Joean Montayre on Life, Lessons & Legacy

Joean Montayre shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Hi Joean, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: Would YOU hire you? Why or why not?
Tying to be as objective as possible, I think I would hire me given that I hire me for the creative field. For the creativity, the quick problem solving ability, entrepreneurial mindset that will help business grow and take it to the next level and for the capability to think outside the box. Reasons I will hesitate to hire me would be the idea that I have an entrepreneurial mindset and for that reason I won’t stay employed and work for other people for a long time. Another reason not to hire me is if the job involves excel sheets, sales and receiving phone calls.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I am many forms. Today I am a fashion designer, tomorrow I am an author, the next day I am an advocate for modest fashion and sustainable art. I am an artist as well as an entrepreneur, a branding consultant, an advocate and who knows what other tasks life will throw at me in the future. What I would like the readers to know me as, is that I have been a fashion designer for more than 25 years. I am a freelance journalist, and I wrote a book entitled “Modest Fashion and the Power of Collaboration”. I have a namesake high fashion brand called “Iman Montayre” which I started in 2013. I am the Founder of modestfashiondesigners.com platform and at the same time an advocate for sustainable art and fashion. Currently, I am working on my newest fashion collection for my brand as well as developing sustainable fashion hub to help and guide underprivilege youths around the world.

Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
I never became who the world wanted me to be because I was always myself. I have fought hard with my folks for trying to shape me how they see the world. I could not look at the world in their lenses. I couldn’t dwell in it. I mean, I really tried wearing their glassed but I really couldn’t see the horizon they are looking at. If I had become what the world told me, I think I would still be working in the assembly line in a factory, or maybe a supervisor or manager of some sort, or still employed and waiting for my retirement. I would probably had 4 or five kids. But I was never there, I thin was always myself all along. I defied the pattern that my parents lived. I knew that I don’t want to be who the world want me to be because I want to do more than just existing in it. I want to leave a legacy, an impact, and a story. And I have been always asking God for guidance so I can be who I should become according to His Plan.

What have been the defining wounds of your life—and how have you healed them?
There are too many to mention. Just a few for the sake of mentioning, feeling betrayed was one of them. Being looked down upon, ridiculed, put down also left a deep wound in my soul. It took me all my youth to battle through that stigma. But one thing for sure, all the wounds I’ve had experienced taught me that the only way to heal from it is to avoid wounding others the same way or another. I make sure to myself that I won’t let others experience the pain I went through from me. Realizing that there are people who have bad attitudes and their actions are hurting others and recognizing those are the type of people you don’t want to become is the first step of the healing process.

Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What’s a belief or project you’re committed to, no matter how long it takes?
I started advocating for modest fashion since 2007 when I became a Muslim, sustainability in early 2000’s when I was working for a furniture company where I started learning how craftsmen uses banana peels, onions skins, coconut husks, sea shells to decorate home decors. Its an amazing experience that I want to share to the youths. I am still working on them. For modest fashion, I know I have made some footprints in the industry but there are more work needed to be done. Same goes for the sustainability projects. For me, it takes a life-long commitment and I am not stopping.

Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
Interestingly, this question crossed my mind few weeks ago. I asked what kind of memory do I want people to remember me of. What kind of impact will I leave the world? I thought, I hope people to tell the success stories of other people whose lives I’ve touched, that’s one. But truly, the only story that would matter to me then would be coming from my son. I want to be remembered as the mother he wished for. I wish that what he remembers me of brings him joy and not grief.

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Image Credits
Alex Banaag
Jeff Garban

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