This month of November was full of progress for my first collection.

There were moments of doubt and questioning, but also some bright, heart-warming moments when I realised I’m truly bringing my childhood dream to life. Being an entrepreneur is exactly that: falling, getting back up, losing confidence sometimes… and finding it again, often even stronger.

It was a month where everything happened all at once, both personally and professionally. Here, I’m letting you slip behind the scenes of my life and my brand like a little mouse, and see everything that unfolded in November. ❤️

For two weeks, I worked every day waitressing at a château during piano and photography workshops. And every evening, once I got home, I tried to make as much progress as possible on my 1st collection’s technical pack.

I also started a new remote contract with them for organising weddings. All of this work allows me to self-fund my brand, because I reinvest everything I can from my income into it.

As soon as my work at the château ended, I headed to Saumur with my intern Clara to visit my first manufacturer.

It was quite a surreal moment: seeing my ideas evolve from sketches to prototypes, and now begin to come to life through the production phase.

The head seamstresses gave me incredibly positive feedback and were impressed by my sketches, my prototypes, and my highly detailed technical pack. I had been stressed, wanting everything to be perfect, so it was such a huge relief to see how impressed they were by all the work I had done. 👗

I loved their attention to detail and how instantly they understood my intention, my universe, my vision… They gave me valuable advice to refine my prototypes even further and create pieces that will truly flatter women.

Since my intern Clara and I don’t live in the same city, creating content together can sometimes be difficult. So we took advantage of our time in Saumur to shoot a large amount of content for my brand.

We mainly filmed and photographed “style” content, along with positive messages to encourage everyone to dare to pursue their dreams, believe in themselves, and trust themselves.

On a personal level, November was a whirlwind of beautiful emotions: moving into a new apartment in Castres with my boyfriend, a trip to Ireland for my grandmother’s 90th birthday, and then my own birthday celebrated in Paris with my best friends.

It’s such a joy to start creating our little love-filled home together, and to spend proper quality time with some of the people who matter most to me.

I had the chance to attend “Welcome on Board,” a full day of conferences dedicated to the international development of French brands. It was truly enriching, with talks from directors of major fashion houses, international buyers, lawyers, and various fashion experts.

The conference that touched me the most was the one by Michaël Azoulay, founder of the clothing brand American Vintage. A simple, self-taught, and visionary man who built a strong brand by staying true to himself. He reminded us to nurture that spark of youth, creative craziness and, above all… to trust ourselves. A true breath of inspiration. 💫

While trying to order my fabric rolls for my first collection, I realised that the denim I had in mind from the very beginning, the one used for my jumpsuit prototype, was out of stock…

When you choose to work with deadstock fabrics, it means the material will never be produced again once the stock is gone. It’s the beauty of the concept, but it also meant I suddenly found myself without denim for my collection…

After the initial stress, I took action right away: searching online for different denims and booking an appointment in Paris with a supplier… and good news, I think I may have found a new denim that could be even more suitable than the first one!

Situations like this are part of the journey: you learn, you adjust, you bounce back. Yes, I could have ordered all my fabrics earlier, but just like in life, every mistake or negative moment is an opportunity to learn, to grow, and to get to know ourselves, and our craft, even better.

I finally managed to finalise my technical packs, structure my collection plan, and contact ateliers in Portugal and France, and I’m thinking of reaching out to some in Italy and Spain as well.

I loved visiting my first atelier, but since this is my very first collection, I want to meet several manufacturers to compare their methods, pricing, feedback, and find the perfect partner. I’m truly excited for what’s coming next.

This full month ended with a gala for the association “Espoir Cancer,” where my sister is currently doing her work–study program. I had the honour of being featured in their calendar dedicated to people who dare to believe in their dreams, a beautiful nod to the dream I’ve had since I was three years old: creating my fashion brand.

At the event, I signed 70 calendars with the phrase: “Dare to be yourself and create!”
I also presented my project on stage in front of 120 people (I was pretty intimidated, I must admit!) and my sister and I were gifted lovely bouquets of flowers. 💐

This association provides free and essential support to people affected by cancer to help improve their quality of life: emotional support, legal guidance, creative workshops, socio-aesthetics, and more.

It was truly an honor to support such a beautiful cause, and even more so alongside my sister, who is doing remarkable work there.

I’m sharing the link here if you’d like to support them or become a member.

I hope you’re all doing well in this winter season. ❄️

If this newsletter uplifts you or brings you even the slightest spark of inspiration to believe more in yourself… then I’m deeply touched.

Wishing you a beautiful week.

And don’t forget: follow your dreams and be an icon.

Jamila Wilson 💋