Off the Job

I have quit my job to become a vagabond...



Yesterday at around 10 pm I walked away from the desk of my corporate design job to begin a journey of self and fashion "discovery". A scary but also empowering move. Though I have enjoyed my time in the corporate world and learned so much...I am excited for a change.



I decided to leave my job because an opportunity presented itself which I could not pass up. Over a year ago I met Reverend Victoria Affram-Boyd. She spoke at my church about her desire to return home to Peki, a collective of villages in Ghana, West Africa. She wanted to take Mission Ambassadors to her hometown to build a cultural and spiritual bridge with our brothers and sisters in Ghana. I was immediately interested and signed up right away.



I will be spending 2 weeks with Reverend Victoria and 13 others learning about Ghana, Peki and the Christian Church there. We will meet with Chiefs, Bishops, Doctors, Students and every-day residents of the places we visit. We will learn about their history, their aspirations, their struggles, their joys and become family with them so that we can build a long term relationship and help them build their church and sustain their school and hospital. Visit the Peki Mission Blog link to learn more about what we will be doing!



Now the mission trip is only the beginning. In preparation for my trip I started doing research on the textile industry in Ghana and the history of apparel there (more to come later about that!). I came across some fascinating information but also came across a website for a volunteer organization called Women in Progress. WIP is a non-profit organization that seeks to alleviate poverty at a grassroots level by providing training and resources for women to start and run their own businesses. Please see the link for WIP for more information.



I have been passionate about fashion since I was at least 9 years old. However I am more passionate about the people and the environment that are taken advantage of in the name of inexpensive fashion. I am a Christian, and that has a strong influence on the way in which I hope to do business as a designer. I want to do my part to take care of the people and the environment that have been entrusted to us.



The apparel industry holds a lot of power, and it could be used negatively or positively. I will choose the path least traveled and work toward fair wages and working conditions, environmental protection, positive role models and responsible products. Together we can work to make a valuable product that we can all be proud of. It will not be a short journey, but I hope that you will join me along the way.



There will be so many exciting and challenging tales to come, please tune in often. In the mean time, I encourage you all to do your research before you buy just any old, cheap product and consider who or what may suffer because of our desire for the ultimate bargain.