‘I AM LOVE’ DESIGNS

Designs by Ananda Xenia Shakti: Her Story

For as long as I can remember, women and men have stopped me on the streets, gone out of their way to get my attention, knocked on restaurant windows, etc., all to tell me how beautiful I look in the chosen garment of that day. It is always with huge smiles on their faces, not with the intimidation or jealousy that can be so common in those areas. Soon I came to understand that how I dressed was not only joyful for me, it was also joyful for others to witness. You could see in their eyes that this might be the bright moment of a dreary day or a spark being lit that reminded them that life is here to be celebrated! Ornamented! Full of Joy and the Permission to explore and express Beauty.

Women would regularly ask me to dress them or to take them shopping so they could buy the clothes I was wearing. I am happy to say the different moods of expressive clothing that have flowed through me have influenced many people’s style in a joyful way.

When I went to Paris for the first time, it was a turning point for me in my flair for creative style expression. I was in the fashion capital of the world,! And people were still stopping me on the street calling out “Mademoiselle Manifique” in boisterous voices with arms raised and looks of astonishment and joy on their faces. It was so delightful to celebrate the art of beauty together. And honestly, what I was wearing was never costly; it’s not my thing to pay super high prices for clothing, but I knew how to ”see ” things in a different way and how to put things together in creative ways.

The turning point for creating ‘I am Love’ Designs came when I was sitting in a cafe in Paris having lunch. There was a woman siting with friends across the restaurant. She was handicapped, in a wheelchair, and could barely talk. I guess she must have suffered a stroke. She looked at me a few times, and I smiled at her. Then she stood up, said something to her friends, and then she started heading towards me. Truthfully, she could barely walk; it took quite some time for her to reach me. Each step was a complete struggle, and she held on to the tables and chairs as she passed them. I didn’t know what was going on, why she was coming over, or what she wanted, and I was praying I would have the compassion and grace to communicate with her and handle whatever her needs were with full love.

When she arrived at my table she pointed to my arms of bracelets and touched them with her one good arm. Then, to everything I was wearing and to my face, she said in her laboured speech, “Tres Belle”, “Tres Belle”, “Tres Tres Belle”. She kept saying it over and over, moving her head side to side to further emphasize her appreciation. I took her hand and thanked her so much, and she said it again as she turned and slowly struggled her way back to her wheelchair. When she sat down, she looked and smiled. I tried to hide the tears that were streaming down my cheeks. What had compelled her to come out of her wheelchair and struggle so hard to get me to me, to tell me that I was very beautiful and what I was wearing was very beautiful? What was she seeing? I was touched in a very deep part of my soul. It had to be the glory of the feminine and the celebration of romance that moved her across the room. And I can totally relate, as is the way my soul loves to dance with Creation and to express style in ways that ornament that mood.

It was this experience that made me consider designing the ‘She Dress’. When the Divine Feminine in her crippled form struggled so hard to show me her appreciation and joy, I knew it was important to find a way to share this joy with women around the world wishing to celebrate the Feminine, Beauty and Romance.

My next big inspiration came when my dear friend took me to the home base of an organization in Northern India called Guria India. Guria is a haven for children of prostitutes to protect them from second-generation human trafficking and a complete inspiration for taking action based in pure love. We sat for a couple of hours hearing the founder’s story, why he opened the centre and his honest talk about the successes and the children that go back and into the business. I could have sat all day and listened to him. He is so authentic in his service. Once we left, I had the idea to create the ‘She Dress’ to celebrate the feminine impulse, and to donate some of the proceeds to celebrate the feminine even further by helping to prevent second-generation human trafficking.

If you’d like to learn more about Guria India, please visit their website guriaindia.org, and you will read all about this wonderful initiative. I have so much respect for this organization. They do not take government funding so that they can work freely and creatively in the ways they know to be most successful in rescuing and offering shelter and education for the children and their mothers if they wish to leave the business.

This is a little of my journey with Love, which is Beauty, which is God. I hope it inspires you and your dreams of Love and Beauty and the Glory of the Feminine flow freely from you, inspiring your own eyes and hearts and all those you touch.

With Love!
Ananda