wanted to find my way back to working in fashion in some capacity. This blog is my way to honour my childhood dream while examining the parts of the fashion industry that harm us.
Fashion Victim 