A special thank you to SHOUTOUT ARIZONA Magazine for interviewing Eva Pazola for their April issue, featured in Local Stories.
An excerpt from the article:
Hi Eva, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I love talking about risk because to me, it means: possibility, prospect, overcoming fear, and it also means courage. And definitely, it means passion.
The Dalai Lama says that “Great love and great achievement involve great risk”.
I followed this advice when I left Europe at 20 years of age for love and came to the United States for a new beginning.
I took a major risk two years later when I left a steady day job, created a clothing collection within a week, and started my first fashion business using all my savings. I’m grateful to say that I’m still in business after 30 years.
It sounds easy, but at times it was all downhill, and it was even scary and downright painful in other moments, but I’ve always tried to learn from mistakes and to adapt to every situation.
Overcoming obstacles is a continuing part of life and business. Those times when you struggle can help you understand yourself better. Risk is also a part of the creative process and helps you to find your own point of view, your own authentic style. The rewards are worth the uncertainty and effort.
If I could give any advice it is: do take risks, but know your options, have contingency plans, and always trust your gut instinct.
By never taking risks, you lose the chance to reach your dreams!
"I love talking about risk because to me, it means: possibility, prospect, overcoming fear, and it also means courage."
Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am a Chicago and Los Angeles-based fashion designer, interior designer and an image consultant. I teach women how to identify their strengths and channel their passions into a unique, artistic style, and to become more confident by helping them to find their authentic selves which allow them to feel more comfortable in their own skin. I like quoting Carl Jung who teaches us about inner image “as a resource for life and creativity“. I believe that fashion should stir individuals to draw inspiration from the world around them, as well as release them to establish an original path of personal style. I love to help women elevate their image through fashion.
My journey of dressing and styling women in Chicago, and later in New York, Washington DC, Miami, and now Los Angeles, has continued successfully for over three decades.
I was born and raised in Poznan, Poland. As a child I dreamed of becoming a journalist but later as a teenager I found passion in designing clothing and used it as a natural way of expressing myself. All my girlfriends wanted to wear “Eva’s “famous” brown velvet pants”. In my early twenties I left uncertainty in my home country and came to the United States. All of a sudden, I found myself on a different planet. It took me a few years to adjust to a new county, new language, and new life. After two years, I left my day job at a fashion boutique and decided to pursue my passion in fashion design. I pushed myself to create a collection of clothes in the span of a week and to my surprise, was invited to be a part of The Chicago Designer Showcase at The Chicago Apparel Mart. This started my career. After only one year in business, my line (under the name of EVA PAZOLA FASHIONS) was carried in 15 boutiques all over the country. A year after that, I was able to open my first boutique in downtown Chicago.
Besides my seasonal collections, I love designing one-of-a-kind pieces for individual clients. In my work I use my intuition, understanding of cut, shape, and construction of garments. I would say that one of my skills is finding truly exceptional fabrics and I take regular trips to Paris and New York to acquire them. I take inspiration from nature and the world around me, from my travels, but mostly from the amazing women I meet. I believe that fashion is not meant to be confined by expectation. It should be a perpetual evolution, keeping elements from the past while moving toward the fresh, the innovative, and the creative.
You can read the whole article here: Meet Eva Pazola | Fashion Designer/Image Consultant/Stylist – SHOUTOUT ARIZONA