Hey hey!
For those of you who may not know me my name is Keesha Morisma and I am the founder and creative director of zhuzh. I started zhuzh four years ago during a very transformative time in my life. As I reflect on the past four years, I would like to share some of my journal entries, experiences, adventures, and how I started zhuzh with you. This is going to be one heck of a ride, so buckle up!
In 2018 I was working as a store manager at a small boutique in Fort Lauderdale, FL. Yeaaa, I was healthy, financially stable, and a part of a really dope community of creatives and change makers, but there was this emptiness inside of me that I couldn’t quite shake. This led me to ask myself questions such as, “Why am I here? What is my purpose? What am I destined to do?” As I meditated on these questions, what became clear was that I needed to move out of my comfort zone in order to fulfill my purpose. So in true Keesha fashion, I created a plan.
I had no clue where to start, but one thing I knew for sure, was that I loved fashion and I had style. Fashion has always brought me an immense amount of joy. It introduced me to music, art, photography, history, food, culture, and the world.
While creating my plan I quickly learned that following my purpose meant that I had to move through fear, self doubt, and uncertainty. But I also had to move in confidence through prayer with an open heart and mind. Moving through all the “feels” I decided to apply to be an intern for a celebrity stylist.
I flew to Los Angeles and got the internship on the spot. Yup,on the spot!! During my interview I noticed that my soon to be boss was getting sick and I decided to go home and make some ginger tea to bring him the next day. This small act of kindness got me promoted from intern to personal assistant in just two days! I’ve never gotten promoted so fast in my life! Okayyy my plan was starting to look up!
Over the next several months I would prepare outfits, make runs, answer the sporadic demands of my boss, style celebs for red carpets and world tours. To my surprise, the same feeling I felt working in retail started to resurface; feeling purposeless, unsatisfied, and uninspired. While I was grateful for the opportunity, my body and spirit was telling me that I was not walking in my purpose. My “fancy” personal assistant job wasn’t all it cracked up to be.
One afternoon while setting appointments and sending emails, I received a call from a good friend of mine. “Keesh! Come spend some time with me, it sounds like you need a break. Don’t worry about room and board, I got you. Just get here!” A month later I booked a one way ticket to Paris where zhuzh was born.
Every time I tell this story I get chills because I am reminded that things will always fall into place when I am walking towards my purpose.
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In our upcoming newsletters, I will share more about what happened in Paris that led to the conception of zhuzh. I look forward to amplifying the voices and work of the incredibly talented artisans from across the Diaspora that I’ve had the honor of meeting and working with. My hope is that you find great joy in the art they create.
I am so grateful and thankful to everyone who has supported zhuzh over the years. I hope that you continue to follow us on this journey.
Don’t forget to follow @shopzhuzh on all the socials to stay connected! We have some amazing things in store for 2023!
Peace and Love,
Keesha