Sonia and I were introduced to each other at a preparatory session held for speakers of the Fair Fashion, Women and Creativity event. Our topics for the event were similar, focusing on the practical importance of caring for daily clothes, DIY sewing and zerowaste, and as such, we connected really well. We have a common passion to shift from the current concept of fashion which is fast with no real personal touch or customized style.
We soon found ourselves sharing our professional stories and I was very intrigued to hear about Sonia's career switch from a world of medicine to full time couture! I knew I had hit a story that had to be shared, as many of us are afraid to make that jump into a space of unknowns and uncertainties even though our hearts yearn for this.
Read on to discover how Sonia allowed her love of working with her hands to lead her to creating customized outfits for individuals with sizes and needs not readily met in mainstream fashion.
Once a hobby, now my work!
I once worked as a physiatrist (a medical doctor specialized in physical medicine and rehabilitation) and today, I am a full time tailor and dressmaker. After 10 years of working as physiatrist, I decided to make a change because I felt my initial profession was unfulfilling and not well suited to me.
As a child, I loved drawing, craft and needlework. I learned to sew from a young age and also loved making clothes. It, however, never occurred to me that this was something that could be done as a profession. After middle school, I found it hard to choose my studies. I visited numerous open days, from Spanish language and culture to physics and from pharmaceutical sciences to industrial design. The idea of industrial designs appealed to me, yet somehow, I enrolled for medical studies.
My studies were not a problem, however, working as a doctor was never easy. As a young doctor I always felt unsure. Later on, there were several changes in the medical system: more rules and regulations and less autonomy which caused frustration and a real sense of dissatisfaction.
Furthermore, my daily work meant I spent a considerable amount of time speaking to people and got to do little to nothing with my hands. I found that I missed working with my hands and decided to take up sewing again.
To improve my sewing, I enrolled in a course at the Rotterdamse Snijschool. I completely stopped working as a doctor so as to focus on my sewing lessons.