Be True to Your Soul

I can still recall that morning in the children’s hospital in Ho Chi Minh City after a terrible asthma attack. I was at the age of 7. Out of breathe and with sweat dripping all over my weak body, I lay holding my mother’s hands tightly crying for God to take away the discomfort. I kept asking for her to pray for me to live. “I don’t want to die, I want to see my father again and I want to be famous.” My mother told me that it was not time for my spirit to leave the earth yet, that I have to have faith, and imagine that my father was with me. From that moment on, whatever I wanted, whatever I wished for, whatever I dreamed of, all came true. In late 1981, my mother, sisters, and I happily reunited with my father and 4 brothers after several failed attempts of escaping the Communist regime in Viet Nam. [in the pic to the right, tu-anh is on the far left. -ed.]

Wow! My life changed completely here in the United States. I created a whole new life as if I was just born. My design career sprouted at the age of 10. Due to struggles to make money and create a future for their children, my parents worked very hard, 2-3 jobs at a time. For about a year, my mother only came home once a week on her Sundays off to see us. I used to shop at yard sales and flea markets every Sunday after church, just to look for dresses and anything with frills, lace, ribbons, flowers, to help my mother sew dresses and clothing for my sisters and I since we could not afford to buy anything in the stores. Those years, K-Mart was considered to be fancy and high end shopping for us to go in.

By the time I reached high school, my closet was filled with my own creations from vintage stores, flea markets, yard sales, Goodwill, or Salvation Army. I loved taking something existing and re-creating it into something brand new and chic. I still remember a spicy red, polyester jersey gown I bought at the local Salvation Army for $1.50, and what a hit it was at a wedding I attended.

The second most difficult period years of my life, besides struggling to survive the post-war Viet Nam came after graduating from The Fashion Institute of Technology in 1994 until 2003. [above left pic is tu-anh at FIT in 1992. -ed.] Those years included several emotional imbalances of being fired of my first design job without any notice to being homeless for months; closing down of my first clothing design business; a serious, dramatic break-up with my fiance; endless draining and unprofitable trade shows; loved ones telling me to pursue a more practical career; and bartending nights along with a full-time job as a professional make-up artist, all the while struggling to support my dream “tu-anh accessories.” Along the journey to fulfill my passion for design and creation, the only thing that kept me going was the vision of where I am today-- creating, educating, refining and making a difference in my community. I could not be happier.

For aspiring designers out there--hold on to your vision, use your creativity and imagination to its fullest, understand your market, and get involved in communities outside your area of expertise. You can learn a lot of valuable skills and tools from these pursuits. Always be meeting new people and keep on building your relationships, know your work, and keep everything you create. You will one day need them as inspirations for your next collection. But most importantly, be true to your soul.

Presently, I am inspired by many influences-- a green environment, being around animals [especially Autumn, top, and Poeme, bottom, in the pic to the right! -ed.], working with children, keeping a healthy mind and spirit, books, art, beauty, movies and music. My mission is to create, educate, refine and harmonizing my community. I live to maintain a peaceful world full of love and happiness.