GREAT BAY(DCOMM):---- As part of the St. Maarten Tourist Bureau (STB) Caribbean Tourism Day/Month awareness campaign, Zillah Duzon Hazel, is a young female professional who owns her own business, a women’s clothing brand under ‘Jolie Duzon.’
Hazel who is a designer, officially launched her line of clothing via an online store on April 6, 2013 in the Netherlands. The young designer returned to the island in March 2014 and opened her first boutique on Front Street on December 13, 2014.
When Zillah completed her studies, she worked for a few years prior to pursuing her dreams. “I was a sales girl at H&M and Zara which are well-known clothing retailers in the Netherlands, and then my last job was at Xenos a household/interior store,” Zillah Duzon Hazel explained.
Zillah who is a former student of Sister Regina Primary and St. Maarten Academy, did two years at the Amsterdam Fashion Institute College in the Netherlands.
Many people dream, and Zillah made her dream become a reality. “As young as I can remember I have been interested in fashion, as a young girl I always said I wanted to be a fashion designer.
“My mother was always well dressed and looking classy. My grandmother and great grandmother were seamstresses. So the interest in fashion and creating clothing is in my blood,” Zillah explains.
Zillah Duzon Hazel’s brand also attracts the interests of the many visitors that visit the destination. “I love the fact that when a tourist visits my store I can tell them that I am a local fashion designer, which makes it more special for them buying a designer piece from a born and raised St. Maartener.
“At the end of the day my ultimate goal is to create beautiful clothing that will make women feel beautiful and confident about themselves.
“So when designing for my local clientele, just hearing them tell me how wonderful and gorgeous and confident they felt wearing my design means the world to me,” Hazel pointed out.
Zillah has some advice for young St. Maarteners who want to pursue a career in tourism and hospitality: “My advice would be to follow their dreams, and when doing so do it in an excellent manner. Make sure it is something that you are extremely passionate about and know that nothing comes easy and you have to work hard at it.”
This profile is one out of several as part of the St. Maarten Tourist Bureau Caribbean Tourism Month awareness campaign.
