| | Being bullied changed | | | | |
| | my life…..for the better | | | |
1 | | “School was really difficult for | | | |
| | me. I find it hard to talk to new | | | |
| | people and make friends with | | | |
| | them, because I am very shy. | | | |
| | At the beginning of secondary | | | |
| | school, I was even known as the | | | |
| | ‘silent twin’ because I wouldn’t talk | | | |
| | to anyone except my sister. I felt | | | |
| | no one was interested in what | | | |
| | I was saying, so I just closed down. | | | | Chantal Reefs, 17 |
2 | | Some of the kids at school | | | | |
| | started bullying me and calling me | | | | The rest of her family were still in |
| | names. As I didn’t have anyone to | | | | Africa and she lived on her own in |
| | go out with, I used to buy piles of | | | | a shelter for the homeless. It made |
| | magazines and spend my week- | | | | me realise how many people have |
| | ends reading them from cover to | | | | things to overcome in their lives. |
| | cover. I loved clothes and I dreamt | | 5 | | The months leading up to the |
| | of being a designer when I left | | | | show were the busiest I’d ever |
| | school, but I never thought it would | | | | had. I learnt about so many |
| | happen. | | | | different aspects of making clothes |
3 | | When I saw a poster | | | | from designing to selecting |
| | advertising a fashion show project, | | | | materials to use. I also found out |
| | I was interested to find out more. | | | | how I wanted my collection to look. |
| | The winners were going to make | | | | I needed to find models. I used |
| | their own collection of clothes with | | | | girls I knew from the group as well |
| | the help of some well-known | | | | as hair and make-up artists, and |
| | designers and put on a catwalk | | | | had to choose the music. |
| | show at the Victoria and Albert | | 6 | | On the day of the show I was |
| | Museum in London. Designing | | | | terrified. My models turned up late |
| | clothes was something I’d always | | | | and I thought everything was going |
| | wanted to do but I never believed | | | | to be a failure. I even found myself |
| | I’d be good enough. I was nervous | | | | shouting! Luckily everything ended |
| | but I decided I had to take part in | | | | going smoothly and all my hard |
| | the fashion show project. | | | | work paid off. |
4 | | I couldn’t believe it when | | 7 | | Now I’m studying fashion at a |
| | I found out I was chosen for the | | | | local college. I still find it hard to |
| | project. When I went to my first | | | | speak in class, but I’m much more |
| | session, I felt absolutely sick with | | | | confident. I want to work in fashion |
| | nerves. I had to work together with | | | | and feel so lucky that I’ve had the |
| | Asabi, who was a refugee from | | | | chance to turn my life around.” |
| | Nigeria. | | |