All right, so we're about to interview Zilla
Jolie Duzon. Well, Jolie Duzon is the name of
the brand, but also her last name, Hazel. And
I just got a call, so she should be close by.
Oh, there's a knock. Hello. Hi, hi. Come in,
come in. How are you? I'm fine. How are you?
Doing good. Long time no see. It's true. True,
true. We've been trying to make this happen for
quite some time now. Yes, and finally. But look
at the, of course it was going to be colorful.
So we actually got a little bit of matching with
the pink. The pink, the blue. I'm doing the colorful
for the first time. And the blue. Right. Awesome,
awesome. And it wasn't planned? No, no. It wasn't
planned. So we are in alignment. In alignment.
Awesome. So we're here at. Simpson Bay Resort
and Marina, I think is the name. Is the name,
yeah. And we were first looking to do some shots
out here. But I think we're probably going to
do a setup where it's a little bit more quiet,
a little bit less wind. Yeah. So we have a bit
more control on the audio. But I mean, the folks
at home, because this will be coming out in wintertime.
Aww. So for those at home that are looking forward
to an amazing vacation, I mean, look at this
option. Hey, beautiful. Beautiful. St. Martin
with the cultural icon of 2025. Sunside Kingdom
show people welcome welcome welcome welcome to
the Sunside Kingdom show the place where we highlight
wonderful individuals hailing from the Dutch
Caribbean islands including Suriname Individuals
that have achieved immense things in their life
have gone through challenges that some of us
haven't faced before. And definitely individuals
that can teach us how to overcome those challenges
and make your life the best possible life that
you can live. Welcome. Today we have with us
an amazing lady, someone I've known for quite
some time. If I say how long, then we might be
giving away the age. And if they don't ask the
ladies the age, but over two decades. Going back
to high school days, Miss Zilla Jolie Duzon.
Welcome. Thank you. Thank you for having me.
So Zilla Jolie Duzon is a... Oh, Hazel. Oh, sorry,
husband. I'm forgetting the dash here. When they
do that to me, I always wonder like, hey, you're
forgetting the husband's last name. Very important.
So big up to the Hazel family. A talented fashion
designer, surface pattern artist, and muralist
from St. Martin. As the founder of Jolie Duzon,
her vibrant hand painting designs celebrate the
island's beauty and culture. Her work has been
showcased internationally, including at New York's
Fashion Week, and she was recently named the
St. Martin Hospitality and Trade Association's
Cultural Icon for 2025. We're excited to hear
her story and her creative journey. Welcome,
Zilla. Thank you. Thank you for having me. Sorry
for the interruption, but please like, comment,
and subscribe. It helps the channel out so much.
so we can get this content out to more people
that definitely need inspiration motivation and
that mindset shift to elevate them to the best
versions of themselves thank you so how are you
feeling Feeling good, feeling good. I mean, this
has been a long overdue interview. A long overdue,
indeed, indeed. Or conversation. We've been trying
to make this happen in Holland, been trying to
make it happen over here. But, well, as they
say, right, everything happens for a reason.
Yes. And everything is on God's timing. Exactly.
And being named the cultural icon of 2025 of
St. Martin, then what better place? to do the
interview but instant martin with an amazing
view that we have over here to showcase the beauty
of the island exactly with with the colorful
uh beautiful designs and i'm not really a guy
that wears colorful stuff but i had to represent
for today and the thing is we're in the spirit
because we both have a little pink in there It
worked out with no conversation. Honestly, that's
the alignment. Yeah. Because I was in town yesterday
and I was like, you know what? I think I want
one of those colorful island shirts. Not even
specifically thinking that I was going to wear
it for the interview, but something in me said
to do that. Yeah. And no, I was looking for like
a more bluish pattern, but they didn't have the
one that I liked in my size. Okay. And then I
tried this on. And I normally don't wear anything
pink. But this just felt like it was the one.
It's a nice shirt. And then today, boom. I popped
in some pink, some blue. We're in alignment.
We are. We are. Nice. Welcome. As you said, everything
in timing. Exactly. It's aligned. It's the right
time. Exactly. So it's been wonderful to see
your journey from afar and sometimes close. We've
known each other for quite some time. But I didn't
know that you were so deep into the fashion world
back then when we knew each other from, let's
say, the music days. But can you tell us what
life has been like, let's say, in the last two,
three years? Okay. The last two, three years
have been phenomenal. Phenomenal. Phenomenal.
Because it literally... The last three years,
I have seen the hard work that I have put in
for the previous seven years, ten years. Finally,
I'm seeing the fruits and, yeah, the fruits and
the, how should I say? Not just the fruits, but
the manifestation. I'm seeing the manifestation
of all of my hard work. now coming to fruition
and now seeing where it finds its place. And
from 2023, my brand turned 10 years. I was like,
Zilla, you're going to do something big this
year. I want to do either a regional fashion
show or an international fashion show. We have
to take a pause. What's that? American Airlines.
Is it carrying Jolie Duzon back to New York?
It should be. It should be. Can persons on the
island actually pick up the item somewhere? Yes.
So I have currently right now one location is
stocked, but I have three locations that sell
my handmade bags. And hopefully this year I can.
add in more pieces because right now the brand
is somewhat on a transitional how should I say
transitional journey because I can't refer to
the previous but as we were talking about earlier
Jolie Duzan started out as a women's clothing
brand Now men want pieces from the brand. Yeah.
Which I thought these things are so colorful
from since 2023 when I launched at. New York
Fashion Week. So that was also one of the highlights,
2023. Oh yeah, I had to go back and give the
story. How did New York Fashion Week happen?
We jumping all over the place. You don't mind?
Because the sun is coming down. Should I put
on mine too? Yeah, let's do that. Let's get fully
in the island vibe. Island vibe. Island modus.
Looking fresh. So, yeah, so 2023, last three
years. We're in 2025 now. The brand turned 10
years. And I said to myself, I want to do either
a regional or international fashion show. 2016,
I went to the BVI and attended the Summer Sizzle
fashion show. For the 10th anniversary of my
brand in 2023, I want to do a regional or international
fashion show. I emailed the organizer of Summer
Sizzle in the BVI. I told him my brand is making
10 years. I want to do a collection to launch
and celebrate that. And of course he was like,
come on board. Um, I needed to raise funding
to be able to go. So I was able to do that. Um,
with that, I did like, um, I made these oversized
tote bags with my logo on it and the women could
purchase it. And that helped me to raise the
money to go. I also had a few, um, small businesses
that sponsored and, um, I was able to do that.
The pictures from that show were amazing. Doing
that show in the BVI, the designers that showcase
are regional, local, and international. So international
designers like Koto. Koto? What's her name? Koto.
What's her last name? I'll get the name for you.
And then we can pin it. And then we'll pin it
there. But I loved her. She was an African designer,
but she won Project Runway in the US. Oh, wow.
Koto Mumulu or something like that. And she was
showcasing at that same show that I showcased
in the BVI. So that show was so amazing. And
she herself and other... Amazing designers who
have been in the industry for years were wowed
by my collection. And I'm just like this newcomer
on the block. You know, like for me, I'm a newcomer
because they have been doing it for years. They
have been doing it professionally and they are
wowed by what I am doing. So that gave me also
a boost and a self -confidence of, no, Zilla,
you are doing. I am a fashion designer. I am
doing it. And I mean, but you've also been doing
it for years. Yes. It's just that you've been
doing it from. Let's say the small island context
and not having, let's say, the industry here
to get the validation from the industry. Exactly.
But you have been doing it for years. Exactly.
It's not that you showed up today and started
doing this stuff. Exactly. So from there, doing
that show, when I came back to St. Martin, so
that was in July 2023. I did the show. I was
excited about it. I was able to do it. It was
a mini photo shoot with a photographer from there
and just amazing pictures, amazing island. Came
back and I saw that New York Fashion Week was
going to be happening in September. Yeah. And
Fashion Bomb Daily is like a fashion. It's like
a fashion page that really showcases. Black designers
and designers from the Caribbean region and so
on. Really putting a highlight on those type
of designers. And they were looking for designers
for their show. Yeah. So I was like, I want to
do this show. Now this is, I came back beginning
of August. Yeah. And this show was happening
on the 9th of September. Oh, wow. So I had four
weeks that the money had to be paid. Yeah. People
don't know this about me, but as much as you
sometimes see me out there, I'm out there because
of my work. And I mostly like my work to speak
for myself more than me be on a stage talking
or in front of the camera speaking. So I was
just like, Zilla, if you want to do this. you
gotta step out in faith so i posted a video letting
people know that i have the opportunity to be
a part of this fashion show but i need to raise
ten thousand dollars to be able to do it yeah
listen the community came through wow they came
through um i made a um how should i say a campaign
where if you donated a hundred dollars you i
would gift you um one of Either a bikini or a
swimsuit or swimming pants with one of my prints.
Oh, nice. Because I'm known for my prints. So
you kind of did a sort of crowdfunding. Yeah.
Right? In my own way. Yeah. And I was able to
raise the money, pay for the entire trip. I think
like the last week, the tourism office came on
board to sponsor the rest that I needed to cover
the entire trip. So the community really came
through and supported me to be able to have that
opportunity. And I think. A lot of people say
that St. Martin people are not for each other.
It is not that. That is not the truth. Okay?
There may be instances that people may show that
they're not for you or they're not backing you.
But if you're doing something positive and it's
promoting the island and the island will have
a good name by the person doing whatever they're
doing, they will back you. And I have experienced
that. firsthand yeah you know so i was able to
raise the money i went to new york of course
i'm frightened and scared i'm stepping out of
my comfort zone me this um so what was it your
first time in new york or no so i've been to
new york um to shop for my fabrics yeah um but
never Yeah, in the industry at a fashion show.
So that was just an amazing experience. I went
with my girl, Leah. She's a good friend of mine.
And she helped me in the BVI. And then I was
like, Leah. I was actually. I was doing a workshop
here in July when she said that she was going
to the BVI with you guys. And, yeah, in that
moment, too, I also felt proud. Like, all right,
Zilla is really doing her thing. It's stepping
up, stepping up, stepping up. Amazing to see.
Listen, I can't tell you. That year was just
so amazing. Just everything I said in the beginning
of the year. Okay, this is my 10 -year anniversary.
I'm going to be unstoppable. I'm going to get
everything that I want to achieve. I'm going
to achieve it. I'm going to go after it hard.
And exactly what I said is exactly what happened.
So so before when we were actually when the cameras
were off, we were talking about journaling. So
you mentioned about journaling. Right. And how
has journaling then played a role in in manifesting
these dreams for you? So at a very young age.
There was this verse in the Bible that says about
writing your vision, making it clear. Right.
And that just stuck with me. So I was a reader
when I was younger. So I'm very eloquent in writing.
writing poems, writing songs. And I would always
write about my life, what I'm experiencing, what
I want to do, what I want to achieve. And I think
I have about from teenage years to now, maybe
about 10. books oh wow that i have just written
and sometimes in each of those books i have written
the same thing over and over again like what
i want to be what i want to achieve where i want
to live what just different things like that
and i would actually encourage anybody to do
that because it works if you write it down if
you make the vision clear if you um put work
and action effort after the things that you want,
you're going to achieve it eventually. Yeah.
And that eventually part is maybe the most important
part for persons to really lock into because
it's not going to happen when you write it. Right?
And sometimes you might write it a hundred times
before it happens. But having the faith that
one day it will happen is what allows it to happen.
And when it does happen, usually you'll look
back in reflection and be like, wow, it had to
happen this way. Exactly. It had to take this
much time for it to happen in this way because
this was the best way for it to happen. Exactly.
Truly believe that. And just even this past week,
I was reflecting, looking back at illustration
work that I did in class at the Amsterdam Fashion
Institute and looking at how I was drawing, how
I draw now, the designs I was drawing, then how
it looked when I applied for the school and how
they looked while I was in school and how they
look now. And I was like, look at how I had a
dream. Look at what. i have accomplished since
then and i was just like thank you god thank
you thank you because yeah it's it's because
of you that i have this creativity this talent
um because of you so um yeah the creativity the
talent thank you yeah oh I guess that's... Yes,
exactly. Remember, he's in everything. He's in
everything. So he shine a light on you like boom.
Amazing. So let's tap back maybe a bit into early
childhood. So you were born on St. Martin? Born
and raised on this beautiful island of St. Martin
that I love so much. Yeah, my parents, I was
raised by two parents, William and Prisca Duzan.
They were caterers. So that knack for business
and wanting to do business and wanting to own
my business, that started from home. Started
from home. I saw how every July and every December,
my dad would close up shop. take the family on
a vacation and he was able to do that because
he had the freedom to do it because he was his
own he owned his own business yeah so having
knowing and seeing and experiencing that um i
wanted the same for myself yeah and also realizing
that um when i go to work for people um I saw
how much I helped their business to grow. Yeah.
And how much of an asset I was. So I was like,
so why don't I put that into myself? Yeah. Why
don't I put it all in here, you know? Because
then I don't have to deal with all of the extra.
Yeah. laws regulations blah blah blah limited
time for vacation and oh i have an event that
i want to do abroad or i can't do it because
i don't have extra vacation days no yeah so yeah
so that so that and also i'm the it's five of
us uh two girls two boys but now Well, three
girls, two boys, now two girls, two boys, because
my sister passed away a few years ago. And even
that, I realized when my sister passed away and
how much potential and ideas and so on that she
had. She wanted to own her own bakery and all
of these things. And people used to see me and
they still see me. going after my dreams and
goals and not being sad. They didn't see me be
sad because I thought to myself, Lord, you are
showing me that our time here on earth is limited,
right? We need to stop saying, yeah, I'm going
to do it one day. No, do it now. You have the
idea now. Yeah, you have the ideas now. Everything
that you need at your fingertips, do it now.
What is stopping you? We think that we have all
of this time, but we are, I heard it the other
day, we are on borrowed time. Borrowed time.
Because we don't decide when we are going to
go. So my sister actually passing away motivated
me to manifest the ideas that were coming to
me, just manifest them immediately. work at it
immediately it's a reason why you're getting
it so that that kind of became the the part of
the catalyst that you started to speed things
up yeah and and really give it a harder push
exactly because like in in 2016 um 2016 17 i
think we we we saw each other we met a few times
um I remember my wife buying a couple pieces
and really loving the designs. But definitely
the growth since then, I could see that there
was like an exponential curve moving up. So you
actually took that pain and turned it into...
That's what I did. Yeah. That's what I did. That's
beautiful. Let me see. What else from my younger...
Yeah, so how did the fashion designer in you,
where was that born? Because before I knew you
as a fashion designer, I knew you as a very good
vocalist. Yeah. So one of my other talents. Other
talents. Those creative people, eh? They're just
full of all of these gifts. So, yes. So as a
little girl, actually, let me start. It's in
my family. Fashion design is also in the family.
Yes. Okay. So not in the way that I'm doing it,
but my mother's mother, she owned her own sewing
shop in St. Lucia. She actually had my mom and
her sister and brother. Yeah. And she left them
with her grandmother to go and study to be a
seamstress in England. Oh, wow. So and then after
a few years, she moved back to St. Lucia, started
her own sewing shop with her sister. So it's
in my family that we love fashion. We love creating
clothes and stuff like that. And then I found
out in my older years that my grandfather, he
used to own a upholstery store. So he fixed furniture.
Yeah. So he sewed. Yeah. He made furniture covers
and stuff like that. So I'm like, this is in
my bloodline. Yeah, it's in the blood. So my
love and appreciation for it. It was already
there. It's in the DNA. Exactly. So around five
or so, I was used to seeing magazines, these
beautiful sparkly dresses or on TV. And then
I asked my parents, who makes those beautiful
clothes that those ladies have on? And then I
think my mom said a fashion designer. So from
the age of five, I have been telling everybody,
what do you want to be when you grow up? A fashion
designer, right? I would tell you I was not really
sewing or anything like that, but I used to draw
ladies, draw dresses just up until maybe like
2000. 2000. I had not made anything yet. It was
really just my drawings. Me thinking, oh, yes,
I want to one day make a dress like this and
stuff. And then it's only afterwards I started
to have pieces made from my illustrations that
I created. Amazing. So if you look over your
career. As a fashion designer specifically, who
would you say were some of the key role models
and mentors that you had that helped you along
the way? So I had this, I'll tell you who my
inspirations were qua fashion designers that
are well known. But I'll also tell you local
ladies that I saw. Growing up. And I said to
myself, when I grow older, I want to be like
them and have my own business. So this is like
Loretta. They had a lady named Loretta. They
had a little. Boutique on Front Street. Maliona's.
Maliona's. I remember Maliona's. Bianchi's. So
all three of these ladies used to have these
trendy little boutiques. Also Rachel, the hair
technician. She does hair. She owned her own
business or she used to do hair. And everybody
used to go by her because she used to cut hair
so beautifully. So these are some of the women
I used to look up to and be like, I love that
they have their own business. you know, doing
their own thing. And then internationally. Oh,
then also my grandmother. I was like, my grandmother
is a seamstress. She used to make our uniform
skirts. She used to make this cute uniform. So
you guys didn't used to buy those. Not all the
time. So she would just make a set and we would
buy a set. My parents would buy a set for us.
So my sisters and I, we always had pieces that
my grandmother would send that she made for us.
And just how they were made were so exquisite,
so beautifully, like you got it out of a store.
I would consider myself also somewhat of a researcher.
Anything that I want to know about, learn or
whatever, I would go and I would research. I
would find books about it, read up on it. So
what I did initially when I was studying fashion,
people that I loved or brands that I loved was
I love Ralph Lauren. I loved Diane von Frostenberg.
Diane von Frostenberg. I don't think I know who
that is. And I loved the brand Pucci. Pucci.
Yeah. So I loved... Wait, wait. Pucci is the
one that Biggie used to wear? Biggie. Oh, no.
That was Coogee. Probably. Probably. Yeah. Okay.
Yeah, because Pucci is an Italian brand. Oh,
okay. So for me, they were the first brand to
use these bright, colorful prints. And it was
accepted. Because if you see most brands, they
really back then it really was like solid colors
or just two colors. But they are really a brand
known for these prints, colorful, bright prints.
And Ralph Lauren, I loved how luxurious and.
how beautifully and elegant his design was. And
then Diane for Frustenberg was also someone who
came out then with these wrap dresses in all
of her prints, prints that she created and stuff.
So I was like, okay, I love this because even
in school, I like art was always the highest
hundreds I used to get in art school. In school,
I got hundreds in art. Like my art was always
something I was passionate about and very good
at. And I used to paint a lot of bright, colorful
paintings. I always said I want to use my artwork
in my fashion design because I found it to be
unique. Yeah. It's different. Yeah. And I don't
know if you know Ife Badajo. Of course. Ife is
actually. Our very first podcast episode. Wow.
Wow. So Ife and I, we always talked about business
and so on. And very early on when I started out,
she said, Zilla, your prints is your brand. So
I didn't fully understand it then because to
me, I was just using my artwork. In my collections.
But that has become the identity of my brand.
People would see my prints. See my art. And be
like that's Jolie Duzan. One time. And now I
see how. A lot of people are saying. That my
prints. They look African. But then that would
be. That it's inside of us. Because of course
our people were taken from there. Brought to
the islands. So it's. my prints looking like
african prints but more in a caribbean bright
colorful colors it's it's it's in the dna it's
exactly in me so yeah awesome amazing because
what what um those different role models inspiration
mentors uh if you could if you could kind of
tap into what what they really meant for you
in the essence were there moments where tapping
into what they had to offer really took you out
of a place of self -doubt for instance For instance,
the story of Ralph Lauren really did because
he never went to school for fashion. He learned
everything that he knows from his grandmother.
Seeing his grandmother sew and being there, helping
her. So there was a parallel there as well. Yeah.
So I was like, how can somebody who had no connection
with fashion become so iconic? And so and is
doing so well with his brand. And that was really
inspirational for me. And I was like, it doesn't
matter where I come from. I am able to create
a brand and a meaningful brand and an impactful
brand. And I just went for it. Awesome. So looking
back at a younger version. Actually, probably
the version from when we first met, the 18 -year
-old version. What advice would you give your
18 -year -old self with all the knowledge and
experience that you have today? Okay. The number
one thing I would say to the young Zilla who
was aspiring to be a fashion designer is that
as a younger girl, I saw visions of myself. doing
fashion, talking on a stage. I saw myself and
I was like, this is just dreams. But I would
tell my younger self, no, Zilla, what you are
seeing in your dreams is who you are eventually
going to be. Who you're meant to be. Who you
are meant to be. Yeah. And the things that you
are. passionate about interested in at this young
age is most probably the thing that you might
be doing later on and um being confident and
not caring what people of people's opinions of
you yeah what is most important is the opinion
you have of yourself and how you believe in yourself
to push yourself to be um and do what you um
want to achieve in life your goals your dreams
your aspirations so how how did um how did you
make that transition from not allowing the noise
and the oh helicopter helicopter i think earlier
we mentioned it but This beautiful, wonderful
view comes at a cost. Noise pollution. So I believe
the transition comes in your process. So in your
process of becoming that person that you were
meant to be, your circle or the people that you
have around you does matter. Yeah. Yes, you have
to believe in yourself, but also hearing your
circle encourage you and push you helps you to
believe more in yourself as well. Yeah. Right.
So for me, having the transition of me reaching
there had to do with who I had around me. So
did you begin to edit your circle? Yeah, for
sure. For sure. People who didn't see, people
who doubted what I was telling them I want to
do. I was like, I got to shut down your voice
because I cannot have that type of doubt when
I know deep down inside, this is what I'm meant
to be doing or this is what I can achieve. Because
I'm one of those like, and you know, they say
sometimes you end up marrying someone who. It's
not the opposite, but my husband is a careful
risk taker. I am a risk taker. I don't check
nothing. I just go for it and we're going to
see what happens. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So,
thank God. He's there to keep the balance. Listen,
because I am just like, no. I see myself there.
I'm just going to go. And he's like, babe, but
you didn't check this and that and that and that.
So thank God I have him because he brings some
clarity like, babe, okay, maybe you need to consider
this and that. having the right circle um having
the right voices listening to the right voices
if you don't have it you listen to podcasts or
conversations or interviews of people who are
where you want to be yeah and that that actually
is what has helped me researching researching
um how other people have um accomplish certain
things yeah how they have gotten over some hurdles
in their businesses all of that it helped me
to do better in the areas i was struggling in
or where i wanted to reach yeah so you can definitely
learn from others and um in order to elevate
yourself awesome So if we start to look into
the crystal ball of the future, are there any
future plans that you could share with us? The
thing is, I have... Oh, this is something. Clara
Reyes, she's head of the cultural department.
I would also say a cultural icon. Cultural icon.
She is, trust me. I was speaking to her in...
By the key word, I said also. Yes, also. We were
at the same Christmas party December 2024. And
I started to tell her different things that I
want to do in 2025. And she said, stop. Because
she had either read somewhere or listened to
some type of... survey or something that they
did of when you say, prematurely say something
that you're working on, it does something to
your momentum. Yeah. So there's kind of two things.
You know something about it? Yeah. That's why
I also ask the question very carefully. So I
didn't ask it bluntly like, okay, what are the
future plans? I'm like, is there any future plans
that you might be willing to share? Because I
have a lot of future plans, but I'm not willing
to share all of them. But ideas are the most
fragile in their infant stage, just like the
infancy of a baby. And so they're also the most
prone and more susceptible to negative energy.
and a negative energy that can essentially kill
those ideas. So when it's just an idea and it
doesn't have enough meat and fat around it, it
would also be best not to share it. But if it's
something that, let's say, has been in the works
for the past two years and it's basically close
to completion, it's coming out. Like you're planning
to launch it in the spring or in the summer or
whatever. That's something different. So that's
something that you could kind of like tease and
refer to. But if it's just purely ideas in their
infancy stage, yeah, I would recommend not to
share those. Okay. So I have two major projects
that I'm working on that I cannot yet speak on.
But they are definitely... How should I say?
You know when something happens and then you
have a trickle effect? Yeah. It's definitely
a product or a... How should I say? A fruit of
what started to transpire in the year 2023. Okay.
Right? the evolution of the brand where it's
now going into men's right and um which i didn't
think it would yeah but also going into interior
so yeah because i think i'm not sure if it was
on camera or off camera but you did mention like
with the with the murals that the murals uh you've
also done murals in homes as well right homes
salons condos and it's nothing that i thought
i would be doing but i love to do it yeah right
even um um not this week but um either early
last week of the month or first week of February,
I'll be doing a mural by the Seaview Hotel. Oh,
wow. So it has really turned out to be a new
revenue stream for me, you know? And I think
for the next phase of Jolie du Zon or the next
10 years, I want to somewhat establish different
revenue streams. Yeah. that connect to the brand,
that have longevity, that will be there where
my kids are able to benefit from it generationally.
So that is somewhat what I am trying to do because
I also don't know how long I have on earth, but
I have breath now. I have health now. I have
the tenacity, the energy, the inspiration now.
So I'm doing what I can do now. that will benefit
them later. Yeah. Awesome. Amazing. Well, Miss
Zilla, Jolie, Duzon, Hazel. I got all of them
correct. Thank you very, very much for taking
the time out and having this wonderful conversation
with us today. And it's been a long time in the
making. I hope the listeners at home had a very
amazing time listening to this inspirational
story. And I would say some of the key takeaways
is having a positive mindset. And not allowing
outside noise to deter you from your path. Exactly.
And edit your circle, folks. Edit your circle.
For sure. Only subtract the negative and keep
the positives. Because only with the pluses,
you're going to go up to 10. Exactly. And thank
you so much for having me. I realize that I love
to have these conversations as well. As much
as I like to be in the background, I realize
sharing my story, as small as I may think it
is, it is having an impact. And the last years,
I have been invited to schools to tell my story.
And so many teachers are bringing students to
me for me to inspire them because they want to
go into fashion. And I feel I have a duty to
really be successful at this fashion thing to
show the next generation that it is possible.
But internationally, not only here in our little
pool right here on the island, but no, you can
go beyond our borders to make something of yourself.
Because when we were growing up, even us having
those dreams, we didn't have the examples that
came from where we came from specifically that
we could look up to and see that, no, it is possible.
Yeah. So, yeah. Amazing. Well, keep that positivity
flowing. Thank you. I will. And we're going to
keep observing and watching the journey and supporting
in any way we can. Thank you. So, yeah, after
this, you might have to let me see some exclusive
pieces or something that I can be a nice husband
and bring a gift back home. For wifey. Exactly.
Thanks again. And, yeah, let's go enjoy some
of this view, man. Oh, yes. awesome so guys thank
you for tuning in like subscribe follow you know
the drill thanks again and i'll see you in the
next one bless