A letter to Friends & Fam

Hey Friends + Fam,

I’m thrilled to share Nightswim with you all. It’s been a long time coming, but finally, I’m here in El Paso clenching my teeth from excitement and nervousness. The Nocturna collection is available to shop online and for wholesale orders! It has always been a dream of mine, to have a fashion company— thankfully, I discovered my niche: a mindful approach in this fashion industry I know, love (and dislike) to bring forth a piece of me that feels right.

From traveling and living abroad, I witnessed how consumerism is mindless in a significant sense — and fast fashion plays a huge role, triggering consumers to adopt a disposable mindset. Truth is I realized I don’t need a lot to be happy, especially the materialistic. The shiny shoes won’t equal long-lasting happiness or peace for that matter — just ask the poor village shoeless kids in the Dominican Republican that I saw dancing, singing and laughing. The surely didn't seek materialism for happiness. That’s when it all began, I questioned my fun fashion career. The epiphany: I momentarily tapped into people's psyche with shiny new things to generate profit while severely harming our environment and lives of garment workers. It all clicked, it no longer sat well with me — I needed a radical change.

The heartbreaking loss of my dad gave me the courage to change my reality and pursue a more meaningful life. I quit my stable Los Angeles job, sold my possessions and dove into the unknown — fleeing for a hopeful vision in Bali, now Costa Rica, to embark on a career path that was mindful and resonated more with my values. I’ll cut through this part because it’s not a travel blog, but I’ll tell you that leaving the states further supported my dream.

Now you’ll find me living a simple life by the tranquil beach balanced with stimulating LA spurts. I gave birth to Nightswim and promise to nurture it in a way that I won't cut corners to generate profit over people or planet. Being at the forefront of conscious-fashion isn't easy — minimally available technology at affordable costs combined with a flawed system doesn't support my cause so much, but I'm committed to this effort. If interested to know more about these efforts, read the 'We Give A Damn' section.

If I can offer anything, it’s an invitation to push forward, travel, question the system, and get as informed as humanly possible. Every action we make has an effect. The purchases we make are votes.  Let’s make positive ripple effects. Nightswim is my attempt at a positive change within a detrimental industry. Let’s observe our high consumption rates – it’s not sustainable to our environment and takes a negative toll on garment workers and yourself (though you may disagree). Let’s stand behind fair trade, slow fashion, and shop less or responsibly for fast-fashion alternatives.

Thank you to the ride or die(s) who supported this idea and injected me with fuel to keep going. I don’t know what the future holds for Nightswim, but for now, I’m content to present this Nocturna collection. 

Xo,

Diana