Today we’d like to introduce you to Laina Rauma.
Hi Laina, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’m from Vancouver, Canada from a large family. Started dancing (ballet, jazz, hip hop) really young and soon became obsessed with dressing up and costumes. My grandma & mom always made us clothes for church, holidays, etc so I was always around sewing and the idea of making our own clothes. Around 7-8 years old my grandma taught me how to sew Barbie clothes. I would play around and reconstruct vintage/second-hand clothes for years because I was obsessed with being unique or wearing something nobody had especially being in a small city (Vancouver, Canada) I started a small business with my friend Angie re-working vintage pieces we’d find and eventually started cutting & sewing my own pieces which people seemed to like and want to buy. We did this for a while having little events & shopping parties & local fashion shows and then my ex-boyfriend died of a sudden illness and it just hit me like life is way too short what am I waiting for. So I moved to LA with $3k and sewed in my aunt’s garage every day, and then within six months of me being here, I got a dress on the red carpet (Eva Marcille for BET) and from there, I kinda started to believe in myself like okay we can probably do this. But when I first moved here I had no plan hahaha. Like I knew, or my higher self knew. But I also had no idea how it was gonna happen.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Absolutely not and I don’t think anything in life is a smooth road. It’s not supposed to be. As far as starting your own business – in another country at that – no way. haha. Nobody knows what it takes mentally unless you’re in the same boat, meaning being an entrepreneur. The mental stamina is really everything. Nobody is gonna tell you to get up every day and do it except for you. Also, I think I had a lot of healing to do from my childhood as most all of us do, and for a while I thought I could “success” myself to happiness. That was a cold hard realization. When I reached a certain point in success where I thought I would feel I had “made it” and felt even more empty. So I’d say I think the biggest struggle has all been around in my perspective and mental space. Learning how to be happy without being necessarily satisfied because if you’re ambitious enough you’ll never be satisfied!!!
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Just that I am incredibly passionate and that I wouldn’t rather be doing anything else on earth. Sure, I have other ambitions goals and thing I want to offer the world and am starting some of them now, but I’ve literally cried thinking about not being able to do what I do. I just live, sleep and breathe it. What I’m currently focused on is my last collection of the year and I’m really excited to show everyone! It’s something I’ve been wanting to do for a few years now so I feel really good about it. It’s something I personally want and need in my wardrobe so I’m hoping others feel the same.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
Necessary. I am a risk taker but I’d say a calculated risk taker with a huge spiritual aspect. Moving to LA was a huge risk. Emptying my bank account multiple times over to put out a collection I wasn’t sure would sell is a big risk. I’ve come to realize it’s all risky though. Living is risky. Even the 9-5 can decide to fire you tomorrow – we all have a different idea of security. I think I have a really strong connection with my higher self – I follow what lights me up even if I’m terrified because honestly, I’d rather not be living if I’m not going to do what my heart is screaming for. I trust myself and what I want to do/what I don’t want to do and it’s really just one step at a time as corny as that sounds. It’s all risky but I believe if you follow what lights you up and just take a step in that direction like even one little baby step the next one will be shown to you. And the next and the next.
Contact Info:
- Website: LainaRauma.com
- Instagram: Instagram.com/lainarauma
- Facebook: Facebook.com/lainarauma
- Twitter: Twitter.com/lainarauma
Image Credits:
Chris Paul Thompson and Pavielle Garcia
