My First Couture Fashion Show

My name is Geraldina Shabani, and I am crowdfunding to raise money for an upcoming fashion show during Fashion Week in February. My goal is $30,000 and any donation you can give would be greatly appreciated.

Growing up in Albania in a family of tailors, my mother taught me to sew when I was a little girl. I learned how to make my first dress when I was ten and I got hooked on fashion!

As a single mother of a 14-year-old son, I came to the US in 2010 at 47 and settled in the suburbs of Manhattan, excited to be near one of the biggest fashion capitals in the world. Without a strong command of the English language, I first relied on my son to be my translator but I’ve gotten much better now. I worked many jobs including furniture restoration and managing uniforms for a hotel. I was thrilled when I got a job as a dressmaker working for Peggy Jennings at the Waldorf Astoria. After two years there, I landed a job working in the fitting and alterations department at Christian Dior. This was followed by similar work at Dolce Gabbana, Fendi and Prada.

I still had my dreams of owning my shop. I took a course for women entrepreneurs given at Women's Enterprise Development Center (WEDC) to learn how to start a business.

In 2015, I opened a small shop in Hartsdale called Geraldina’s Couture. Everything I had worked so hard for and all the people (so many!) who helped me along the way led me to that moment. I am fortunate to have a wonderful team of talented and inspired designers and seamstresses working with me. The pandemic brought business to a halt but I realized that I could help and give back to this lovely community by making facemasks and donating them to local nurses. We kept offering tailoring and alterations to our supportive customers to keep the business open. In 2021, as business started picking up, we opened a second bigger space in Scarsdale at 455 Central Park Avenue.

I don’t want the love and support I have received to go to waste. I am not done yet! I want the world to see our fantastic work. I am now working hard to pay for the fashion show fees along with paying my staff, the models, the fabric, transportation and more.

Any amount counts and can help. Everything we will be showcasing is handmade by myself and my team, and I want to inspire other women, especially single mothers and older women, that there is love and hope. I’m going to be 58 next month. It's never too late to go after your dreams.

Thank you so much for your support!

Geraldina Shabani