“Every woman should have her own purse.” — Sean Fleischmann Borrelli-Boudreau
I have lived by this unwritten rule by my mother since I was 14 years old living in Gricignano di Aversa, Italy. I embraced the ease of the Italians, as the women were followed by the men that worshiped their ground in the streets with their elegant heels clicking on the cobblestone. I learned to embrace my sexuality, as I saw many madonnas walk by. We embraced everything, we embraced the ragged sheets on the lines of Napoli, we embraced the cracked ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, we went to so many countries and engulfed ourselves fully, with no ropes of our past lives.
I truly was forever changed. Italy taught me how to love. Even though on the outside She was very chaotic and capricious, She was family orientated and a loving culture. Food brought everyone together daily with no cellphones and no work interfering. Italy changed me and I will always be thankful for her. And Italy for me will always be known as, the woman with dirty feet.
So when I returned to the States, I knew I needed to keep this part of me alive. That’s why I wanted to create my passion into tapestry and silk. Therefore realising, fashion is something immortal, it is beyond you, I create for Italy, for where I yearn to go back to, my la passione is beyond my body and it is clinging to the life I want again.
A woman’s right to clothes is to embrace a moment in time, that we are all looking to feel good about ourselves. For many it could be a nice pair of jeans, a good pair of shoes or a lucky jacket. For me, it’s creating a tiny glimpse of the life I had and what I want again. It is one of the most underestimated therapies for anybody in my opinion, in a way empowering because your personal style and signature is what you create, no one else.
“Every woman should have her own purse,” for my mother it meant every woman should be independent when it comes to everyday life. However, for me I believe that every woman should have a sense of pride for who they are or what they strive to be. My support system for this is the clothes I wear. For me it means every woman should truly try to find the confidence within ourselves, and to express it in a way that gets you out of your comfort zone.
This is not something you master in a day, even though we all wish we were the montague from “The Karate Kid” in which we all become masters at the end in five minutes. It always takes courage to step out of your comfort zone, like wearing a new pair of heels and worrying people will stare, or trying on a new crop top and worrying about your stomach even though we are all beautiful. Find confidence within, and you will truly feel amazing in how you feel about yourself. And most importantly be you.