Our Story. Our Vision.

Hey everybody. Hope you all are doing well. Wow, it has been a while since I've blogged. I've been a busy bee! It's been full of work, planning, and of course fun ever since I got back to California. The pace is definitely different from state to state. It's so calm in Minnesota!

Well I promised I was going to tell you about my story and my vision of how this fashion show came about... so here goes!

A very close friend of mine went on a missions trip to Vietnam more than 5 years ago and he came back with tons of stories and testimonies. At the time, I didn't know much about Human Trafficking, what it was, or that it even existed. He shared many great stories, but the one that really broke my heart was the one about a little girl. He saw it with his very own eyes; a man, walking down the alley way holding the little girl's hand. Mid-way down the alley, he stopped in front of the other man, gave the little girls hand to him, and took what it looked to be money. He had sold the little girl to the other man.... my heart sank, and I couldn't believe what I was hearing...

From then on, I felt a burden in my heart for young girls who were forced to take their innocence away from them... but at the time, I felt there was nothing I could do because I felt like I was a nobody who didn't have a voice or who wouldn't be able to make a difference even if I tried.


As the years passed, my big sis shared her dream to me one day... The things she was passionate about, and the goals she wanted to set for herself. My sis is a very humbling soul and the first thing she said was that she wanted to be able to help others through her passion and love for the art and fashion industry. I asked her how that was possible and she began to share with me the different experiences she had at work as a makeup artist. As a makeup artist, she was able to see the self-consciousness and the self-esteem these women had. She said the greatest joy was to see these women start to see how beautiful they really were when she was done with their makeup. She began to explain that it wasn't the makeup, but that they looked beautiful because they are already beautiful... the other stuff just helped enhance it and bring it out. It touched my heart hearing these stories and in my heart, I wanted to do the same thing... I wanted to help these girls who felt helpless and hopeless...

The name Embrace and be Driven came from that story. I've started my blog about 7-8 years ago.. but it's more of a personal blog and about my little arts and crafts here and there... after I heard both their stories... I knew I wanted to change the image of the blog... My sister and I wanted a blog that will inspire people through the arts, creativity, music, and fashion. We wanted people to see the world in a different way... the beauty in everything that surrounds us, but especially the beauty in oneself.

"Embrace and be driven..." God has created you to be beautiful in your own unique way... so embrace it. Embrace the tiny things in life... life is too short not to enjoy it... And to embrace both the good/bad things in life... you'll always learn something from it. These are the things that should drive and inspire you...

Anyways, back to the fashion show! After hearing my sister's dream... I knew there was something I could do to make a difference, especially with the things I'm passionate about. I wanted people to be aware that modern day slavery still exists. This was such a great opportunity to show awareness for those who are suffering and those who are hurting. I wanted to do a fashion show to reflect beauty and hope... I've had this vision for about 5 years now and its finally going to happen this year! The vision eventually grew to have all the arts and creativity involved... from music, design, art, fashion, and dance. And now, we're in the middle of planning this event; Embrace: 2011 Fashion/Art Show.

Embrace Fashion Show Mission Statement:

Embrace: Our mission is to provide a platform for local talents to showcase their unique artwork, designs, and music that will transpose and translate into a forum in purpose of inspiration and encouragement. We believe every man-made creation has a purpose, as we would like to reflect love, confidence, and beauty through others. In addition to our efforts support our love for fashion and art, this event also provides opportunities to increase public awareness and education towards human trafficking movement, as much of the proceeds of our event will be donated to these organizations.

Embrace 2011 Fashion Show
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Urgency Recreation Center
174 Nortech Parkway
San Jose, CA 95143

Check back in July for more info and ticket sales and come back to hear my sister Athena's story.

Love,
Dora D.