Over Two Decades in Fashion

As a kid growing up in Andover, Massachusetts I had a dream - an intention - to work in the fashion industry one day. I did it. 27 years in fashion! I'm still amazed how jobs simply "fell" into my lap, no matter where I was living. That doesn’t mean it was easy though! 

After studying fashion at ESMOD Paris in 1991, I moved to Milan where I studied Italian and interned in the Art Department of Harper’s Bazaar Italy. I was soon hired by Italian Vogue as assistant Art Director under visionary Editor Franca Sozzani – a life-changing opportunity. Unexpectedly, five years later, my husband was relocated to Casablanca. Living in Morocco wasn’t going to stop me from moving my career forward. As Art and Fashion Director of Femmes du Maroc, I was recognized for revitalizing the magazine. I didn't know much about intentions back then, but evidently the energy and effort I was putting out into the world was reaping rewards! On our return to Paris in 1998, I used the opportunity to take a crack at another side of fashion. I joined a prominent photography agency producing photo shoots and representing renowned fashion photographers. When my husband announced that his job was returning our family back to Milan, it was a no-brainer that I open the Italian office of our agency there. This is when the stress level of finding a healthy work-life balance became increasingly challenging. Our children were 6 and 9, and I was on the verge of total burnout. Quite by coincidence I discovered Reiki which helped keep me together. Ultimately, I left the agency, acknowledging that the demanding life as an agent was no longer serving me, and I began parallel lives in both fashion and spirituality. While studying Reiki on the weekends, I consulted for brands such as Fashion TV and Neiman Marcus, which I continued to do when we moved back to Paris, and even took part in a French TV show as on-camera talent. In 2011, I launched my Reiki business in between consulting gigs and fashion shows. In 2012 we were relocated to Vancouver, Canada, where I created The Reiki Suite, offering personal coaching and Reiki sessions to clients, while also working as Personal Stylist and Brand Ambassador for Stella McCartney at Nordstrom Vancouver. In 2017, upon our return to Paris, I retired from the world of fashion to dedicate full-time to being a Spiritual Coach, Breathwork Guide and Reiki Master. I founded Breathe in Paris® in 2019.

I will always be a fashionista at heart and am forever grateful for my fashion journey. The life skills culled from flowing with the passions and challenges of expat life, diverse business cultures, and multiple personal and career reinventions are the foundation of my Breathe in Paris® practice. Today, I know that the choice of our intention brings energy into form. But it's a conscious process that demands action. If you aspire to live a life well-lived and attract circumstances that help you grow and find joy, please connect with me. 

Have fun scanning some photo memories of my life in fashion!