Empower Liv's Future in Fashion

Help Fund Liv’s Dream

Introduction

My name is Liv. I am a 15 year old sophomore in high school, and my one dream is to become part of the fashion world. From the time I was very young, I have found joy in creating things. My favorite hobby was always drawing- usually clothes, because I saw them as the most powerful tool of self-expression, a way to communicate who we are without words. As I grew older this love for creativity evolved into a vision for my future, a career in fashion. I began sewing clothing for my dolls and creating mock fashion lines, eventually growing into full size designs that I was eventually able to wear myself.

Setback

Last year, my family suffered an intense financial setback. A freak incident drove my dad, mom, sisters and I from our home for nearly thirteen weeks. It wasn’t a fire, but it may as well have been. We could no longer live in our house. We lost nearly everything;our clothes and school supplies, our furniture and rugs. This incident unfortunately drained my parents’ savings account, as they worked to keep our family moving forward by keeping my sistersand me in safe places to live, while attempting to replace many of our basic needs. And all the while my parents both worked, of course (my father is a teacher and musician, my mother a branding consultant). At that point, amazingly, many of our friends stepped up with incredible generosity, offering to help us in our unexpected situation. We are so grateful and they helped us so much!

While we were trying to keep our basic lives going, I learned about the Vogue College of Fashion Summer School. I was surprised to find a program like this for kids my age, one that could bring me significantly closer to my fashion career goal. But with all the craziness, how could I ask my parents to help me pay for this? I knew they couldn’t. Not all of it, anyway.

Hope

I once read a poem called, “Dreams” by Langston Hughes. Hughes wrote, “Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, Life is a broken-winged bird, That cannot fly.” This dream kept nagging at me, but I had no idea how I could make it possible. I needed to say something. I needed to find a way. I wanted to, anyway.

It was at that point, maybe a month ago, that I spoke with my parents about this dream. And how Vogue Summer School could be such an important step… If we could make it happen somehow.

Next Step

My long-term dream is to help myself and others tell their unique stories through their personal styles by putting inclusivity and creativity into the fashion world. Vogue Summer School would be a step toward this dream that I can take now, before I step into college and the professional world. It offers an opportunity to expand my knowledge of the fashion industry and practice and improve skills that I will need. From learning and engaging with speakers that are already leaders in the fashion industry to experiencing life in one of the biggest cities- New York - for fashion in the world, I am sure that this program will help me to grow as a designer and student. It would be a chance to turn my passion into something real and inspire others by showing how powerful and personal fashion can be.

Learn more about Vogue College of Fashion Summer Camp here:

Vogue College of Fashion