00:00 Many people wonder, "How did you do that?"
00:03 The transition from being a caregiver to a designer,
00:08 I said, "It's my passion ever since."
00:10 It just happened because, of course,
00:14 we're not rich like others.
00:16 I'm Jeanette Mohar.
00:17 I'm from Bicol.
00:19 I'm a fashion designer.
00:21 In the Philippines, our life is hard
00:29 because we have a lot of siblings.
00:33 I went to college.
00:35 Our parents couldn't afford to send me to fashion school
00:39 because it's too expensive.
00:41 What I do is,
00:43 since I am the third girl in the family,
00:46 I dress up all the little things they have.
00:51 Sometimes, I have short clothes,
00:53 and then I have outfitted clothes.
00:55 So I restyle them.
00:58 I need to learn how to sew
01:01 using my mom's manual machine.
01:04 I'm still a student,
01:06 but I'm already participating in prestigious fashion shows.
01:09 Jeanette is funny because she has a story.
01:14 When I was in high school,
01:17 I remember that they gave me clothes
01:20 that I had to cut or restyle.
01:24 My friends would ask me,
01:27 "Where did you get that?
01:29 It's so pretty. It's so nice."
01:30 I'd say, "It's from Jeanette."
01:33 My kids would say that.
01:35 I'd say, "It's so nice.
01:36 I cut it. I restyled it."
01:38 When I had a child,
01:44 my priorities were different.
01:47 I wanted my children to experience
01:52 what I experienced.
01:54 I went abroad
01:55 to give my children a better future.
02:00 I went to Taiwan,
02:02 and I said, "I need to go to Canada."
02:06 But I still had a hard time.
02:08 They told me to study to become a caregiver.
02:12 Now, I was able to go to Hong Kong.
02:16 I became a caregiver there.
02:17 So I did that.
02:19 The family I went to,
02:22 I worked from 6 to 10 at night.
02:28 When I asked them
02:30 why I only received a salary
02:33 during the first month,
02:35 they got angry.
02:36 I was fired that night.
02:40 I'm glad I had friends
02:42 who called me
02:44 to get me out of the street.
02:46 On the side of the street.
02:50 I still cry when I remember that.
02:53 I was able to work as a second employer.
02:58 It was another take advantage.
03:01 I'm just so, so, so lucky
03:06 that my third employer
03:08 here in the U.S.
03:09 They didn't leave me.
03:12 God always gives me hope.
03:15 He always prays for me
03:17 to go to the third time.
03:19 It's so hard.
03:21 I have to work part-time.
03:25 Cleaning, cooking, babysitting.
03:30 There are times that I work in 9 families.
03:34 I have to run here and there.
03:35 I was a caregiver.
03:40 I love all the kids.
03:42 I make them fashionistas.
03:45 I go to thrift stores
03:48 because I make enough money
03:51 to send to the Philippines.
03:54 It's easy to buy expensive
03:57 branded items here.
04:00 Someone gave me a machine
04:01 that I'm so happy with.
04:03 Even as a caregiver.
04:05 I still love it.
04:07 It's good to go to Canada.
04:10 There are so many privileges
04:12 that you can have.
04:13 When my kids were in college,
04:17 they were about to graduate.
04:19 I wanted to enroll.
04:23 I read on Facebook
04:25 that there's a fashion design.
04:27 I just messaged.
04:29 And then later,
04:30 I got a call the next day.
04:32 "I'm enrolling!"
04:34 It was so fast.
04:35 I'm the oldest in the class.
04:41 I received an award
04:43 when I graduated.
04:45 Best Achievement Award.
04:46 Because of that award,
04:48 they gave me a really good
04:50 recommendation to mentor
04:53 new students.
04:54 I was hired as a fashion designer
04:57 in a local brand clothing company
05:01 here in Vancouver.
05:03 My biggest inspiration
05:05 in what I do is Filipinas.
05:07 But I don't want to make Filipinas
05:11 who are all hidden.
05:14 I don't want to wear millennials.
05:17 So what I do is
05:18 I want a modern Filipina.
05:22 It's either we're trendy,
05:24 still a Filipina.
05:25 See-through?
05:26 I'll do a see-through.
05:27 There, see-through.
05:29 Try on.
05:30 Try on a Filipina.
05:32 High-sleeve.
05:33 I'll put a sleeve.
05:35 Show it.
05:41 My first fashion show was in 2018.
05:44 It was when Jeannette's was still there.
05:46 I haven't been in the fashion industry for long.
05:49 But it's fun
05:51 that they appreciate what I do.
05:53 My favorite moment
05:54 is when I see a model
05:56 and it's published in a magazine.
05:59 Well, you know,
06:00 I haven't been in the fashion industry for long.
06:03 So I'm just lucky that
06:06 they appreciate what I do.
06:08 And of course,
06:10 it's a big thing for me
06:12 that I'm easygoing.
06:14 Though, you'll really spend a lot of time.
06:17 But at least it's not as heavy as
06:19 you're working.
06:21 You're running around,
06:22 you're cooking,
06:23 babysitting.
06:24 So those are the things
06:26 that changed my life.
06:27 My daughter is my art director.
06:33 She's also managing my social media.
06:36 And we're just family for now
06:38 because living here in Canada
06:41 is really expensive.
06:42 And my shop is also in this apartment.
06:45 So I said,
06:47 for the meantime,
06:48 and for a start,
06:50 this is good enough for us.
06:51 But who knows, right?
06:54 We might have a good chance.
06:57 If a lot of people want to sponsor,
07:00 I'll accept it.
07:02 No one's blaming me.
07:04 I'm so grateful.
07:06 This is the best thing that happened to me.
07:09 I achieved my dream.
07:11 I gave myself a chance to study.
07:15 And I was recognized by people.
07:18 They appreciated my designs.
07:21 It's my dream.
07:23 I thought it was just a dream.
07:25 My advice to people
07:27 who have dreams
07:29 that are hard to achieve.
07:31 You should make your hard work and hardships
07:36 an inspiration.
07:37 And strive hard.
07:39 Tell yourself that
07:41 others can do it,
07:42 why can't you?
07:44 When Jeannette Muhar arrived in Canada in 2007
07:47 to be a caregiver,
07:49 she had almost no income
07:51 because of her regular
07:52 sending money to her family in the Philippines.
07:55 I'm now a nobletime because I'm old.
08:00 I said, "I'll do it until I die."
08:04 For me,
08:06 time is really good now
08:07 because I'm old.
08:09 And I will work hard more
08:14 to make my work better.
08:19 [music]
08:25 If you have an inspiring story like this,
08:27 email us at stories.onlygood@gmail.com
08:31 And don't forget to subscribe to OG Channel.
08:34 Thank you for watching.
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