Today we’d like to introduce you to Susan Siman.
Susan, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My love for fashion started at a very early age. My dad was a tailor and I grew up involved in the development of garments with him. Unfortunately, he passed away when I was eight years old and I was left with the desire to learn more about creating beautiful dresses, for that reason I decided to go for a fashion designer degree.
I grew up in Guatemala City and graduated there in 2006, and moved to Houston TX at age 24. It took a long time to find my way in the fashion field after moving to Houston. Everything was new and I didn’t know anyone in the field.
In 2015, I decided to start a fashion blog for petite women (www.sugopetite.blog) and discover a whole new world of supporting and uplifting women chasing their dreams. That inspired me and it was a huge find because I started to figure out ways to get my fashion career going in a good direction. I’m now working in the development of a sustainable line of clothes for petite women coming this fall at www.sugopetite.com.
Has it been a smooth road?
For me, the road has been extra challenging to find my way as a fashion designer for several reasons, I didn’t grow up here, therefore, I didn’t have any connections on where to start. The language was a barrier at the beginning, I started to speak English until I moved to Houston at age 24. Blogging was a huge help with the language because it forced me to improved my writing and communication skills.
Being away from my family has been the most challenging. I travel back and forth to Guatemala but is never the same when your family isn’t around all the time. If you look at the negative side of things, I’ve celebrated my achievements alone since I lived in Houston. However, none of that stops me to continue to grow. Fortunately, I have a fire inside me that lights me up every day to keep working and learning.
I can proudly say that I’m fully bilingual (Spanish/English) and that my dream will come true in the fall of 2019 when I launch the first sustainable Sugopetite signature piece. We are already working in the production of this garment with a sustainable fabric created from recycled post-consumer drinking bottles.
My advice for women who are just starting is to never stop trying, keep looking for an answer, keep searching but never stop. We all have different dreams and aspirations but what you want for you, only you can make it happen. There is one question you need to answer yourself and that’s “why”, why you want to do what you want. Answer that question and keep the answer in a visible place that will remind you every day your why. That answer will give you purpose and the desire to find your way every day.
Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
I’m a fashion designer and I specialized in designing sustainable clothes for petite women, I’ve always been known for offering fashion and styling advice to the petite community through Sugopetite.blog and for creating my own designs and also for talking about sustainability in the fashion industry.
What I’m most proud of Sugopetite as a brand is that we decided to make a difference in the world and in the fashion industry by producing garments with sustainable fabrics. We don’t want to be just another fashion brand in the market, we want to make a difference in the world by using post-consumer recycled materials and fully sustainable fabrics that have been made from natural resources like Hemp, Bamboo Tress, and Organic Cotton and processed free of pesticides, insecticides, herbicides, genetically modified organisms (GMO) and harmful chemicals. This is not only good for the environment but is also good for the farmers and workers working on the field and is also good for our future costumers.
What really sets us apart from others is the responsibility to bring a great product to the female petite market and at the same time contributing to the conservation of our planet, which we believe is our second home.
What advice would you give to someone at the start of her career?
The most important piece of advice I can give to a young woman just starting is to take care of their health.
As humans, we tend to forget about our health especially when our mind is so occupied in pursuing a career, but you won’t be able to pursue anything without health. If you are healthy, you will be able to fight for your dreams, you will be able to create the life and the career of your dreams. Being healthy will allow you to stay motivated, to feel happy and to make smarter decisions.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.sugopetite.com
- Email: sugopetite@gmail.com
- Instagram: @sugopetite
- Twitter: @sugopetite
Image Credit:
Edgar Alvidrez
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