Publisher's Note

PHOTO BY TATIYANA SEMENOVA

A few names come to mind when I think of people who’ve inspired me. Pamela Massel, my high school clothing and textiles teacher, is one of them. At the time, becoming a fashion designer was my ambition. Pamela guided and supported me by encouraging my participation in a fashion design contest where I ended up as one of the top four winners. It was during this experience that I met Deidre Hackman.

Over the years, this extraordinary woman has continued to be a source of inspiration for our community and our city. In this issue, we proudly showcase Deidre in our fashion feature.

Steven Spielberg once said, “The delicate balance of mentoring someone is not creating them in your own image, but giving them the opportunity to create themselves.” This describes Deidre Hackman; a mentor who advocates for growth by encouraging people to play with ideas and challenge themselves.

I hope you have someone in your life like her; someone who gives you the room and encouragement to create yourself.

If inspiration comes from this issue, in any form, then we have done our job!

Happy reading,

– Elsa