No Older Than Five

In a waiting room of seven, a young boy held his pencil with an assured stillness,as he mindfully drew a creation on his paper. He was quiet and patient; which was quite impressive, because he couldn't have been any older than five years old. We all sat in this room seeing what fun our minds could create, searching for distraction from stillness, but this young man found peace in creating his drawing. Another fifteen minutes passed by and surprisingly he broke the silence.

“Granny,” he called out to his dozing grandmother.

“Granny,” he called out a little louder!

“ Boy whatcha’ want,” she bellowed in a deep octave. The young boy burst into laughter, while his grandmother grinned.

“ I’m done with my design.” Excited, he flipped around a beautifully sketched dress. His grandmother marveled and so d

id everyone else in the room. They were impressed by the level and skill in which this young boy was sketching.

“ Ahhh, That’s beautiful, I like what you did there,” said his grandmother pointing at the photo.

“I’m all out of ideas now,” he sighed.

“ That’s not true! There is inspiration and creation all around you. Hand me that magazine.” The boy seemed a little perplexed by where she was leading his mind to, but he handed her the magazine.

“Look at this photo! What do you see,” she asked.

“ Uh, a tree,” he replied, curious to know where she was going with this.

“ Yes, but can you make an outfit inspired by a tree?” His wheels began to turn like this was the beginning of something exciting. The internal knowing that creation and inspiration is everywhere sparked a light inside of him that shined outward. His grandmother knew that he was destined for greatness and that he would some day explore the world of fashion design.

This young man was me. Art was something deeply a part of my being. I was always intrigued by the most beautiful colors and expressions of different art forms. My family was also very heavily involved in music, art, culture and fashion. I was around it and immersed in it. So in my early years of elementary school, I spent most of my time drawing and painting art and sketching designs with this philosophy my grandmother instilled.

By second grade, I had a full design portfolio of sketches I cultivated. I think at that point I knew in my spirit I would be a fashion designer at a point in my life. As I continued to sketch to find my individuality in fashion, I realized that this was a method of healing and outlet for myself. I didn’t know what that meant at the time, but looking back that was the reality. The closer I got to becoming who I was, the tougher it got in school. I was quite resilient, but it was definitely time for a change in my environment. My creativity was starting to be diminished by belittling beliefs. My mom and grandmother were extremely supportive of enrolling me in the performing arts middle and highschool in my town. I was deciding between visual art and dance, with dance also being something I have a deep love of. So because I had spent most of my elementary years drawing, I decided I should try something new. I continued drawing, whilst learning dance at this school. Dance went on to engulf me in an experience that I could have never imagined. I went on to train in New York at sixteen, by the age of eighteen I received a contract with New York City Ballet.

In my time training in the school and experiencing such a big city on my own, I really found a voice and clear expression of who I was. Who I am contains so many identities, and I’m glad I had the space to honor them. After my ballet classes and rehearsals, often I’d be sketching, tailoring my clothing, styling looks, watching fashion shows, and envisioning what a brand made by myself would look like.

After dancing in the company for a year, getting accustomed to the very extraneous schedule, I knew I would have to find balance to have time to create my fashion designs. In October of the second year, I lost my nine year old brother and shortly thereafter my grandmother passed. In those moments of what could have been shattering to my reality, I knew I had to continue living a life of joy, happiness, and the pursuit of all my dreams. Regardless of what happened, I knew I had to take action. My loved ones would have wanted that. Again it was confirmation that fashion was something I had to pursue alongside my ballet career.

During my breaks from rehearsal, I began doing photoshoots, executing projects,and editing the content that I was creating. I was immersed in creation once again. I was constantly around art, seeing the highest level of production, and fashion. I asked questions about my interests to all those around me. I was developing all I needed to start my own fashion brand and constructing clothing. The staff in the New York City Ballet Costume Shop were indeed a tool and resource into actually making my creative visions come to life.

As we fast forward to 2020, another series of reality altering events, I now had time to fully dedicate myself to developing and creating a brand. After months of visualising, shopping, sourcing fabric, cutting, constructing, I then created my brand what is now LAJEROMENY New York. The beauty in it all is that it started with my grandmother planting this seed. “ There is inspiration and creation all around you.” In the midst of life’s chaos, I went back to the roots of my childhood. I created by looking at images, hearing stories, listening to music of different eras, researching then executing. Just as my grandmother paved the way for. Fashion design has proved to be a part of my fate, and I’m grateful to be living in this truth that is me. Fashion has inspired, healed, and allowed me to express my unique expression and voice.