When you were born in a little place in Italy and you leave everything to follow your dreams in the USA you always know and remember where you come from. I am always the same girl born and raised in the countryside of northern Italy, that used to take a train every morning to go to school and walk miles under every type of weather, and that thought America was so far away from her. Then I grew up and life brought me to this amazing country but I never forgot my roots, the art of never giving up that my family taught me, the art of getting by with simple things, and the absolute awareness of what is beauty, inside and out.
I moved to Philadelphia a year and a half ago and I had to start from scratch. This new beginning gave me a purpose, motivation and a message. I started to convey all my skills and thoughts into a clear meaning, where my focus is on impacting people’s lives. When I win I know I can inspire many people to do the same, when people of my tribe win they inspire me to never give up. I am dedicated in seeing a better future and I think that art and fashion can serve me for that purpose. I started to send my message out there, writing about fashion that can empower people. We can give back in style, life is your party and you have to be dressed up for the occasion.
Well, one day in December 2016 that little girl from northern Italy received a phone call: “Do you want to be the international ambassador of the fashion brand Shahida Parides? We love what you do, we love your style and your foundation and we want to be part of your movement”. I went and I immediately looked at Shahida Parides and I saw who wore this brand before me: people like Paris Hilton, Kyle Richards, Beyoncé, Demi Lovato and many more. I felt so grateful and humbled and also thrilled at the same time. I strongly believe that as an entrepreneur one has to have a solid message and always ask him/herself: am I impacting others? Is my message something that can improve other people’s lives? When you feel the answer vibrating in your heart, then you know your message will be successful sooner or later.
I was already the ambassador for numerous brands and designers but this collection to me is special: it has a purpose. From strictly a style point of view I wanted the line to reflect my heart and soul so I chose vibrant colors and unique fabric. Shahida Parides is the perfect combination of this with clothing that makes women feel like queens. You know how important it is to me to make women feel empowered, and fashion is one of those magic tools that give them confidence. I want every woman to have the courage to be fashion, to be a statement, to not be scared to be beautiful. The first time I wore my red kimono dress from my Shahida Parides collection I literally stopped traffic, that is the effect of this capsule collection I chose and I am so proud of it. Most importantly however, 30% of the profits will help the foundation of my heart, The Wishwall Foundation.
I am up there with big names, having a blast (from a career point of view) and I am also serving a cause: helping meaningful wishes come true. I want to say to every girl out there that your ideas are worth it and if I am making it, you can make it too. I just switched from me to us, and believe me, it is an amazing feeling. We are in a new era, where if we don’t adjust into what we can do together we are at risk of collapsing. Go out there, as an entrepreneur or a single person, and look for collaborations that can impact the community, and life will answer back. If you work with people, look for those who vibe at the same energy as you are. I decided to say yes to Shahida not only because I loved her style, but because she gives back too: she supports women entrepreneurs in India and she helps them succeed.
This is a success story of someone who believed in her dreams, and I want to tell you to believe in your dreams and make sure they include others. My dream is to bring The Wishwall in every city, a wall of hope where the wishes that impact the community come to life. If you want to join me you can visit the website and write your meaningful wish, you can answer other people’s wishes, you can ask me how you can volunteer, you can donate, or you can buy a product from the shop (not only are they extremely cool but by purchasing you give back). Please let me know what you think about our amazing partners and especially about my #heart2heart campaign done with Shahida Parides and I hope to see a beautiful picture of you wearing a piece of my collection thinking: I am fashion and I am part of something greater than myself.
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