WEBVTT 00:00:06.759 --> 00:00:10.519 All right, so we're about to interview Zilla 00:00:10.519 --> 00:00:13.759 Jolie Duzon. Well, Jolie Duzon is the name of 00:00:13.759 --> 00:00:16.739 the brand, but also her last name, Hazel. And 00:00:16.739 --> 00:00:20.019 I just got a call, so she should be close by. 00:00:20.199 --> 00:00:25.600 Oh, there's a knock. Hello. Hi, hi. Come in, 00:00:25.620 --> 00:00:28.420 come in. How are you? I'm fine. How are you? 00:00:28.600 --> 00:00:32.000 Doing good. Long time no see. It's true. True, 00:00:32.119 --> 00:00:34.820 true. We've been trying to make this happen for 00:00:34.820 --> 00:00:40.060 quite some time now. Yes, and finally. But look 00:00:40.060 --> 00:00:42.539 at the, of course it was going to be colorful. 00:00:44.320 --> 00:00:46.759 So we actually got a little bit of matching with 00:00:46.759 --> 00:00:49.100 the pink. The pink, the blue. I'm doing the colorful 00:00:49.100 --> 00:00:51.880 for the first time. And the blue. Right. Awesome, 00:00:52.000 --> 00:00:55.560 awesome. And it wasn't planned? No, no. It wasn't 00:00:55.560 --> 00:00:58.820 planned. So we are in alignment. In alignment. 00:00:58.920 --> 00:01:05.459 Awesome. So we're here at. Simpson Bay Resort 00:01:05.459 --> 00:01:08.159 and Marina, I think is the name. Is the name, 00:01:08.260 --> 00:01:12.700 yeah. And we were first looking to do some shots 00:01:12.700 --> 00:01:15.280 out here. But I think we're probably going to 00:01:15.280 --> 00:01:17.340 do a setup where it's a little bit more quiet, 00:01:17.359 --> 00:01:19.819 a little bit less wind. Yeah. So we have a bit 00:01:19.819 --> 00:01:22.819 more control on the audio. But I mean, the folks 00:01:22.819 --> 00:01:28.359 at home, because this will be coming out in wintertime. 00:01:30.519 --> 00:01:34.420 Aww. So for those at home that are looking forward 00:01:34.420 --> 00:01:37.959 to an amazing vacation, I mean, look at this 00:01:37.959 --> 00:01:49.519 option. Hey, beautiful. Beautiful. St. Martin 00:01:49.519 --> 00:02:02.700 with the cultural icon of 2025. Sunside Kingdom 00:02:02.700 --> 00:02:10.000 show people welcome welcome welcome welcome to 00:02:10.000 --> 00:02:12.960 the Sunside Kingdom show the place where we highlight 00:02:12.960 --> 00:02:16.219 wonderful individuals hailing from the Dutch 00:02:16.219 --> 00:02:20.219 Caribbean islands including Suriname Individuals 00:02:20.219 --> 00:02:23.319 that have achieved immense things in their life 00:02:23.319 --> 00:02:26.599 have gone through challenges that some of us 00:02:26.599 --> 00:02:30.080 haven't faced before. And definitely individuals 00:02:30.080 --> 00:02:33.680 that can teach us how to overcome those challenges 00:02:33.680 --> 00:02:37.539 and make your life the best possible life that 00:02:37.539 --> 00:02:41.180 you can live. Welcome. Today we have with us 00:02:41.180 --> 00:02:45.500 an amazing lady, someone I've known for quite 00:02:45.500 --> 00:02:49.009 some time. If I say how long, then we might be 00:02:49.009 --> 00:02:50.949 giving away the age. And if they don't ask the 00:02:50.949 --> 00:02:56.990 ladies the age, but over two decades. Going back 00:02:56.990 --> 00:03:00.830 to high school days, Miss Zilla Jolie Duzon. 00:03:01.990 --> 00:03:05.169 Welcome. Thank you. Thank you for having me. 00:03:05.330 --> 00:03:11.219 So Zilla Jolie Duzon is a... Oh, Hazel. Oh, sorry, 00:03:11.340 --> 00:03:15.039 husband. I'm forgetting the dash here. When they 00:03:15.039 --> 00:03:17.000 do that to me, I always wonder like, hey, you're 00:03:17.000 --> 00:03:19.319 forgetting the husband's last name. Very important. 00:03:20.860 --> 00:03:24.240 So big up to the Hazel family. A talented fashion 00:03:24.240 --> 00:03:28.719 designer, surface pattern artist, and muralist 00:03:28.719 --> 00:03:31.960 from St. Martin. As the founder of Jolie Duzon, 00:03:32.099 --> 00:03:35.439 her vibrant hand painting designs celebrate the 00:03:35.439 --> 00:03:38.250 island's beauty and culture. Her work has been 00:03:38.250 --> 00:03:41.710 showcased internationally, including at New York's 00:03:41.710 --> 00:03:44.409 Fashion Week, and she was recently named the 00:03:44.409 --> 00:03:47.490 St. Martin Hospitality and Trade Association's 00:03:47.490 --> 00:03:51.710 Cultural Icon for 2025. We're excited to hear 00:03:51.710 --> 00:03:54.150 her story and her creative journey. Welcome, 00:03:54.270 --> 00:03:58.889 Zilla. Thank you. Thank you for having me. Sorry 00:03:58.889 --> 00:04:01.930 for the interruption, but please like, comment, 00:04:02.129 --> 00:04:05.569 and subscribe. It helps the channel out so much. 00:04:05.979 --> 00:04:08.719 so we can get this content out to more people 00:04:08.719 --> 00:04:12.240 that definitely need inspiration motivation and 00:04:12.240 --> 00:04:14.960 that mindset shift to elevate them to the best 00:04:14.960 --> 00:04:17.639 versions of themselves thank you so how are you 00:04:17.639 --> 00:04:20.490 feeling Feeling good, feeling good. I mean, this 00:04:20.490 --> 00:04:24.490 has been a long overdue interview. A long overdue, 00:04:24.490 --> 00:04:28.470 indeed, indeed. Or conversation. We've been trying 00:04:28.470 --> 00:04:30.750 to make this happen in Holland, been trying to 00:04:30.750 --> 00:04:34.009 make it happen over here. But, well, as they 00:04:34.009 --> 00:04:35.930 say, right, everything happens for a reason. 00:04:35.970 --> 00:04:39.990 Yes. And everything is on God's timing. Exactly. 00:04:39.990 --> 00:04:43.870 And being named the cultural icon of 2025 of 00:04:43.870 --> 00:04:48.389 St. Martin, then what better place? to do the 00:04:48.389 --> 00:04:51.110 interview but instant martin with an amazing 00:04:51.110 --> 00:04:53.730 view that we have over here to showcase the beauty 00:04:53.730 --> 00:04:56.790 of the island exactly with with the colorful 00:04:56.790 --> 00:05:01.329 uh beautiful designs and i'm not really a guy 00:05:01.329 --> 00:05:04.829 that wears colorful stuff but i had to represent 00:05:04.829 --> 00:05:10.949 for today and the thing is we're in the spirit 00:05:10.949 --> 00:05:15.350 because we both have a little pink in there It 00:05:15.350 --> 00:05:19.269 worked out with no conversation. Honestly, that's 00:05:19.269 --> 00:05:23.250 the alignment. Yeah. Because I was in town yesterday 00:05:23.250 --> 00:05:26.089 and I was like, you know what? I think I want 00:05:26.089 --> 00:05:29.389 one of those colorful island shirts. Not even 00:05:29.389 --> 00:05:31.370 specifically thinking that I was going to wear 00:05:31.370 --> 00:05:33.449 it for the interview, but something in me said 00:05:33.449 --> 00:05:37.149 to do that. Yeah. And no, I was looking for like 00:05:37.149 --> 00:05:41.490 a more bluish pattern, but they didn't have the 00:05:41.490 --> 00:05:43.910 one that I liked in my size. Okay. And then I 00:05:43.910 --> 00:05:47.279 tried this on. And I normally don't wear anything 00:05:47.279 --> 00:05:54.040 pink. But this just felt like it was the one. 00:05:54.360 --> 00:05:58.500 It's a nice shirt. And then today, boom. I popped 00:05:58.500 --> 00:06:02.660 in some pink, some blue. We're in alignment. 00:06:02.660 --> 00:06:06.180 We are. We are. Nice. Welcome. As you said, everything 00:06:06.180 --> 00:06:09.620 in timing. Exactly. It's aligned. It's the right 00:06:09.620 --> 00:06:13.540 time. Exactly. So it's been wonderful to see 00:06:13.540 --> 00:06:19.120 your journey from afar and sometimes close. We've 00:06:19.120 --> 00:06:21.399 known each other for quite some time. But I didn't 00:06:21.399 --> 00:06:25.660 know that you were so deep into the fashion world 00:06:25.660 --> 00:06:28.759 back then when we knew each other from, let's 00:06:28.759 --> 00:06:32.720 say, the music days. But can you tell us what 00:06:32.720 --> 00:06:34.939 life has been like, let's say, in the last two, 00:06:35.040 --> 00:06:38.740 three years? Okay. The last two, three years 00:06:38.740 --> 00:06:43.620 have been phenomenal. Phenomenal. Phenomenal. 00:06:43.759 --> 00:06:48.879 Because it literally... The last three years, 00:06:48.939 --> 00:06:52.060 I have seen the hard work that I have put in 00:06:52.060 --> 00:06:57.100 for the previous seven years, ten years. Finally, 00:06:57.180 --> 00:07:02.259 I'm seeing the fruits and, yeah, the fruits and 00:07:02.259 --> 00:07:07.819 the, how should I say? Not just the fruits, but 00:07:07.819 --> 00:07:12.240 the manifestation. I'm seeing the manifestation 00:07:12.240 --> 00:07:16.699 of all of my hard work. now coming to fruition 00:07:16.699 --> 00:07:21.459 and now seeing where it finds its place. And 00:07:21.459 --> 00:07:28.600 from 2023, my brand turned 10 years. I was like, 00:07:28.620 --> 00:07:31.399 Zilla, you're going to do something big this 00:07:31.399 --> 00:07:34.199 year. I want to do either a regional fashion 00:07:34.199 --> 00:07:37.860 show or an international fashion show. We have 00:07:37.860 --> 00:07:41.040 to take a pause. What's that? American Airlines. 00:07:44.040 --> 00:07:46.959 Is it carrying Jolie Duzon back to New York? 00:07:47.019 --> 00:07:55.680 It should be. It should be. Can persons on the 00:07:55.680 --> 00:07:58.379 island actually pick up the item somewhere? Yes. 00:07:58.500 --> 00:08:01.620 So I have currently right now one location is 00:08:01.620 --> 00:08:04.480 stocked, but I have three locations that sell 00:08:04.480 --> 00:08:10.339 my handmade bags. And hopefully this year I can. 00:08:10.829 --> 00:08:14.649 add in more pieces because right now the brand 00:08:14.649 --> 00:08:20.129 is somewhat on a transitional how should I say 00:08:20.129 --> 00:08:25.089 transitional journey because I can't refer to 00:08:25.089 --> 00:08:31.050 the previous but as we were talking about earlier 00:08:31.050 --> 00:08:35.809 Jolie Duzan started out as a women's clothing 00:08:35.809 --> 00:08:39.659 brand Now men want pieces from the brand. Yeah. 00:08:39.720 --> 00:08:42.519 Which I thought these things are so colorful 00:08:42.519 --> 00:08:48.200 from since 2023 when I launched at. New York 00:08:48.200 --> 00:08:51.340 Fashion Week. So that was also one of the highlights, 00:08:51.460 --> 00:08:55.159 2023. Oh yeah, I had to go back and give the 00:08:55.159 --> 00:08:57.860 story. How did New York Fashion Week happen? 00:08:58.480 --> 00:09:02.279 We jumping all over the place. You don't mind? 00:09:02.500 --> 00:09:05.860 Because the sun is coming down. Should I put 00:09:05.860 --> 00:09:09.159 on mine too? Yeah, let's do that. Let's get fully 00:09:09.159 --> 00:09:13.639 in the island vibe. Island vibe. Island modus. 00:09:14.299 --> 00:09:22.090 Looking fresh. So, yeah, so 2023, last three 00:09:22.090 --> 00:09:26.450 years. We're in 2025 now. The brand turned 10 00:09:26.450 --> 00:09:29.409 years. And I said to myself, I want to do either 00:09:29.409 --> 00:09:35.700 a regional or international fashion show. 2016, 00:09:36.159 --> 00:09:39.460 I went to the BVI and attended the Summer Sizzle 00:09:39.460 --> 00:09:42.600 fashion show. For the 10th anniversary of my 00:09:42.600 --> 00:09:46.679 brand in 2023, I want to do a regional or international 00:09:46.679 --> 00:09:53.080 fashion show. I emailed the organizer of Summer 00:09:53.080 --> 00:09:56.480 Sizzle in the BVI. I told him my brand is making 00:09:56.480 --> 00:10:01.279 10 years. I want to do a collection to launch 00:10:01.279 --> 00:10:04.220 and celebrate that. And of course he was like, 00:10:04.299 --> 00:10:06.779 come on board. Um, I needed to raise funding 00:10:06.779 --> 00:10:09.820 to be able to go. So I was able to do that. Um, 00:10:09.899 --> 00:10:13.340 with that, I did like, um, I made these oversized 00:10:13.340 --> 00:10:16.519 tote bags with my logo on it and the women could 00:10:16.519 --> 00:10:18.320 purchase it. And that helped me to raise the 00:10:18.320 --> 00:10:21.440 money to go. I also had a few, um, small businesses 00:10:21.440 --> 00:10:24.960 that sponsored and, um, I was able to do that. 00:10:25.289 --> 00:10:28.269 The pictures from that show were amazing. Doing 00:10:28.269 --> 00:10:31.830 that show in the BVI, the designers that showcase 00:10:31.830 --> 00:10:38.190 are regional, local, and international. So international 00:10:38.190 --> 00:10:44.970 designers like Koto. Koto? What's her name? Koto. 00:10:45.090 --> 00:10:48.860 What's her last name? I'll get the name for you. 00:10:48.899 --> 00:10:51.379 And then we can pin it. And then we'll pin it 00:10:51.379 --> 00:10:55.720 there. But I loved her. She was an African designer, 00:10:55.980 --> 00:10:59.860 but she won Project Runway in the US. Oh, wow. 00:11:01.200 --> 00:11:05.340 Koto Mumulu or something like that. And she was 00:11:05.340 --> 00:11:09.340 showcasing at that same show that I showcased 00:11:09.340 --> 00:11:12.740 in the BVI. So that show was so amazing. And 00:11:12.740 --> 00:11:16.360 she herself and other... Amazing designers who 00:11:16.360 --> 00:11:19.179 have been in the industry for years were wowed 00:11:19.179 --> 00:11:23.620 by my collection. And I'm just like this newcomer 00:11:23.620 --> 00:11:26.960 on the block. You know, like for me, I'm a newcomer 00:11:26.960 --> 00:11:29.159 because they have been doing it for years. They 00:11:29.159 --> 00:11:31.519 have been doing it professionally and they are 00:11:31.519 --> 00:11:35.179 wowed by what I am doing. So that gave me also 00:11:35.179 --> 00:11:38.379 a boost and a self -confidence of, no, Zilla, 00:11:38.480 --> 00:11:42.879 you are doing. I am a fashion designer. I am 00:11:42.879 --> 00:11:46.480 doing it. And I mean, but you've also been doing 00:11:46.480 --> 00:11:49.279 it for years. Yes. It's just that you've been 00:11:49.279 --> 00:11:53.019 doing it from. Let's say the small island context 00:11:53.019 --> 00:11:57.039 and not having, let's say, the industry here 00:11:57.039 --> 00:12:00.899 to get the validation from the industry. Exactly. 00:12:00.899 --> 00:12:02.879 But you have been doing it for years. Exactly. 00:12:02.879 --> 00:12:05.279 It's not that you showed up today and started 00:12:05.279 --> 00:12:09.320 doing this stuff. Exactly. So from there, doing 00:12:09.320 --> 00:12:13.000 that show, when I came back to St. Martin, so 00:12:13.000 --> 00:12:15.940 that was in July 2023. I did the show. I was 00:12:15.940 --> 00:12:20.230 excited about it. I was able to do it. It was 00:12:20.230 --> 00:12:22.830 a mini photo shoot with a photographer from there 00:12:22.830 --> 00:12:27.929 and just amazing pictures, amazing island. Came 00:12:27.929 --> 00:12:32.950 back and I saw that New York Fashion Week was 00:12:32.950 --> 00:12:37.210 going to be happening in September. Yeah. And 00:12:37.210 --> 00:12:41.450 Fashion Bomb Daily is like a fashion. It's like 00:12:41.450 --> 00:12:46.779 a fashion page that really showcases. Black designers 00:12:46.779 --> 00:12:50.820 and designers from the Caribbean region and so 00:12:50.820 --> 00:12:53.120 on. Really putting a highlight on those type 00:12:53.120 --> 00:12:55.220 of designers. And they were looking for designers 00:12:55.220 --> 00:12:58.519 for their show. Yeah. So I was like, I want to 00:12:58.519 --> 00:13:03.100 do this show. Now this is, I came back beginning 00:13:03.100 --> 00:13:05.779 of August. Yeah. And this show was happening 00:13:05.779 --> 00:13:10.899 on the 9th of September. Oh, wow. So I had four 00:13:10.899 --> 00:13:15.529 weeks that the money had to be paid. Yeah. People 00:13:15.529 --> 00:13:17.950 don't know this about me, but as much as you 00:13:17.950 --> 00:13:22.009 sometimes see me out there, I'm out there because 00:13:22.009 --> 00:13:24.750 of my work. And I mostly like my work to speak 00:13:24.750 --> 00:13:28.450 for myself more than me be on a stage talking 00:13:28.450 --> 00:13:32.889 or in front of the camera speaking. So I was 00:13:32.889 --> 00:13:35.639 just like, Zilla, if you want to do this. you 00:13:35.639 --> 00:13:39.460 gotta step out in faith so i posted a video letting 00:13:39.460 --> 00:13:41.980 people know that i have the opportunity to be 00:13:41.980 --> 00:13:44.879 a part of this fashion show but i need to raise 00:13:44.879 --> 00:13:47.480 ten thousand dollars to be able to do it yeah 00:13:47.480 --> 00:13:51.600 listen the community came through wow they came 00:13:51.600 --> 00:13:56.820 through um i made a um how should i say a campaign 00:13:56.820 --> 00:14:00.340 where if you donated a hundred dollars you i 00:14:00.340 --> 00:14:04.649 would gift you um one of Either a bikini or a 00:14:04.649 --> 00:14:08.629 swimsuit or swimming pants with one of my prints. 00:14:08.789 --> 00:14:11.269 Oh, nice. Because I'm known for my prints. So 00:14:11.269 --> 00:14:14.370 you kind of did a sort of crowdfunding. Yeah. 00:14:14.830 --> 00:14:18.750 Right? In my own way. Yeah. And I was able to 00:14:18.750 --> 00:14:24.019 raise the money, pay for the entire trip. I think 00:14:24.019 --> 00:14:27.620 like the last week, the tourism office came on 00:14:27.620 --> 00:14:31.440 board to sponsor the rest that I needed to cover 00:14:31.440 --> 00:14:34.860 the entire trip. So the community really came 00:14:34.860 --> 00:14:37.860 through and supported me to be able to have that 00:14:37.860 --> 00:14:41.710 opportunity. And I think. A lot of people say 00:14:41.710 --> 00:14:44.690 that St. Martin people are not for each other. 00:14:44.789 --> 00:14:47.309 It is not that. That is not the truth. Okay? 00:14:47.570 --> 00:14:52.190 There may be instances that people may show that 00:14:52.190 --> 00:14:54.590 they're not for you or they're not backing you. 00:14:54.769 --> 00:14:58.350 But if you're doing something positive and it's 00:14:58.350 --> 00:15:00.389 promoting the island and the island will have 00:15:00.389 --> 00:15:04.070 a good name by the person doing whatever they're 00:15:04.070 --> 00:15:08.090 doing, they will back you. And I have experienced 00:15:08.090 --> 00:15:12.860 that. firsthand yeah you know so i was able to 00:15:12.860 --> 00:15:15.559 raise the money i went to new york of course 00:15:15.559 --> 00:15:18.419 i'm frightened and scared i'm stepping out of 00:15:18.419 --> 00:15:22.679 my comfort zone me this um so what was it your 00:15:22.679 --> 00:15:26.000 first time in new york or no so i've been to 00:15:26.000 --> 00:15:30.419 new york um to shop for my fabrics yeah um but 00:15:30.419 --> 00:15:35.139 never Yeah, in the industry at a fashion show. 00:15:35.320 --> 00:15:39.159 So that was just an amazing experience. I went 00:15:39.159 --> 00:15:43.100 with my girl, Leah. She's a good friend of mine. 00:15:43.139 --> 00:15:46.379 And she helped me in the BVI. And then I was 00:15:46.379 --> 00:15:50.139 like, Leah. I was actually. I was doing a workshop 00:15:50.139 --> 00:15:52.740 here in July when she said that she was going 00:15:52.740 --> 00:15:56.480 to the BVI with you guys. And, yeah, in that 00:15:56.480 --> 00:15:58.740 moment, too, I also felt proud. Like, all right, 00:15:58.759 --> 00:16:01.860 Zilla is really doing her thing. It's stepping 00:16:01.860 --> 00:16:04.379 up, stepping up, stepping up. Amazing to see. 00:16:04.820 --> 00:16:08.480 Listen, I can't tell you. That year was just 00:16:08.480 --> 00:16:13.159 so amazing. Just everything I said in the beginning 00:16:13.159 --> 00:16:15.279 of the year. Okay, this is my 10 -year anniversary. 00:16:17.419 --> 00:16:19.639 I'm going to be unstoppable. I'm going to get 00:16:19.639 --> 00:16:23.019 everything that I want to achieve. I'm going 00:16:23.019 --> 00:16:25.379 to achieve it. I'm going to go after it hard. 00:16:25.580 --> 00:16:28.820 And exactly what I said is exactly what happened. 00:16:29.139 --> 00:16:32.519 So so before when we were actually when the cameras 00:16:32.519 --> 00:16:35.279 were off, we were talking about journaling. So 00:16:35.279 --> 00:16:38.480 you mentioned about journaling. Right. And how 00:16:38.480 --> 00:16:42.700 has journaling then played a role in in manifesting 00:16:42.700 --> 00:16:46.019 these dreams for you? So at a very young age. 00:16:47.179 --> 00:16:51.639 There was this verse in the Bible that says about 00:16:51.639 --> 00:16:55.379 writing your vision, making it clear. Right. 00:16:55.519 --> 00:16:59.600 And that just stuck with me. So I was a reader 00:16:59.600 --> 00:17:03.779 when I was younger. So I'm very eloquent in writing. 00:17:04.650 --> 00:17:08.549 writing poems, writing songs. And I would always 00:17:08.549 --> 00:17:12.470 write about my life, what I'm experiencing, what 00:17:12.470 --> 00:17:15.789 I want to do, what I want to achieve. And I think 00:17:15.789 --> 00:17:20.890 I have about from teenage years to now, maybe 00:17:20.890 --> 00:17:24.680 about 10. books oh wow that i have just written 00:17:24.680 --> 00:17:27.640 and sometimes in each of those books i have written 00:17:27.640 --> 00:17:30.859 the same thing over and over again like what 00:17:30.859 --> 00:17:33.799 i want to be what i want to achieve where i want 00:17:33.799 --> 00:17:36.819 to live what just different things like that 00:17:36.819 --> 00:17:40.359 and i would actually encourage anybody to do 00:17:40.359 --> 00:17:43.940 that because it works if you write it down if 00:17:43.940 --> 00:17:47.700 you make the vision clear if you um put work 00:17:47.700 --> 00:17:50.900 and action effort after the things that you want, 00:17:51.000 --> 00:17:53.460 you're going to achieve it eventually. Yeah. 00:17:53.500 --> 00:17:56.660 And that eventually part is maybe the most important 00:17:56.660 --> 00:18:00.599 part for persons to really lock into because 00:18:00.599 --> 00:18:05.960 it's not going to happen when you write it. Right? 00:18:06.440 --> 00:18:09.240 And sometimes you might write it a hundred times 00:18:09.240 --> 00:18:12.460 before it happens. But having the faith that 00:18:12.460 --> 00:18:16.400 one day it will happen is what allows it to happen. 00:18:17.019 --> 00:18:20.000 And when it does happen, usually you'll look 00:18:20.000 --> 00:18:24.259 back in reflection and be like, wow, it had to 00:18:24.259 --> 00:18:27.200 happen this way. Exactly. It had to take this 00:18:27.200 --> 00:18:29.819 much time for it to happen in this way because 00:18:29.819 --> 00:18:32.599 this was the best way for it to happen. Exactly. 00:18:33.349 --> 00:18:36.769 Truly believe that. And just even this past week, 00:18:36.829 --> 00:18:40.650 I was reflecting, looking back at illustration 00:18:40.650 --> 00:18:44.930 work that I did in class at the Amsterdam Fashion 00:18:44.930 --> 00:18:48.289 Institute and looking at how I was drawing, how 00:18:48.289 --> 00:18:51.710 I draw now, the designs I was drawing, then how 00:18:51.710 --> 00:18:55.509 it looked when I applied for the school and how 00:18:55.509 --> 00:18:57.829 they looked while I was in school and how they 00:18:57.829 --> 00:19:01.150 look now. And I was like, look at how I had a 00:19:01.150 --> 00:19:04.089 dream. Look at what. i have accomplished since 00:19:04.089 --> 00:19:07.910 then and i was just like thank you god thank 00:19:07.910 --> 00:19:11.829 you thank you because yeah it's it's because 00:19:11.829 --> 00:19:15.049 of you that i have this creativity this talent 00:19:15.049 --> 00:19:23.890 um because of you so um yeah the creativity the 00:19:23.890 --> 00:19:28.210 talent thank you yeah oh I guess that's... Yes, 00:19:28.349 --> 00:19:31.769 exactly. Remember, he's in everything. He's in 00:19:31.769 --> 00:19:34.069 everything. So he shine a light on you like boom. 00:19:37.089 --> 00:19:43.910 Amazing. So let's tap back maybe a bit into early 00:19:43.910 --> 00:19:46.549 childhood. So you were born on St. Martin? Born 00:19:46.549 --> 00:19:49.509 and raised on this beautiful island of St. Martin 00:19:49.509 --> 00:19:55.009 that I love so much. Yeah, my parents, I was 00:19:55.009 --> 00:19:57.950 raised by two parents, William and Prisca Duzan. 00:19:58.109 --> 00:20:06.150 They were caterers. So that knack for business 00:20:06.150 --> 00:20:08.549 and wanting to do business and wanting to own 00:20:08.549 --> 00:20:11.950 my business, that started from home. Started 00:20:11.950 --> 00:20:19.309 from home. I saw how every July and every December, 00:20:19.549 --> 00:20:23.630 my dad would close up shop. take the family on 00:20:23.630 --> 00:20:25.910 a vacation and he was able to do that because 00:20:25.910 --> 00:20:28.329 he had the freedom to do it because he was his 00:20:28.329 --> 00:20:31.849 own he owned his own business yeah so having 00:20:31.849 --> 00:20:35.609 knowing and seeing and experiencing that um i 00:20:35.609 --> 00:20:38.990 wanted the same for myself yeah and also realizing 00:20:38.990 --> 00:20:47.099 that um when i go to work for people um I saw 00:20:47.099 --> 00:20:50.279 how much I helped their business to grow. Yeah. 00:20:50.420 --> 00:20:53.599 And how much of an asset I was. So I was like, 00:20:53.680 --> 00:20:57.720 so why don't I put that into myself? Yeah. Why 00:20:57.720 --> 00:21:00.960 don't I put it all in here, you know? Because 00:21:00.960 --> 00:21:03.279 then I don't have to deal with all of the extra. 00:21:03.460 --> 00:21:06.859 Yeah. laws regulations blah blah blah limited 00:21:06.859 --> 00:21:11.200 time for vacation and oh i have an event that 00:21:11.200 --> 00:21:13.500 i want to do abroad or i can't do it because 00:21:13.500 --> 00:21:18.700 i don't have extra vacation days no yeah so yeah 00:21:18.700 --> 00:21:24.079 so that so that and also i'm the it's five of 00:21:24.079 --> 00:21:28.670 us uh two girls two boys but now Well, three 00:21:28.670 --> 00:21:31.309 girls, two boys, now two girls, two boys, because 00:21:31.309 --> 00:21:35.009 my sister passed away a few years ago. And even 00:21:35.009 --> 00:21:42.609 that, I realized when my sister passed away and 00:21:42.609 --> 00:21:46.250 how much potential and ideas and so on that she 00:21:46.250 --> 00:21:50.490 had. She wanted to own her own bakery and all 00:21:50.490 --> 00:21:53.410 of these things. And people used to see me and 00:21:53.410 --> 00:21:57.519 they still see me. going after my dreams and 00:21:57.519 --> 00:21:59.920 goals and not being sad. They didn't see me be 00:21:59.920 --> 00:22:03.259 sad because I thought to myself, Lord, you are 00:22:03.259 --> 00:22:07.539 showing me that our time here on earth is limited, 00:22:07.660 --> 00:22:11.119 right? We need to stop saying, yeah, I'm going 00:22:11.119 --> 00:22:14.339 to do it one day. No, do it now. You have the 00:22:14.339 --> 00:22:19.450 idea now. Yeah, you have the ideas now. Everything 00:22:19.450 --> 00:22:22.009 that you need at your fingertips, do it now. 00:22:22.150 --> 00:22:25.349 What is stopping you? We think that we have all 00:22:25.349 --> 00:22:28.630 of this time, but we are, I heard it the other 00:22:28.630 --> 00:22:32.990 day, we are on borrowed time. Borrowed time. 00:22:33.470 --> 00:22:36.329 Because we don't decide when we are going to 00:22:36.329 --> 00:22:40.430 go. So my sister actually passing away motivated 00:22:40.430 --> 00:22:45.529 me to manifest the ideas that were coming to 00:22:45.529 --> 00:22:49.319 me, just manifest them immediately. work at it 00:22:49.319 --> 00:22:51.440 immediately it's a reason why you're getting 00:22:51.440 --> 00:22:55.240 it so that that kind of became the the part of 00:22:55.240 --> 00:22:58.539 the catalyst that you started to speed things 00:22:58.539 --> 00:23:01.420 up yeah and and really give it a harder push 00:23:01.420 --> 00:23:07.180 exactly because like in in 2016 um 2016 17 i 00:23:07.180 --> 00:23:10.200 think we we we saw each other we met a few times 00:23:10.200 --> 00:23:13.670 um I remember my wife buying a couple pieces 00:23:13.670 --> 00:23:17.769 and really loving the designs. But definitely 00:23:17.769 --> 00:23:20.430 the growth since then, I could see that there 00:23:20.430 --> 00:23:24.230 was like an exponential curve moving up. So you 00:23:24.230 --> 00:23:26.710 actually took that pain and turned it into... 00:23:26.710 --> 00:23:29.630 That's what I did. Yeah. That's what I did. That's 00:23:29.630 --> 00:23:35.470 beautiful. Let me see. What else from my younger... 00:23:35.980 --> 00:23:39.099 Yeah, so how did the fashion designer in you, 00:23:39.180 --> 00:23:43.359 where was that born? Because before I knew you 00:23:43.359 --> 00:23:46.599 as a fashion designer, I knew you as a very good 00:23:46.599 --> 00:23:51.359 vocalist. Yeah. So one of my other talents. Other 00:23:51.359 --> 00:23:55.059 talents. Those creative people, eh? They're just 00:23:55.059 --> 00:24:00.079 full of all of these gifts. So, yes. So as a 00:24:00.079 --> 00:24:03.059 little girl, actually, let me start. It's in 00:24:03.059 --> 00:24:06.640 my family. Fashion design is also in the family. 00:24:06.759 --> 00:24:10.079 Yes. Okay. So not in the way that I'm doing it, 00:24:10.140 --> 00:24:14.740 but my mother's mother, she owned her own sewing 00:24:14.740 --> 00:24:19.539 shop in St. Lucia. She actually had my mom and 00:24:19.539 --> 00:24:25.880 her sister and brother. Yeah. And she left them 00:24:25.880 --> 00:24:29.259 with her grandmother to go and study to be a 00:24:29.259 --> 00:24:34.589 seamstress in England. Oh, wow. So and then after 00:24:34.589 --> 00:24:37.390 a few years, she moved back to St. Lucia, started 00:24:37.390 --> 00:24:40.470 her own sewing shop with her sister. So it's 00:24:40.470 --> 00:24:43.710 in my family that we love fashion. We love creating 00:24:43.710 --> 00:24:46.009 clothes and stuff like that. And then I found 00:24:46.009 --> 00:24:50.269 out in my older years that my grandfather, he 00:24:50.269 --> 00:24:55.789 used to own a upholstery store. So he fixed furniture. 00:24:56.150 --> 00:25:00.380 Yeah. So he sewed. Yeah. He made furniture covers 00:25:00.380 --> 00:25:02.859 and stuff like that. So I'm like, this is in 00:25:02.859 --> 00:25:04.920 my bloodline. Yeah, it's in the blood. So my 00:25:04.920 --> 00:25:08.970 love and appreciation for it. It was already 00:25:08.970 --> 00:25:12.890 there. It's in the DNA. Exactly. So around five 00:25:12.890 --> 00:25:16.269 or so, I was used to seeing magazines, these 00:25:16.269 --> 00:25:19.789 beautiful sparkly dresses or on TV. And then 00:25:19.789 --> 00:25:22.529 I asked my parents, who makes those beautiful 00:25:22.529 --> 00:25:25.470 clothes that those ladies have on? And then I 00:25:25.470 --> 00:25:28.170 think my mom said a fashion designer. So from 00:25:28.170 --> 00:25:30.849 the age of five, I have been telling everybody, 00:25:31.170 --> 00:25:33.509 what do you want to be when you grow up? A fashion 00:25:33.509 --> 00:25:38.210 designer, right? I would tell you I was not really 00:25:38.210 --> 00:25:41.869 sewing or anything like that, but I used to draw 00:25:41.869 --> 00:25:46.569 ladies, draw dresses just up until maybe like 00:25:46.569 --> 00:25:56.869 2000. 2000. I had not made anything yet. It was 00:25:56.869 --> 00:26:00.890 really just my drawings. Me thinking, oh, yes, 00:26:00.950 --> 00:26:02.970 I want to one day make a dress like this and 00:26:02.970 --> 00:26:05.849 stuff. And then it's only afterwards I started 00:26:05.849 --> 00:26:10.529 to have pieces made from my illustrations that 00:26:10.529 --> 00:26:18.930 I created. Amazing. So if you look over your 00:26:18.930 --> 00:26:24.470 career. As a fashion designer specifically, who 00:26:24.470 --> 00:26:28.450 would you say were some of the key role models 00:26:28.450 --> 00:26:31.529 and mentors that you had that helped you along 00:26:31.529 --> 00:26:37.410 the way? So I had this, I'll tell you who my 00:26:37.410 --> 00:26:43.089 inspirations were qua fashion designers that 00:26:43.089 --> 00:26:47.190 are well known. But I'll also tell you local 00:26:47.190 --> 00:26:50.720 ladies that I saw. Growing up. And I said to 00:26:50.720 --> 00:26:53.579 myself, when I grow older, I want to be like 00:26:53.579 --> 00:26:56.400 them and have my own business. So this is like 00:26:56.400 --> 00:26:59.420 Loretta. They had a lady named Loretta. They 00:26:59.420 --> 00:27:03.450 had a little. Boutique on Front Street. Maliona's. 00:27:03.730 --> 00:27:07.109 Maliona's. I remember Maliona's. Bianchi's. So 00:27:07.109 --> 00:27:09.009 all three of these ladies used to have these 00:27:09.009 --> 00:27:12.970 trendy little boutiques. Also Rachel, the hair 00:27:12.970 --> 00:27:17.150 technician. She does hair. She owned her own 00:27:17.150 --> 00:27:19.710 business or she used to do hair. And everybody 00:27:19.710 --> 00:27:21.910 used to go by her because she used to cut hair 00:27:21.910 --> 00:27:25.109 so beautifully. So these are some of the women 00:27:25.109 --> 00:27:27.769 I used to look up to and be like, I love that 00:27:27.769 --> 00:27:30.269 they have their own business. you know, doing 00:27:30.269 --> 00:27:33.869 their own thing. And then internationally. Oh, 00:27:33.950 --> 00:27:36.569 then also my grandmother. I was like, my grandmother 00:27:36.569 --> 00:27:39.089 is a seamstress. She used to make our uniform 00:27:39.089 --> 00:27:42.109 skirts. She used to make this cute uniform. So 00:27:42.109 --> 00:27:45.000 you guys didn't used to buy those. Not all the 00:27:45.000 --> 00:27:48.380 time. So she would just make a set and we would 00:27:48.380 --> 00:27:50.779 buy a set. My parents would buy a set for us. 00:27:50.839 --> 00:27:54.359 So my sisters and I, we always had pieces that 00:27:54.359 --> 00:27:57.140 my grandmother would send that she made for us. 00:27:57.160 --> 00:28:01.400 And just how they were made were so exquisite, 00:28:01.440 --> 00:28:04.359 so beautifully, like you got it out of a store. 00:28:04.559 --> 00:28:07.539 I would consider myself also somewhat of a researcher. 00:28:09.279 --> 00:28:13.119 Anything that I want to know about, learn or 00:28:13.119 --> 00:28:16.359 whatever, I would go and I would research. I 00:28:16.359 --> 00:28:19.500 would find books about it, read up on it. So 00:28:19.500 --> 00:28:23.599 what I did initially when I was studying fashion, 00:28:23.900 --> 00:28:28.099 people that I loved or brands that I loved was 00:28:28.099 --> 00:28:35.500 I love Ralph Lauren. I loved Diane von Frostenberg. 00:28:36.339 --> 00:28:40.220 Diane von Frostenberg. I don't think I know who 00:28:40.220 --> 00:28:44.960 that is. And I loved the brand Pucci. Pucci. 00:28:45.039 --> 00:28:47.640 Yeah. So I loved... Wait, wait. Pucci is the 00:28:47.640 --> 00:28:50.200 one that Biggie used to wear? Biggie. Oh, no. 00:28:50.220 --> 00:28:53.880 That was Coogee. Probably. Probably. Yeah. Okay. 00:28:53.960 --> 00:28:56.920 Yeah, because Pucci is an Italian brand. Oh, 00:28:56.920 --> 00:28:59.980 okay. So for me, they were the first brand to 00:28:59.980 --> 00:29:04.519 use these bright, colorful prints. And it was 00:29:04.519 --> 00:29:07.789 accepted. Because if you see most brands, they 00:29:07.789 --> 00:29:12.529 really back then it really was like solid colors 00:29:12.529 --> 00:29:16.529 or just two colors. But they are really a brand 00:29:16.529 --> 00:29:19.670 known for these prints, colorful, bright prints. 00:29:20.210 --> 00:29:24.990 And Ralph Lauren, I loved how luxurious and. 00:29:26.599 --> 00:29:30.119 how beautifully and elegant his design was. And 00:29:30.119 --> 00:29:33.119 then Diane for Frustenberg was also someone who 00:29:33.119 --> 00:29:36.359 came out then with these wrap dresses in all 00:29:36.359 --> 00:29:39.559 of her prints, prints that she created and stuff. 00:29:39.700 --> 00:29:42.619 So I was like, okay, I love this because even 00:29:42.619 --> 00:29:45.740 in school, I like art was always the highest 00:29:45.740 --> 00:29:48.880 hundreds I used to get in art school. In school, 00:29:49.039 --> 00:29:52.440 I got hundreds in art. Like my art was always 00:29:52.440 --> 00:29:55.119 something I was passionate about and very good 00:29:55.119 --> 00:29:58.059 at. And I used to paint a lot of bright, colorful 00:29:58.059 --> 00:30:01.079 paintings. I always said I want to use my artwork 00:30:01.079 --> 00:30:05.220 in my fashion design because I found it to be 00:30:05.220 --> 00:30:11.140 unique. Yeah. It's different. Yeah. And I don't 00:30:11.140 --> 00:30:15.339 know if you know Ife Badajo. Of course. Ife is 00:30:15.339 --> 00:30:19.680 actually. Our very first podcast episode. Wow. 00:30:19.799 --> 00:30:25.460 Wow. So Ife and I, we always talked about business 00:30:25.460 --> 00:30:31.819 and so on. And very early on when I started out, 00:30:31.880 --> 00:30:36.500 she said, Zilla, your prints is your brand. So 00:30:36.500 --> 00:30:39.400 I didn't fully understand it then because to 00:30:39.400 --> 00:30:43.210 me, I was just using my artwork. In my collections. 00:30:43.569 --> 00:30:46.849 But that has become the identity of my brand. 00:30:47.049 --> 00:30:50.230 People would see my prints. See my art. And be 00:30:50.230 --> 00:30:55.450 like that's Jolie Duzan. One time. And now I 00:30:55.450 --> 00:30:58.930 see how. A lot of people are saying. That my 00:30:58.930 --> 00:31:02.109 prints. They look African. But then that would 00:31:02.109 --> 00:31:06.109 be. That it's inside of us. Because of course 00:31:06.109 --> 00:31:09.009 our people were taken from there. Brought to 00:31:09.009 --> 00:31:13.240 the islands. So it's. my prints looking like 00:31:13.240 --> 00:31:16.740 african prints but more in a caribbean bright 00:31:16.740 --> 00:31:20.740 colorful colors it's it's it's in the dna it's 00:31:20.740 --> 00:31:26.980 exactly in me so yeah awesome amazing because 00:31:26.980 --> 00:31:32.619 what what um those different role models inspiration 00:31:32.619 --> 00:31:36.880 mentors uh if you could if you could kind of 00:31:36.880 --> 00:31:40.250 tap into what what they really meant for you 00:31:40.250 --> 00:31:44.150 in the essence were there moments where tapping 00:31:44.150 --> 00:31:48.009 into what they had to offer really took you out 00:31:48.009 --> 00:31:51.849 of a place of self -doubt for instance For instance, 00:31:51.950 --> 00:31:55.329 the story of Ralph Lauren really did because 00:31:55.329 --> 00:32:00.710 he never went to school for fashion. He learned 00:32:00.710 --> 00:32:03.809 everything that he knows from his grandmother. 00:32:04.029 --> 00:32:08.789 Seeing his grandmother sew and being there, helping 00:32:08.789 --> 00:32:10.509 her. So there was a parallel there as well. Yeah. 00:32:10.569 --> 00:32:14.869 So I was like, how can somebody who had no connection 00:32:14.869 --> 00:32:19.140 with fashion become so iconic? And so and is 00:32:19.140 --> 00:32:23.559 doing so well with his brand. And that was really 00:32:23.559 --> 00:32:25.660 inspirational for me. And I was like, it doesn't 00:32:25.660 --> 00:32:31.400 matter where I come from. I am able to create 00:32:31.400 --> 00:32:35.619 a brand and a meaningful brand and an impactful 00:32:35.619 --> 00:32:41.880 brand. And I just went for it. Awesome. So looking 00:32:41.880 --> 00:32:48.599 back at a younger version. Actually, probably 00:32:48.599 --> 00:32:52.460 the version from when we first met, the 18 -year 00:32:52.460 --> 00:32:56.359 -old version. What advice would you give your 00:32:56.359 --> 00:32:58.940 18 -year -old self with all the knowledge and 00:32:58.940 --> 00:33:04.079 experience that you have today? Okay. The number 00:33:04.079 --> 00:33:09.799 one thing I would say to the young Zilla who 00:33:09.799 --> 00:33:13.119 was aspiring to be a fashion designer is that 00:33:13.119 --> 00:33:17.140 as a younger girl, I saw visions of myself. doing 00:33:17.140 --> 00:33:21.859 fashion, talking on a stage. I saw myself and 00:33:21.859 --> 00:33:26.119 I was like, this is just dreams. But I would 00:33:26.119 --> 00:33:28.880 tell my younger self, no, Zilla, what you are 00:33:28.880 --> 00:33:31.460 seeing in your dreams is who you are eventually 00:33:31.460 --> 00:33:34.460 going to be. Who you're meant to be. Who you 00:33:34.460 --> 00:33:38.500 are meant to be. Yeah. And the things that you 00:33:38.500 --> 00:33:42.509 are. passionate about interested in at this young 00:33:42.509 --> 00:33:45.670 age is most probably the thing that you might 00:33:45.670 --> 00:33:51.450 be doing later on and um being confident and 00:33:51.450 --> 00:33:55.609 not caring what people of people's opinions of 00:33:55.609 --> 00:33:59.289 you yeah what is most important is the opinion 00:33:59.289 --> 00:34:02.329 you have of yourself and how you believe in yourself 00:34:02.329 --> 00:34:07.769 to push yourself to be um and do what you um 00:34:08.219 --> 00:34:10.719 want to achieve in life your goals your dreams 00:34:10.719 --> 00:34:17.599 your aspirations so how how did um how did you 00:34:17.599 --> 00:34:22.079 make that transition from not allowing the noise 00:34:22.079 --> 00:34:30.599 and the oh helicopter helicopter i think earlier 00:34:30.599 --> 00:34:34.639 we mentioned it but This beautiful, wonderful 00:34:34.639 --> 00:34:41.219 view comes at a cost. Noise pollution. So I believe 00:34:41.219 --> 00:34:48.500 the transition comes in your process. So in your 00:34:48.500 --> 00:34:50.900 process of becoming that person that you were 00:34:50.900 --> 00:34:55.900 meant to be, your circle or the people that you 00:34:55.900 --> 00:35:03.469 have around you does matter. Yeah. Yes, you have 00:35:03.469 --> 00:35:08.869 to believe in yourself, but also hearing your 00:35:08.869 --> 00:35:13.530 circle encourage you and push you helps you to 00:35:13.530 --> 00:35:16.710 believe more in yourself as well. Yeah. Right. 00:35:16.789 --> 00:35:24.010 So for me, having the transition of me reaching 00:35:24.010 --> 00:35:27.130 there had to do with who I had around me. So 00:35:27.130 --> 00:35:30.510 did you begin to edit your circle? Yeah, for 00:35:30.510 --> 00:35:35.980 sure. For sure. People who didn't see, people 00:35:35.980 --> 00:35:40.099 who doubted what I was telling them I want to 00:35:40.099 --> 00:35:43.599 do. I was like, I got to shut down your voice 00:35:43.599 --> 00:35:47.079 because I cannot have that type of doubt when 00:35:47.079 --> 00:35:49.579 I know deep down inside, this is what I'm meant 00:35:49.579 --> 00:35:52.539 to be doing or this is what I can achieve. Because 00:35:52.539 --> 00:35:55.239 I'm one of those like, and you know, they say 00:35:55.239 --> 00:36:00.510 sometimes you end up marrying someone who. It's 00:36:00.510 --> 00:36:05.170 not the opposite, but my husband is a careful 00:36:05.170 --> 00:36:11.230 risk taker. I am a risk taker. I don't check 00:36:11.230 --> 00:36:14.050 nothing. I just go for it and we're going to 00:36:14.050 --> 00:36:17.670 see what happens. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So, 00:36:17.750 --> 00:36:22.269 thank God. He's there to keep the balance. Listen, 00:36:22.369 --> 00:36:27.179 because I am just like, no. I see myself there. 00:36:27.260 --> 00:36:30.239 I'm just going to go. And he's like, babe, but 00:36:30.239 --> 00:36:32.280 you didn't check this and that and that and that. 00:36:32.380 --> 00:36:36.099 So thank God I have him because he brings some 00:36:36.099 --> 00:36:38.400 clarity like, babe, okay, maybe you need to consider 00:36:38.400 --> 00:36:45.349 this and that. having the right circle um having 00:36:45.349 --> 00:36:48.610 the right voices listening to the right voices 00:36:48.610 --> 00:36:52.030 if you don't have it you listen to podcasts or 00:36:52.030 --> 00:36:55.610 conversations or interviews of people who are 00:36:55.610 --> 00:36:59.070 where you want to be yeah and that that actually 00:36:59.070 --> 00:37:02.630 is what has helped me researching researching 00:37:02.630 --> 00:37:07.230 um how other people have um accomplish certain 00:37:07.230 --> 00:37:10.869 things yeah how they have gotten over some hurdles 00:37:10.869 --> 00:37:14.909 in their businesses all of that it helped me 00:37:14.909 --> 00:37:18.929 to do better in the areas i was struggling in 00:37:18.929 --> 00:37:24.190 or where i wanted to reach yeah so you can definitely 00:37:24.190 --> 00:37:27.369 learn from others and um in order to elevate 00:37:27.369 --> 00:37:32.269 yourself awesome So if we start to look into 00:37:32.269 --> 00:37:35.349 the crystal ball of the future, are there any 00:37:35.349 --> 00:37:39.050 future plans that you could share with us? The 00:37:39.050 --> 00:37:43.869 thing is, I have... Oh, this is something. Clara 00:37:43.869 --> 00:37:46.670 Reyes, she's head of the cultural department. 00:37:46.789 --> 00:37:49.789 I would also say a cultural icon. Cultural icon. 00:37:49.889 --> 00:37:55.449 She is, trust me. I was speaking to her in... 00:37:55.449 --> 00:38:02.900 By the key word, I said also. Yes, also. We were 00:38:02.900 --> 00:38:09.599 at the same Christmas party December 2024. And 00:38:09.599 --> 00:38:13.800 I started to tell her different things that I 00:38:13.800 --> 00:38:20.400 want to do in 2025. And she said, stop. Because 00:38:20.400 --> 00:38:25.760 she had either read somewhere or listened to 00:38:25.760 --> 00:38:29.739 some type of... survey or something that they 00:38:29.739 --> 00:38:36.159 did of when you say, prematurely say something 00:38:36.159 --> 00:38:40.860 that you're working on, it does something to 00:38:40.860 --> 00:38:47.500 your momentum. Yeah. So there's kind of two things. 00:38:48.099 --> 00:38:52.219 You know something about it? Yeah. That's why 00:38:52.219 --> 00:38:56.130 I also ask the question very carefully. So I 00:38:56.130 --> 00:38:58.989 didn't ask it bluntly like, okay, what are the 00:38:58.989 --> 00:39:01.489 future plans? I'm like, is there any future plans 00:39:01.489 --> 00:39:05.170 that you might be willing to share? Because I 00:39:05.170 --> 00:39:08.429 have a lot of future plans, but I'm not willing 00:39:08.429 --> 00:39:11.210 to share all of them. But ideas are the most 00:39:11.210 --> 00:39:14.510 fragile in their infant stage, just like the 00:39:14.510 --> 00:39:18.610 infancy of a baby. And so they're also the most 00:39:18.610 --> 00:39:23.670 prone and more susceptible to negative energy. 00:39:24.139 --> 00:39:26.500 and a negative energy that can essentially kill 00:39:26.500 --> 00:39:32.139 those ideas. So when it's just an idea and it 00:39:32.139 --> 00:39:35.199 doesn't have enough meat and fat around it, it 00:39:35.199 --> 00:39:40.940 would also be best not to share it. But if it's 00:39:40.940 --> 00:39:42.739 something that, let's say, has been in the works 00:39:42.739 --> 00:39:45.400 for the past two years and it's basically close 00:39:45.400 --> 00:39:50.460 to completion, it's coming out. Like you're planning 00:39:50.460 --> 00:39:53.780 to launch it in the spring or in the summer or 00:39:53.780 --> 00:39:56.940 whatever. That's something different. So that's 00:39:56.940 --> 00:39:58.820 something that you could kind of like tease and 00:39:58.820 --> 00:40:02.500 refer to. But if it's just purely ideas in their 00:40:02.500 --> 00:40:05.400 infancy stage, yeah, I would recommend not to 00:40:05.400 --> 00:40:08.619 share those. Okay. So I have two major projects 00:40:08.619 --> 00:40:12.019 that I'm working on that I cannot yet speak on. 00:40:13.000 --> 00:40:18.789 But they are definitely... How should I say? 00:40:20.550 --> 00:40:25.750 You know when something happens and then you 00:40:25.750 --> 00:40:28.769 have a trickle effect? Yeah. It's definitely 00:40:28.769 --> 00:40:38.769 a product or a... How should I say? A fruit of 00:40:38.769 --> 00:40:43.789 what started to transpire in the year 2023. Okay. 00:40:44.329 --> 00:40:50.050 Right? the evolution of the brand where it's 00:40:50.050 --> 00:40:54.969 now going into men's right and um which i didn't 00:40:54.969 --> 00:40:57.909 think it would yeah but also going into interior 00:40:57.909 --> 00:41:02.969 so yeah because i think i'm not sure if it was 00:41:02.969 --> 00:41:05.469 on camera or off camera but you did mention like 00:41:05.469 --> 00:41:09.280 with the with the murals that the murals uh you've 00:41:09.280 --> 00:41:11.940 also done murals in homes as well right homes 00:41:11.940 --> 00:41:16.079 salons condos and it's nothing that i thought 00:41:16.079 --> 00:41:19.199 i would be doing but i love to do it yeah right 00:41:19.199 --> 00:41:24.019 even um um not this week but um either early 00:41:24.019 --> 00:41:28.429 last week of the month or first week of February, 00:41:28.469 --> 00:41:31.250 I'll be doing a mural by the Seaview Hotel. Oh, 00:41:31.309 --> 00:41:35.070 wow. So it has really turned out to be a new 00:41:35.070 --> 00:41:39.530 revenue stream for me, you know? And I think 00:41:39.530 --> 00:41:42.809 for the next phase of Jolie du Zon or the next 00:41:42.809 --> 00:41:48.389 10 years, I want to somewhat establish different 00:41:48.389 --> 00:41:52.840 revenue streams. Yeah. that connect to the brand, 00:41:53.019 --> 00:41:57.420 that have longevity, that will be there where 00:41:57.420 --> 00:42:01.940 my kids are able to benefit from it generationally. 00:42:02.500 --> 00:42:06.019 So that is somewhat what I am trying to do because 00:42:06.019 --> 00:42:09.380 I also don't know how long I have on earth, but 00:42:09.380 --> 00:42:12.519 I have breath now. I have health now. I have 00:42:12.519 --> 00:42:16.099 the tenacity, the energy, the inspiration now. 00:42:16.260 --> 00:42:19.599 So I'm doing what I can do now. that will benefit 00:42:19.599 --> 00:42:25.380 them later. Yeah. Awesome. Amazing. Well, Miss 00:42:25.380 --> 00:42:32.159 Zilla, Jolie, Duzon, Hazel. I got all of them 00:42:32.159 --> 00:42:36.639 correct. Thank you very, very much for taking 00:42:36.639 --> 00:42:39.719 the time out and having this wonderful conversation 00:42:39.719 --> 00:42:43.179 with us today. And it's been a long time in the 00:42:43.179 --> 00:42:46.840 making. I hope the listeners at home had a very 00:42:46.840 --> 00:42:49.980 amazing time listening to this inspirational 00:42:49.980 --> 00:42:54.619 story. And I would say some of the key takeaways 00:42:54.619 --> 00:43:00.639 is having a positive mindset. And not allowing 00:43:00.639 --> 00:43:05.380 outside noise to deter you from your path. Exactly. 00:43:05.380 --> 00:43:08.239 And edit your circle, folks. Edit your circle. 00:43:08.519 --> 00:43:11.760 For sure. Only subtract the negative and keep 00:43:11.760 --> 00:43:14.539 the positives. Because only with the pluses, 00:43:14.539 --> 00:43:18.099 you're going to go up to 10. Exactly. And thank 00:43:18.099 --> 00:43:22.159 you so much for having me. I realize that I love 00:43:22.159 --> 00:43:24.780 to have these conversations as well. As much 00:43:24.780 --> 00:43:27.420 as I like to be in the background, I realize 00:43:27.420 --> 00:43:33.139 sharing my story, as small as I may think it 00:43:33.139 --> 00:43:36.719 is, it is having an impact. And the last years, 00:43:36.900 --> 00:43:40.880 I have been invited to schools to tell my story. 00:43:41.710 --> 00:43:44.230 And so many teachers are bringing students to 00:43:44.230 --> 00:43:47.730 me for me to inspire them because they want to 00:43:47.730 --> 00:43:52.309 go into fashion. And I feel I have a duty to 00:43:52.309 --> 00:43:56.190 really be successful at this fashion thing to 00:43:56.190 --> 00:43:58.530 show the next generation that it is possible. 00:43:58.690 --> 00:44:02.630 But internationally, not only here in our little 00:44:02.630 --> 00:44:06.909 pool right here on the island, but no, you can 00:44:06.909 --> 00:44:09.989 go beyond our borders to make something of yourself. 00:44:11.309 --> 00:44:14.769 Because when we were growing up, even us having 00:44:14.769 --> 00:44:19.469 those dreams, we didn't have the examples that 00:44:19.469 --> 00:44:22.070 came from where we came from specifically that 00:44:22.070 --> 00:44:24.210 we could look up to and see that, no, it is possible. 00:44:24.670 --> 00:44:29.869 Yeah. So, yeah. Amazing. Well, keep that positivity 00:44:29.869 --> 00:44:32.829 flowing. Thank you. I will. And we're going to 00:44:32.829 --> 00:44:36.789 keep observing and watching the journey and supporting 00:44:36.789 --> 00:44:40.489 in any way we can. Thank you. So, yeah, after 00:44:40.489 --> 00:44:42.730 this, you might have to let me see some exclusive 00:44:42.730 --> 00:44:46.070 pieces or something that I can be a nice husband 00:44:46.070 --> 00:44:50.130 and bring a gift back home. For wifey. Exactly. 00:44:50.949 --> 00:44:54.610 Thanks again. And, yeah, let's go enjoy some 00:44:54.610 --> 00:45:01.579 of this view, man. Oh, yes. awesome so guys thank 00:45:01.579 --> 00:45:05.920 you for tuning in like subscribe follow you know 00:45:05.920 --> 00:45:09.079 the drill thanks again and i'll see you in the 00:45:09.079 --> 00:45:10.039 next one bless