Today we’d like to introduce you to Indiana Moise.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Indiana. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Wow, where do I begin? I remember being a young girl, roughly about 6 or 7 years old, who would take any blank piece of paper I could find and draw women’s design. Eventually, I knew I had to bring my visions to life. In my first attempt, I took my parent’s bedsheets without their consent, found some sewing needles, thread and a pair of scissors to begin sewing my first design by hand. I had a friend, Judy, who I grew up within church that I asked to be my model and try on this pencil skirt and halter top I made. She agreed without hesitation.
When the weekend came around, my older sister and I went to Judy’s house. My sister had no clue what I was carrying in my mini backpack or what I did to those bedsheets but I was on a secret mission. Of course, if my sister knew what I did to those bedsheets, she would have told my mom and that would have been the end of that story. Later on in the afternoon, when my sister and Judy’s older sister left to get some food for us, the time arrived for the moment, I was waiting for. Judy tried on the custom design piece I made and what I thought would be a masterpiece turned out to be an epic fail!. WE LAUGHED SO HARD!!!! Not only was the garment not made properly, but she literally looked like a pig in a blanket. It was that moment that I could never forget. It was that moment that I could have just gave up. What some may have saw as humiliating, I took that as a moment to go farther, above and beyond. That moment is where it all began.
As a young kid, I told myself to never lose sight of what I really love doing and to never sell myself short on my dreams. In the midst of all this, I found myself going to school for criminal justice and life hit me hard. I had to sit back and re-evaluate. I remember saying to myself, “if I became a crime scene investigator, I would retire in 10 years and I would live in regret that I wasted ten years on something I didn’t love doing.“ In the popular 90s movie “House Party 2,” the Dean of Students told Kid that “Time waits for no man”. That quote still resonates with me until now. I didn’t want to waste any more time doing something I was just settling for. What life is there in that?
At the ripe age of 24, I signed myself up for a fashion design program from an accredited vocational school in South Florida – Lindsey Hopkins Technical Education Center (LHTEC). I studied at LHTEC for two years to get all the hands-on training I needed to learn from how to sew from scratch to how to do alteration and so much more. Although I had already started my own fashion company as a fashion stylist – Là Vitá Alché – prior to starting the program, the program helped me with learning to design and sew my own pieces, which gave my business more depth and authenticity. It created a space for me to design pure original pieces that I can call my own and take my business to the next level where I can add fashion designer to my portfolio.
I graduated LHTEC in 2014, all thanks to my wonderful Professor Mrs. Benoit who gave me so much insight and different techniques to use while dominating the fashion designer industry. I was off into the real world with my own business and the mindset to win while building a legacy. Now that is 2020, Là Vitá Alché is still standing, still growing and still reaching for new heights.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Absolutely not! Let’s be honest, the fashion industry is extremely competitive and is not for the weak or faint-heart. If you do not believe in yourself, your vision, and your designs, no one else will. My business failed within the first three years and I had no choice but to shut it down. It hurt my soul that Là Vitá Alché went from being legitimate to just words gone within the wind. However, I do believe when it’s something worth fighting for. You don’t give up that easily.
Theodore Roosevelt stated that “nothing in the world is worth having or worth doing unless if it means effort, pain and difficulty.” I couldn’t give up on my purpose. Why? Because I am a believer in Christ and anything He says or does never comes back void. So therefore, to whom much is given, much is required. And I was required to step up to the plate and tackle my struggles head-on. I had to face the fact that I made some poor decisions and needed to re-assess how to navigate forward. Without failure, what measure is there for success.
Please tell us about Là Vitá Alché.
I am a fashion designer, stylist, consultant and owner of Là Vitá Alché (LVA). LVA is a manufacture company that specializes in women’s custom apparel. I am known for creating unique custom designs that begin in the client’s mind, elevates into a sketch design, and manifests into the actual piece itself. I take pride in the consultation I have with my clients because it is in that moment I take heed to what Hillman Curtis said: “The goal of a designer is to listen, observe, understand, sympathize, empathize synthesize and glean insights that enable him or her to make the invisible visible.”
As a business, I am proud to have watch myself elevate year after year from sales to learning new techniques to better my skills and the change in my client demographics. What sets me apart from other companies is the passion I have for the fashion industry and my craft because for me, this isn’t just a fad or a quick gimmick. This is my life! I am aiming to become a household name, a brand that young girls can look up to and to one day become a mentor to other up and coming designers.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
If time could rewind, I would have done things much differently. I would have listened to myself more and trusted myself more because I allowed fear to cripple me. Fear is what prevents you from moving and pressing forward. However, once I overcame that fear, I became unstoppable. And since time can’t rewind, it’s safe to say that everything was definitely a lesson learned.
Contact Info:
- Email: lavitaalche@gmail.com
- Instagram: @lavitaalche
- Facebook: Là Vitá Alché, Inc
Image Credit:
Company: Goodboy Films
Photographer: Tofu Da Film Director
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