MY STORY

Hi everyone,

My name is Lilia June Shibuya.

Let me start off my blog by telling you a little about myself since that is how every blogger starts off –

I was born and raised in a place where everyone calls “paradise” – Honolulu, Hawaii. The reason why I put quotation marks on the word “paradise” will be important so I want you to remember that while you read this entry. But enjoy these pictures of my home for just a moment 🙂

I am Japanese, German, and Irish, and also fluent in speaking Japanese. I moved to Tokyo, Japan at the age of 14 due to dealing with depression and being diagnosed with bipolar disorder. I lived with my grandparents for 2 years attending International School in Meguro. I moved back to Hawaii at the age of 16, which was actually the most devastating thing for me because I’ve become so attached to the city life and my amazing friends that I made there. Once I moved back I was extremely depressed and was crying every night, skyping my friends in Tokyo wanting to move back. My mother was so tired of hearing me scream and shout at her that one day she snapped at me and said “If you want to go back so badly, go find a job and buy yourself a plane ticket there”. Which immediately opened my eyes to positivity and made me get off of my crying ass to look for a job. Soon I found my first job – a retail job. I worked twice a week while attending school full time and after a few months of saving up I bought my first plane ticket with my own money to go see my friends in Tokyo during winter break.

Long story short, Living in Tokyo made me mature a lot faster for my age during that time and motivated me to work and make money. While working retail, I realized I liked fashion a lot. I figured out my career field and that was fashion. The only problem was that I lived in Hawai’i. Why was that a problem you ask? Unlike places such as New York, Los Angeles, or Tokyo.. Hawai’i isn’t really a place where fashion is focused or appreciated. If you wear unordinary clothes that other people aren’t wearing to school -people will judge you. Everyone mostly shopped at Urban Outfitters, Brandy melville, Hollister for shorts, and wore slippers. The fashion in Hawai’i was crop top, shorts, sandals, and a bikini under because you never know if your friends want to hit the beach after school. Oh, and I’m not saying thats bad or anything, but thats just the way Hawai’i is because its such a small island and theres really nothing to do.

If you don’t see it by now, growing up in Hawai’i was pretty miserable for me. I realized I did not like the lifestyle and the pace of Hawai’i after living in Tokyo. I realized I live for the city life and I wanted more excitement in my everyday life. Hawaii is known to be paradise for many people, and people always ask me “Why would you ever move away from Hawaii?! I’d die to live in paradise!” I believe that paradise is different for everyone. To me, paradise is where you can comfortably express yourself. Where you can feel free and explore yourself mentally and physically. To me Hawaii was not paradise, because I could not do that. I was and will always be truly grateful to have beautiful beaches and nature surrounded growing up, but I always imagined how my life would’ve been like growing up in the city where fashion was appreciated.

After graduating high school, I booked my first trip ever with my friend Jennifer to Los Angeles, California to attend a Music Festival called Camp Flog Gnaw. It was my first time ever going to the mainland (Thats what islanders call the states) and I was honestly so culture shocked. The billboards, the traffic, (People honk so much in LA its ridiculous) the diversity in food.. you name it. I went to art museums, went to Melrose shopping district, swung by couple thrift stores and had such an amazing trip.

I cried a lot on my flight back to Hawaii. Which wasn’t surprising to anyone at all, because everything I ever wanted was in LA. The fashion, the city life, the new environment to start fresh.. everything was there for me. After about 6 days from being back in Hawaii, I made the most spontaneous and biggest decision in my life. I called my friend Jen that night, and told her that I booked a one way ticket to Los Angeles and that I am moving in 2 months. She was shocked, everyone was shocked but out of everyone I was shocked the most. I worked 2 jobs back to back for 2 months trying to save as much money as I can. Some days I worked 14 hour shifts and I got a day off every 3 weeks. I gave myself a budget of only $20 each week so I barely went out and ate the same food almost everyday – Rice, Soy sauce, and natto. On my days off I would run errands, hit the gym and barely had time for friends. Which I can say I do regret now, because I should’ve enjoyed Hawaii a bit more before I left.. But that was the sacrifice I took to be successful in LA. A lot of people I know that moved to California from Hawaii for college or work came back to Hawaii because they didn’t succeed. I had too much pride for that to happen to me, nor did I ever want to come back and accept defeat. I realized there was nothing for me in Hawaii, and in order for me to chase my dream in fashion I had to get out of Hawaii ASAP.

Honestly, I realized shortly after I moved to LA that I was under estimating almost everything. There were so many bumps in the road that I was so close to just giving up. But my mother, the queen of tough love, told me over the phone while I was crying to her: “Hawaii is not your home and don’t come back until you have your name out there.” And thats when I thought to myself – After all these years of climbing through huge obstacles in my life there is no way I can’t overcome this one. Then after 3 months of searching for a home I found one and I was back on track. Found a new job as a store manager for a street wear brand on Melrose at the age of 19 years old. Met so many people, made great friends and learned about LA, fashion, and discovered more about myself and what I truly wanted to do.

Fast forward to today – Its been a year. A year and a month. I finally found the time to create a blog for myself, and to share with you my knowledge of fashion coming from an island girl that absolutely had no idea of the fashion scene in Los Angeles.

This blog is mainly for me to express my opinions, create content to see how much I’ve learned, and to teach/inspire you that want to learn about fashion but don’t know where to start.

The great thing about all of this is that I still don’t know where to start. I’m still learning. But hey, why not learn and teach each other? Thats exactly what the world needs right now, the connection of one another. The bond.

I apologize for my first entry to be this long, but I wanted you to know who I am and my story, and if you want to bloom with me in this crazy fashion world, follow me and my journey.

Now I want to learn about you, where are you from and what kind of fashion are you into?

Comment below! 🙂