Looking Back to Move Forward: Three Days That Changed My Design Philosophy

It's Wednesday morning in LA, and I'm feeling weirdly reflective for 9AM. Maybe it's because I've been up since 5 working on revisions for my collection, or maybe it's because I just realized something big has shifted for me over these past few days.

Isn't it wild how sometimes the most important growth happens so quickly you almost miss it? Three days ago, I was sitting in this same spot, making some dramatic Sunday morning declaration about being authentic. It felt important, but also kinda scary – like one of those things you say when you're feeling brave but might backtrack on later.

But looking at my sketchbook now, spread across my desk with coffee stains and all, I can literally see the evolution happening on paper. My early sketches from last week look like they were made by someone else – someone who was designing for approval rather than expression.

Yesterday's critique with Professor Rivera was actually a turning point. Those challenging questions she asked? They forced me to articulate WHY I'm making each design choice. And when I was explaining my asymmetrical jacket to her, defending why those pocket placements matter, I heard myself speaking with a confidence I didn't know I had.

"This isn't just different for the sake of being different," I told her. "It's functional in a way that reflects how women actually use their clothing." Where did THAT come from?

I'm noticing this pattern in myself – I need resistance to find clarity. Without Jen questioning my style evolution, without Nico's comment about solving problems, without Rivera's skeptical "but why?" questions, I might never have pushed past that first layer of "authenticity" into something deeper.

Maybe that's the real growth – not just saying "I'm going to be me," but actually doing the work to figure out what that means and why it matters.

So here's to three days of evolution. To the people who challenge us. And to realizing that finding your voice isn't a single moment of revelation – it's a conversation you keep having with yourself and the world around you.

Now, back to those revisions. This collection isn't going to design itself.