I made it into the Fashion Institute of Technology in NYC by acing the entrance exam's Design portion: Design a Shirtwaist Dress.
I sketched an evening gown by tapping into my second nature - my "Diaspora Self". I based the design on the ethnic Crimean Tatar women’s formal dress. After all, isn't fashion the art of dressing up in costumes. That day I came to realize that I had been shaped by my "diaspora" state of mind.
