I came into this world as the grandchild of two grandmothers, each of them strong and passionate in different ways. One of them was a seamstress, and the other was a clothing store owner. They were like night and day. They loved me differently, and lived their lives differently. But although there are many distinctions between them they had one thing in common: a love of fashion.

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My paternal grandmother taught me about beautiful fabrics and the perfect stitch; while my maternal grandmother taught me about bright colors and the art of putting together an outfit. But while my grandmothers showed me about being bold, the world I saw was sadly full of dull white shirts and boring clothes.

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Imagine: what if you refused to follow the rules? What if you wore stripes and flowers, faux furs and jeans, yellow shoes with any color you desired? What if you were not Caged? I realized that if you open the door to a birdcage, allowing the caged bird within to be free, the raptor would then take off without direction, without pattern, without structure. A freed bird will fly swiftly, with wild abandon, anxious to experience all the colors and smells and colors denied during incarceration.

That was my epiphany. When it comes to fashion, I will NOT conform. I will not align. I will not be dull. I will seek the colors, the scents, the sounds, the dopeness that life has to offer in all its splendor.

 

The Caged bird cannot fly free—but the individualist can. Come with me, and fly. Leave the cage. Be an individualist. Your journey of flight begins here.