It's been a crazy few months between my singing, traveling and indeed, schoolwork. The story of my demo CD continues to work its magic when I got a call from Eva Longoria's PR team to invite me to sing at her gala charity ball in Marbella, Spain. Wow -- I couldn't actually believe it. I mean, Gaby Solis wanting me to sing at her gig -- that was exciting. Before I know where I was, I was on a place heading to Spain and what a night it was. How did that happen? Simply because someone had passed her my CD!
The biggest challenge I had was to remember to call her Eva rather than Gaby and despite her petite frame, she has a magnificent presence and an aura that was magnetic. There I was on this stage during soundcheck when she walked past in an old Hollywood-type look, complete with imposing hat. I was slightly petrified but received the nod of approval -- phew.
On the night, she was anything but uptight. She was warm, down-to-earth, funny and inspiring. Together with her friends Maria Bravo and Alina Peralta, they had raised millions of dollars for global children's charities and you could tell just by listening to them that they never take "no" for an answer. They were energetic and magnetic as they wandered around the gala inciting people to dig deep in their pockets for this wonderful foundation. It really was 21st century girl power in action and right in front of my eyes.
So it got me thinking that positivity and energy is what life is really all about. So when I found this amazing Spanish designer called Moises Nieto online and approached him to wear an outfit for Eva's gala, I had no idea I would end up being his muse at Madrid Fashion Week a few weeks later and yes -- that's exactly what happened. I wore one of his beautiful white jumpsuits to the Eva gig and then I got a call to go to Madrid to be his muse and perform at his after-party in September.
When you attend these fashion events you often hear about the glitz and the glamour but like London Fashion Week, you go away with energy and buzz that is empowering. It's crammed full of young talent, desperate and hungry to make their mark on the world. Each vying for that column inch that will sparks someone's attention. This crowd never takes "no" for answer and I'm hooked I must say.
No sooner am I back in the UK heading to London for the eighth annual Scottish Fashion Awards and I'm feeling this energy again. Quite frankly, I was so bored of hearing people ask "Why are the Scottish Fashion Awards in London?" I was perplexed why this question was even been raised. Yes, we are still part of the UK. Yes the epicenter of British fashion is in London, but most importantly, why not?
Everyone in Scotland knows who the young fashion talent is. They don't need the awareness in their own backyard. They need to shout about it from the rooftops, showcase it to the world -- and they did just that. It was dubbed a "Scottish Fashion Invasion of London" and it was exactly that. Christopher Kane was crowned king with his Scottish Fashion Designer of the Year award and punk queen Pam Hogg was given a Creative Excellence Award. Stella Tennant, the Scottish supermodel and face of Chanel, picked up an award for Karl Lagerfeld for International Designer of the Year for best use of Scottish textiles -- how cool was that? But it was the amazing new generation of talent that caught my eye, especially people like Jennifer Morris, Rebecca Torres and the completely bonkers Jacob Birge. You know my motto by now -- go big or go home and yes, it's fair to say I went big. In fact, the headpiece covered three-quarters of my face! Hey, this is London -- it's about statement fashion not school-run casuals!
Yip, it was a huge success but more so for all the nominees rather than anyone else. From Finlay & Co who makes hand-crafted wooden sunglasses to House of Halos who make statement jewelry exciting enough to make Swarovski nervous and they're all Scottish. Between the bagpipes, haggis and Scottish swagger they came and conquered and why -- because they didn't take "no" for an answer.
So if that's not enough I'm watching the "X Factor" on Saturday night on TV and the legendary Cher was asked for one bit of advice to give the contestants of the night. "There is no such word as 'no,'" stated the pop icon! I jumped off my seat and screamed, "You are so right, lady!" So you see this positive energy is everywhere, even with a Grammy-winning and Oscar-winning persona like Cher. It should be what we teens live and breath by. I know sometimes it can be a struggle, but there is always the way! It's just up to us to find it.
So I will carry on my quest on my journey and continue not to take "no" for an answer as this ride is getting more exciting as the weeks and months go by! As one lady said to me this weekend, "Ahh, but you teenagers get away with having that go-get attitude and confidence." Perhaps she's got a point -- but while we're still young enough to exploit it let's just keep doing it!
