CARLA BIANCA RAVANES-HIGHAM
Crystal Gail Alvarez shines as bright as the Los Angeles sun. With a personality that is both endearing and inspiring, Crystal is a prime example of a 21st century woman – she is a dreamer, a go-getter, and a woman that is for women.
Inspired by this philosophy, she embedded her core beliefs into her Crystal Gaily line that is based in California, “I wanted to offer and showcase a fashion line that solely promotes women empowerment, femininity, modernism, and individuality while remaining timelessly elegant. I aim that whoever wears my clothes would be confident about themselves because they know that being true to who you are is what makes you the most beautiful one of all.”
Crystal was born and raised in Lipa, Batangas and moved to the States with the support of her family to grow out of her comfort zone and learn more about the world. She soon moved to Los Angeles to pursue a Master of Business Administration Major in International Business, Trade, and Commerce from the California International University.
From blogger to businesswoman.
A lover of fashion, Crystal also enrolled in Otis Fashion School and completed short courses in Web and Graphic Design in Art School in LA, “Learning has always been paramount to me and I always see myself learning something new.”
With all this knowledge, she first set up a fashion blog to share her love for clothes, shoes, and bags, “For me dressing up was a way to express ourselves so I saw it as an avenue to share myself with others. I shared everything I knew on my blog.”
Soon her blog turned into an avenue for her to sell her designs, eventually leading to the birth of Crystal Gaily, “It was like a domino effect from just sharing my outfits to creating my own line.”
Crystal fondly recalls the early days of her business and what kept her going, “Starting a business is always a gamble. There is no assurance how successful and profitable it would be but because of the people who have consistently motivated and supported me. I always tell my friends that what kept me going is that I love what I do and my passion for it is what made it easier. It was challenging, yes, but when you are doing what you love – it will never be too hard for you.”
“A lot of prayers, perseverance, dedication, drive, and patience – this my formula to stay in the game,” she added.
Keeping her feet on the ground, the young entrepreneur also credits her parents as the inspiration that fuels her fire, “My family has been in the manufacturing business since I was young. My parents are my inspiration to also start my own line. I saw how dedicated they were and because of this business, my parents managed to give me and my siblings a good life. They do however taught us one thing, that if you dream of something, you must be prepared to be consistent on your work, never ever give up and always put your heart on what you are doing. The characteristics of my parents made me look up them a lot that I wanted to be like them as well.”
As a Filipino making waves abroad, Crystal noted, “Being a Filipino alone making it to the international market already makes me feel honored and proud. However, my blessings and opportunities always taught me to remain humble and appreciative of what I have. By appreciating, I believe on consistently working hard with the support of prayers and loved ones.
“I always remind myself to stay true. Wherever I go, however far I reached in terms of my success, I will remain grounded and I will never forget the people who have helped me and was there for me along the way.
“I think all my followers felt the fulfillment in every milestone I had as they have seen how I started from scratch. I am always grateful for the support and I vowed to always do my best so that my followers would always be inspired to pursue their own interest.”
To know more about Crystal you may visit www.crystalgaily.com
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www.carlabiancaravanes.com
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