There is Always Light

5:14:00 PM

It is okay to look back, once in a while.

On the last day of 2016, I'm reflecting and looking back on the year that has been and I'm feeling grateful for what God has determined for my journey this year including all the ease and hardships, the travels, the adventures, the blessings and the gifts. All praises to the Almighty Creator for providing and blessing us with the sustenance, for life, for air, for not letting me give up and for not letting me lose hope. Or faith.

This year, you may have noticed a change in aere's collections. At least in the name of the collections. People close to me say that when I do something, I do it wholeheartedly and put all my focus and heart into it. I think I channelled my feelings and emotions a little more than usual this year. Hence, FEEL, HOPE and LOVE came to fruition this year.

In truth, it reflects some of the phases of my own life. This is what I personally wrote on aere HOPE's thank you note that was printed out for the first few hundred customers who grabbed aere's HOPE pieces from the KLFW 2016 collection. :

"In life, we may find ourselves in the middle of a frightening storm. Or find ourselves falling into a seemingly bottomless pit. We might find ourselves broken and shattered and discovering that we are in pitch darkness. We will find ourselves trapped underneath a mountain of despair. Come face-to-face with insurmountable challenges, be it seen or unseen.

Yet day after day, whatever the weather or circumstances we find ourselves in, the sun always rises. With it, springs HOPE. That the coming day will be better. That in the coming day we will be better. That beacon called HOPE is the anchor. HOPE is the compass. HOPE gets you through the darkest night. Where there is HOPE, there is always light. HOPE is a steadfast rope that gives you the courage to pull yourself back up. To stand and rise again despite being broken.

Through this HOPE 2016 collection, aere aims to share a little bit of HOPE and lots of love. aere is a little bit bolder and inching stronger and stronger. I intended for the structured designs, the braver cuts and the overall fit and feel of this collection to depart from last year's soft and ethereal Essence of Grace collection. To symbolize a more courageous approach to face the unknown and the unimaginable. aere's journey so far has been nothing but an amazing and wondrous voyage. A fantastic adventure.

At the end of the day, every single one of us grasps at least a little piece of HOPE in our hands. A HOPE for our heart's desires. A HOPE for a better future. And it is this spirit of HOPE that is imbued in each piece of this collection so that it is never lost, and it is never out of reach."

I remember having to write the above note on the day my grandfather passed away in August. Having suffered from a few losses these past few years, there were definitely times when even a glimmer of hope was nowhere to be seen. It's just easy to give up. But it's definitely more important to fight that feeling. To keep fighting and fighting for hope. God has taught us how to face losses and challenges in life: with patience and belief. So be patient and believe that things will be better soon, Insyallah.

The photos in this post are taken by Khubayb when we were in Singapore on the eve of my birthday this year. For everyone of you fighting your own battles in silence, don't give up. Fight for a better future. Fight for the hope that you want.

Sometimes you can't let the darkness overcome you. Loving the bold contrast of my FLAVIA Jacket against the backdrop of Singapore's night lights.

Here's me entering 2017 with more hope for a better future and a personal determination for myself to keep on learning and struggling to become better than the person I was the past year. May the coming year be better than the one we are leaving behind, in every sense. Losses, trials and challenges are part and parcels of life but NEVER EVER LOSE HOPE. This new year should renew all our hopes and aspirations. Happy New Year everybody, keep on shining bright, no matter what!