Following a gallery opening I detailed here recently, I once again accompanied my mother to an event at The College of New Jersey. The student activities board sponsored a free talk and Q&A with Anya Ayoung-Chee, Project Runway season nine winner.

Fashion-forward students gathered in the campus’ Mildred and Ernest E. Mayo Concert Hall to hear the designer discuss her road to success. Ayoung-Chee spoke about her background growing up in Trinidad. A self-proclaimed nerd, she always had a passion for fashion and art during her days attending Catholic school. Born to an affluent family, her father expected her to become a doctor. However, she had other plans. Ayoung-Chee studied graphic design before trying her luck as a model. On a whim, she entered a pageant. She won, eventually leading her to become Miss Trinidad and Tobago. Through it all, she kept returning to her love of fashion and design. After designing some garments for her pageants, she created a small collection for a fashion show in Trinidad. She was apprehensive to try out for Project Runway, but after some encouragement from friends and family, she submitted her application just in the nick of time. The rest is history.

I was interested to hear her success story and admired her positivity during her ups and downs. Ayoung-Chee has big plans for the future, designing a resort-wear collection and working with various charities. She concluded her lecture with her favorite quote, “Risk being yourself fully.” These are words I believe we could all appreciate.

— Katie Skrzek, advertising and editorial coordinator, eFlyer USA editor