Hi! I'm Ayaa Pa Okan.
I was born in Uganda and moved to Maine when I was 12. My dream has always been to design clothes. Even at an early age, I made dresses for my sisters when we lived in Uganda.
My family decided to move to the United States so that the children could get a better education.
When I came to the U. S. I didn't know how to speak English. I started learning while attending middle school. In high school I took a course in fashion. I used to sew clothes with just a needle and thread when I lived in Uganda. This was my first time ever using a sewing machine. I adapted quickly and enjoyed the process of improving. Our class had a fashion show where I got to model my own clothes. This experience stuck with me.
I graduated from high school and worked for a couple of years.
My family pressured me to attend college. I thought about what I really wanted to do for a career. I ended up going to school for fashion design in Philadelphia. It was a great experience but I soon realized that it wasn't for me. I learn best by doing.
I decided that I would have a fashion show.
I called a few halls inquiring about their rates and availability. I quickly found one that was in my price range. My show was set for August 26th from 4pm-8pm! I spent the next couple weeks splitting my time between my job as a cashier and making the clothes for the show.
The time flew by fast and before I knew it, it was the day before the show.
I had at least three more clothes to make! It was around 4am that I finished them! I was exhausted, but excited and nervous at the same time. I slept for two hours and then got up to prepare for the show. I put all my clothes together and started cooking food for the show. My sisters helped later in the morning. We cooked fried chicken and bbq chicken, sambusa, and African donuts. I had to make three trips to bring everyone there. It was five o'clock and the people that said they would show up didn't. Six of the people that promised to model in my show didn't come! I was supposed to have 15 models in total. I decided that I wouldn't let that stop me from having a great show!
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