THE GOLDEN LAUNCH

A golden evening it was.

As I sit here writing this, I am filled with so much gratitude reminiscing this golden night. Everything completely surpassed any expectation I had, and I am incredibly blessed by how it all came together.

In my third year of running Chic Made Consciously, it feels like a big stepping stone to be introducing our new line, The Golden Collection. On August 1st, 2018, in the gorgeous Cambria gallery, room filled with 60 people all in white, I felt confidence run through my veins and for my vision with this venture. The people who came to show their support seriously inspired me to keep moving forward.

 Photos by Ana Bernardes

 In my presentation, I had mentioned that some days being an entrepreneur is challenging as f****, and come with a lot of ups and downs. There have honestly been times lately where I have felt doubt in moving forward. But this night helped to reframe my perspective of everything. 

A huge thanks to Marcos Mendoza, The Startup Boutique, for inviting the crowd to acknowledge me for what I have created! Photos by Aaron Fisher

The Golden Collection is really something special. It embodies a story of transformation from hate to love, connection and empowerment. That evening, I openly shared why this collection is so dear to my heart and why I chose to work with this community in Cambodia.

Photo by Aaron Fisher

As the founder of Chic Made Consciously, I believe in offering products that continue to align with our business values of social and environmental responsibility. As I learn more and more about the fashion industry's impact on our planet, it has become very clear to me that there can be so much done through repurposing materials, instead of creating new. So, this collection gives back to our planet by transforming brass that was once unexploded landmines, bullet casings, and bombshells. These pieces are given a new life to help the Cambodian people eliminate remnants of war from their tragic history.

Through our most recent partnership with Craftworks Cambodia, we are able to offer a sustainable income to Cambodian workers in Phnom Penh. Earlier this year, I traveled to Cambodia myself, to visit the community in person and it gave me real insight on how many rural Cambodian workers do not have many opportunities or access to proper income. There are over 600 fashion brands operating in Cambodia alone, with the average worker making only $153 US dollars per month (Fashion Revolution, 2018). Furthermore, my passion for working with this country is to remove tragic reminders of war and encourage a message of solidarity.

Photo by Ana Bernardes

It is my absolute pleasure to be working with this artisan community, and I am thoroughly honored to be sharing these historical and meaningful pieces to individuals in this part of the world!

At The Golden Launch, I showed a video of Chenla, the artisan who I met and who created our entire collection: 

The night honestly felt magical to share Chenla’s story. What is even more special is that through his words, you can be part of what I experienced and be part of our mission.

Overall, I was so happy with how the launch turned out. I felt it really embodied the essence of my passion for meaningful and consciously made fashion. It was so special to be able to give the attendees who came the opportunity to be part of this mission as well.

Photos by Ana Bernardes

The Golden Team: (From left to right) myself, Cassandra, my mom Connie, Elvira, Andreza, Sahar, Luiza, Ida, Elanna, Ana, Gail, Aaron & Patrick

Thank you to the incredible GOLDEN TEAM who helped put it all together. I realized how the ease of hosting an event comes with a solid crew of people who are assisting to co-create the evening based on your vision. A shoutout to Gail & Aaron for being by my side to guide and support all preparation. Thanks to my girl, Ida Hallidri, for manning The Golden booth and Patrick Win for curating the most perfect mood with his spectacular tunes all night long. My sincerest gratitude to the entire team for making the night such a HUGE success and making it so incredibly flawless. 

Photos by Ana Bernardes

Thank you to our sponsors: Bio Raw, Wholly Veggie, Live Kombucha, and Sudsatorium! And lastly, many thanks to Cambria Canada for hosting our launch at their gorgeous gallery and fitting the vibe of the event so perfectly.

Photo by Ana Bernardes

Did you attend the night? If so, what did you think? I hope you left #feelingGOLDEN.

If you didn't attend, check out the collection and let me know what you think!

-Cassandra Ciarallo 

Photos by Ana Bernardes