In June, the talented fashion designer Jeanette Limas, gave for second time a motivational speech on the power of passion and ambition to fourth year high school students at the Hogar del Niño School, in La Romana.
Honored by Kimberly Clark as “Talento Joven de la Moda” (young fashion talent) in 2009, Jeanette Limas studied fashion design at the Altos de Chavón School of Art and Design, and now thanks to her determination and hard work she has successfully positioned herseld in the fashion industry. She has presented her designs at Dominican fashion week “Dominicana Moda” and is currently the Head Design Assistant for Donna Karan At Urban Zenin in New York City, where she now lives.
There is no doubt that achieve her success has not been easy, which is she choose to share her experiences at the Hogar del Niño to held the students recognize opportunities in order to achieve their dreams.
Now let’s here from Jeannette:
“From my birth in La Romana to my current status as Head Design Assistant for Donna Karan at Urban Zen in New York, many experiences have shaped my thinking – I’ve learned to appreciate aspects, conditions, and people who are and have been essential to the development of my thoughts.
I thank God to have parents that supported my hopes and helped me realize my dreams, my father, who had more confidence in me than I did, fed and sustained my dreams before I even arrived to New York.
Jeanette with babies from Hogar del Niño Daycare
My fashion show in Dominicana Moda 2010 –which was held to benefit the PBO (the umbrella organization for the Hogar del Niño)– was the starting point of a friendship and a relationship with them. They [PBO] have become my second family, advising me and supporting me in the realization of my dream to move to New York. I feel indescribable feelings, they have been an incredible support and I know that they are the support of many children who constantly struggle to also achieve their dreams. “
On arrival to New York, I entered in a Continuing Education program at the Parsons School for Design, where I was introduced to the Head Design of Donna Karan at Urban Zen, where I immediately started to work as an intern and with time, work and dedication, I became the Head Design Assistant
I’m currently working on a collection for Resorts, which goes under my personal name, which I aspire to carry to the Dominican Republic. Also is my collection Spring / Summer “Una de Tantas” (see right some initial sketches), which is a very important collection for me. With this collection I imagined myself as a customer, because I understood that I needed to overcome my own fears and insecurities before trying to help others through my collections. Some of the fabrics I’m using for this collection are: Jersey (95% Linen and 5% Elastic), Stretch Linen, Silk Cotton, worn Denim.
The most profound piece of advice I share and remember is ‘when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it’. This theory really works, and is something I regularly tell people like me –who also dream that they can get what they want. That is why for me it has been an amazing experience to share with the students from Hogar del Niño School.
Every time I have had the opportunity to talk with these aspiration youngsters, I let them know that they must not stop dreaming, but also that to realise those dreams they will need sacrifice and perseverance, they have to study, because the professional world is competitive, demanding and each day demands more capacity and readiness to carry out any project, regardless of the area – design, marketing management and so on – we need to know and control what we do.
The Hogar del Niño is a children’s daycare and educational center for over 1500 children, located in La Romana town, just outside of Casa de Campo. Children from as young as just a few weeks old up to 18 years old are cared for and educated daily, from as early as 5:30am and staying as late as 7pm.
The organization also provides special schooling to over 75 hearing impaired and blind children, as well as a vocational school where over 235 students receive classes in different areas like: sewing; industrial preparation, installation and electrical maintenance; plumbing and management of computer office programs.
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