How Bullying turned me into a Fashionista

Aug 29, 2021
3 min read

We all probably experienced some form of bullying or feelings of being a misfit right?

Heck, we have all probably said some hurtful things that have been engraved into people’s minds without us even really knowing the extent of what our words did to others.

Middle school is when I experienced the most hate and when I let it affect me the most.

My daily outfits to school were graphic tee’s, hoodies, my favorite buzz lightyear shirt I got in the kids section at Target, and skinny jeans. I always loved fashion, but it was never something I practiced on myself. I enjoyed being comfy. I never saw an issue with what I wore.

One day, I was in class when a girl came up to me and said, “ _____ said you are poor because you wear the same jeans everyday.”

I immediately wanted to hide. I couldn’t believe she was paying so close attention to what I was wearing. Did other people notice too? In reality, I only owned two pairs of jeans. I wore one one day, and the other the next.

I held back tears and embarrassment.

As soon as my mom picked me up, I began weeping to my mom telling her what the girls were saying. She felt so bad that she took me shopping with $100.

I picked up some new jeans, a floral bubble skirt, a grey bodysuit, and a copy of Elle magazine. (Photo below is the exact bodysuit and floral skirt)

My first issue of Elle Magazine is actually where I created the name for myself, “Emilia Verano”. This was my instagram name for the longest, and became my first official business name. There was an article on a spa in Puerto Vallarta called Verana. I loved it so much especially since my grandma, who was a tailor, was from Puerto Vallarta.

From this magazine, I began diving into fashion. Learning about what was in. How to style clothing. How to do my hair.

Before this, I didn’t know much about fashion. All of a sudden, I dove into a whirlwind of colors, patterns, jewelry, fashion week, runway shows, designers, and more. Daydreaming of fashion and designing someday.

I didn’t know what was acceptable to wear, and I wanted to just fit in. Little did I know, I’d fall in love with fashion and eventually want to stand out.

I couldn’t wait to go shopping again and try styles like the models in the photos, the top celebrities, and hot music artists. My favorites at the time were Demi Lovato, Hayley Williams, Hannah Montana and other scene models. I even began playing with the color of my hair. I tried black, red, browns, and more.

I did develop a bad habit though. I became afraid to wear the same thing twice in fear someone would notice and talk about me again. I became creative in using the same pieces, but styling them in such different ways.

I would draw sketches of outfits I wanted to wear hoping I could find something in store close enough to my imagination. I bought so many magazines and would clip my favorite outfits. I was in love with fashion. And soon, I began making my own clothes. Then, selling and even participating in charity runway shows. It’s crazy how one small rumor became the push in fashion I needed to dare to try styles.

Sometimes, we get hit with hurtful news, rumors, bad news, but God has a funny way of using that pain and turning it into light. Turning your cracks and brokenness into g o l d.

I don’t despise the girls that spoke of me; in fact, I’m grateful. Their perceptions of me pushed me into what I believe was my destiny. They gave me an early start into what I’m growing today.