Fashion has evolved over decades and is still evolving to this day. To me, fashion is not only about putting on a crazy outfit that no one has seen, but also about telling a story.

I found my passion for fashion design during my freshman year when I made my first pair of Japanese selvedge denim jeans. I experienced that feeling of success when creating something from scratch with my own hands and ideas. This realization of being able to design from scratch wasn‘t just fun; it sparked my desire to keep creating. At that point, I had many more ideas pouring through my mind that needed to come out.

When I got my first sewing machine, it felt as if I had the brain of Einstein, with ideas flowing in faster than I could sketch them out. When I bought my first roll of fabric, I was nervous but excited. I soon began to experiment with the fabric, learn how to use patterns, and imagine how each stitch I made could bring my imagination to life. I made mistakes along the way, but they never stopped me from continuing to push forward and using those mistakes for new creations. Every time I finished a piece, I felt proud-not because of the looks, but because of the effort I put into creating an idea and showing who I was becoming as a designer.

One of my biggest inspirations actually came from something very unexpected: seeing homeless people and how they are able to put together an outfit from whatever they can find. It wasn’t about pity; it was about creating something.

They mixed textures, layers, and colors in ways that demonstrated real resourcefulness. Fashion isn‘t about expensive materials or brand names; it’s about how you create your own image and express it. This got me thinking about how fashion can express individuality, even without expensive materials. This realization pushed me to design with purpose and meaning, not just style.

Sometimes, I also enjoy learning about the history of fashion-from how people dressed in different eras to how trends repeat themselves. Each time period tells a story through clothing, reflecting what people valued and how they lived. Fashion history shows how trends don‘t just appear out of nowhere; they evolve, repeat, and transform alongside society over generations. Learning about history helps me shape my own ideas about what fashion can be in the future.

Fashion design, to me, is more than trends or luxury; it’s about creativity, expression, and innovation. It‘s about finding beauty and meaning in every piece of clothing and fabric. Ever since I sat down at the sewing machine for the first time, I knew that fashion isn’t just something I say, “It‘s my passion,” but something I want to dedicate my life to. Through fashion, I’m able to show who I am, who I am becoming, and who I want to be.

<Kelly Kim 발렌시아 고교 11학년>