FAUN’s last runway collection was called The Collectors, as an ode to the human experience and a reflection of my 28 years on this earth. Every person is a collector - of things, thoughts, and experiences. This collection pairs simple, modern silhouettes with wild tropical patterns that I designed when travelling in Vietnam, the country where my late mother was born. Memories of fruit picnics on the beach inspired a fun twist to the more understated pieces in the collection, which still feature natural elements like wooden buttons and fruit embroidery.

I started to think about how the things that I collect from my personal life (shells, clothing/jewelry, birthday cards) can paint a picture of the things I’ve done and places I’ve been over the years. These collections lend to a better understanding of who I am as an individual. This sentiment is also true when looking at my lanyard/name tag collection. Looking through the plethora of them hanging in my bedroom, I’ve come to appreciate the long journey that has led to FAUN.

Surprisingly, the first lanyard in my collection has nothing to do with the fashion industry. Instead, it’s from my time being a delegate at a Model UN conference in 2009. I’ve held onto this because Model UN was one of the most formative activities I did in high school. Beyond improving my public speaking skills, it also helped me recognize my interest in sustainable development and human rights.

Fast forward 6 years and an undergraduate degree in Political Science and Economic Policy. I spent the month following graduation bouncing around from different corporate roles, finding little passion and at a loss for a way to help international developing economies. Finally, I went to study fashion design at the London School of the Arts in 2016 and was ready to start my company. My lanyard from ColombiaModa is one of my prized possessions; not only because it was the first tradeshow I attended, but also because it marks that transitory period where I knew my career was beginning.

Next up, we have my backstage pass from Western Canada Fashion Week - my first runway show as a designer! When helping the models get ready backstage and I remember feeling like I was doing what I was meant to do all along. The energy reminded me of dance recitals, that nervous excitement of anticipation and the elation of relief when everything was successfully complete.

From there we have tags from our first Vancouver Fashion Week (which I still refer to as the best day of my life). Little did I know when I did this show it would be the first of many with the Global Fashion Collective team.

We have tags from Los Angeles, Paris (x2!), and New York Fashion Weeks. Each one brings me back to that moment. While material possessions have never been as important to me as lived experiences, the memories that laminated name cards represent are priceless.

During our first Paris trip in 2018 we had the opportunity to visit two tradeshows: Tranoi and Paris sur Mode aka Premier Class. This is where we found our passion for networking… and open bars.

Our fun times in Paris prepared us for our first tradeshows as vendors, Knowshow in Vancouver and MAGIC/Project Women’s in Las Vegas. At Knowshow, we met Misty, who is now our sales representative. We had another serendipitous moment in Vegas when the buyers for Calgary’s Purr Boutique. When creating Faun, our target stockist was Purr, so we were beyond thrilled when they placed their first wholesale order.

Do collect anything? What do these pieces represent to you? How do they make you feel? Let us know in the comments below!