



Olivia Heywood
Growing up, I struggled to find the thing I was most passionate about. As a naturally creative person, I found I had some level of success in all of the artistic hobbies I pursued, from performance to physical art forms. I knew I wasn’t hard-wired for a career in math or science, but as far as my talents, I felt more like a jack of all trades, master of none. What I realize now, is that the difference between becoming a “jack” or a “master” of a skill is passion and it comes from staying true to yourself. When I was a child I developed my love of fashion from my mother and it was something that we cultivated together, binge watching recordings of project runway, making clothes for my American Girl doll, and creating my own designs with crayons on a children’s notepad of croquis. By the time I was applying to college I had forgotten about my early love for fashion, but was struck by a sort of blessing. As a 2020 graduate, I don’t have much to thank COVID 19 for, however the lockdown allowed me to dive into my creative interests again, and I realized that this industry is where my passion lies. As children we play pretend, and as we age, we shift into truly pretending. I want to be my true self, and I want others to feel confident to do the same. The ability to create, to inspire, to project my own feelings and experiences in a medium that may connect others, is something that I hope to pursue for the rest of my life. In my designs I strive to combine unexpected things, heavily playing with interesting shapes and structural components. Most importantly, I want my pieces to carry a story, whether it comes from my emotions or another’s, I want my pieces to inspire others to embrace all parts of themselves, even the unpleasant.
