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'I'm stoked! I started my first 100 per cent Dubai-only collection'

Fashion designer Teresita Orillac tells us about the 5 turning points in her life in 2015

1 Discovering Dubai
I got married last year, and moved to Dubai in September of 2014, so the start of my year was all about discovering the various things I could do in Dubai. The fashion scene here is just incredible, and I was absolutely in awe of it. And besides that, there's always something going on here, events-wise. There's never a dull moment.
2 Starting my Dubai collection
I had taken pictures of birds' feathers back in Panama, and when I came here, I got these printed onto fabrics to make my first 100 per cent made-in-Dubai collection. Creating something like that from scratch in this region was nothing short of an experience. It took a couple of months because I had to get the styles just right and check out samples of materials as well as find the perfect printing place. So the collection was finally ready mid-year.
3 Being a part of London Fashion Week
In September, I was accepted to participate in London Fashion Week and show off my collection that paid tribute to both Panama (because that's where the feather prints came from) and Dubai (because that's where my collection was made) simultaneously. The media coverage for the event was absolutely insane and it was definitely one of the biggest highlights of my year.
4 My collection going into stores
December is going to be a really exciting time for me because my collection just went into stores! I'm really stoked about this. It's going to be available in a number of high-end fashion stores such as Valley Dez as of now, and I'm looking forward to it getting into more stores in the months to come.
5 Starting a Family
Over the last year, I've discovered a new country, started my first 100 per cent Dubai-only collection and finally seen it launch it stores. And if that wasn't good enough, it was only a few weeks ago that I found out I'm pregnant! My husband Eduardo and I are both delighted and looking forward to welcoming the new addition to our family. It's been an incredible year as of now, and I'm hoping 2016 will be even better!
Looking foward: Plans for 2016
I'm super excited about growing my business in this region - and, of course, starting my family. So many exciting things to look forward to. - As told to Janice Rodrigues
Hailing from Panama, Teresita Orillac is a Dubai-based designer who has been in the fashion industry for more than a decade and has worked with the likes of Chanel and Carolina Herrera before launching her own label in 2011.
THE YEAR OF LIVING gloriously: Till December 29, Khaleej Times will run a series on people who define the ethos of the UAE:  creative, adventurous, enterprising - everything that tags this place as being a great melting pot of talent and spirit.
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