Collection: the Maganda collection

Maganda' (pronounced ma-gahn-DAH) is a word in my mother's first language Tagalog. She is from the Philippines, and emigrated here from the islands by herself back in the 80's as a nurse on a work visa. My mother is small in stature but gigantic in heart and warmth. Though she did not teach myself or my siblings her native language, as a woman in my 30s I've started to reach for the culture that's part of me but was never really part of my childhood. 🇵🇭
.
.
'Maganda' very roughly translated means 'beautiful', but in my mother's words, it's deeper than just pretty. It means beautiful inside and out. It means beautiful in character, it can refer to how one speaks and acts, and it can refer to a positive and kind attitude.
.
.
This collection is an ode to all the ways we see beauty in ourselves and in those that surround us. To me, beauty is kindness, understanding, generosity. To me, beauty is a process, a sometimes painful journey to face things within ourselves that impede us from being our best versions. We all have our own definitions and our own struggles but in the end, we are all just doing our best and even though there is always room to grow, WE ARE ALWAYS ENOUGH. 🌱