You have no idea how excited I am that you're here. I've been dying to share what we've been working on for the past few years. Vintage has always been a constant in my life. As soon as I moved into Manhattan when I was in College, it was like an exercise on how creative I could get with my outfits and my self expression. Vintage became my best friend, an ally to my truth and a tool for me to say what was on my mind without ever having to open my mouth. I would spend my days roaming the East Village, Lower East Side and Hell's Kitchen, speaking to vintage shop owners, asking all the questions, learning about the eras, listening to all the stories that the garments had. It was my favorite thing to do.
Time went on and I began wardrobe styling for print and advertising. Whenever I was in a crunch and was having a clothing shortage, I resorted to vintage & thrift. Little by little, my work has a vintage twang to it that was all my own & I loved it. I loved how I could update a modern look with an older piece. I loved how I could mix designer pieces with basement thrift or mint condition vintage and how it all came together perfectly. It became this magical tool that allowed me to share who I truly was without having to think about it.
For quite a few years, I left behind my work in fashion and was devoted to and focused on my personal journey towards higher truth and spirituality. I was looking for an understanding and connectivity to myself that I didn't have yet. After all of the healing work, women's circles, seminars, workshops, "gurus", I found myself continually resorting to the sacred practices of my ancestors and returning back to myself. The burning of sacred herbs for release, healing and ritual. The intention setting with help of nature's elements like fire, water and air. With a hell a lot of inner work and the help of indigenous practice that has been used for centuries for ceremony, I was creating a foundation for myself that was drenched in self love, self respect and honor of those that came before me.
My inner artist was calling me and knew that it was time to create something, an offering for all folks that are looking for the tools that can aid in the connection to oneself, maybe in the same way that vintage and sacred practice had helped forged that connection for me. It just so happened that I was taking a trip down to Florida to visit my mom. As I was getting off the plane, my intuition instructed me to go to this antique mall nearby my Mom's house. I picked up my rental at the airport, threw my bags in the trunk and that antique mall was first place I went. As soon as I got there I ran into this incredible booth from a woman named Mara. Mara had been collecting for decades. All of her dresses spoke to me, all the colors danced with me, all the silhouettes engulfed me. After whirling around her pieces, I found out that Mara was closing up her business. A week later, I was back in New York with over one hundred pieces of exquisite vintage from Mara's collection. The universe opened and I knew this was the start of Mothball Memoirs. A space to share the stories of incredible women through vintage and spirituality.
This platform will forever be a safe space for all women to stay connected to their truth and creativity - in whatever way that may be, whether it's through the community here or out in the world making the best life for yourself. I will continue to share the stories of the women that inspire me and share the tools that life's shown me that have helped ground me in love and elevated me in my own expression. I don't know what will be next, but I am so pumped up to enjoy the ride. I hope we can connect and share space sometime soon. In the meantime, drop me a
note if you wanna! Sending you all the love and blessings on your path.
Love,
Lala
