Born in Jamaica to a half Chinese Jamaican mother and a black Jamaican father, Nicole was the apple of her daddy’s eye and her mother Ivy’s miracle baby. Ivy had long since given up on ever having children, when she found herself pregnant with her first child after ten years of marriage, she couldn’t believe her good fortune.
By the time Nicole turned sixteen she realized that she did not have much in common with girls her age. She spent her free time reading fashion magazines, sketching and designing outlandish costumes. The frivolous pursuits of her schoolmates were of no interest to her.
Nicole’s mixed race heritage had blessed her with an unconventionally pretty face, slightly slanted brown eyes and a yellow toned complexion. Those features along with shoulder length curls and her slender not-quite-petite figure hinted at a beauty she hadn’t yet grown into. She attracted a lot of attention and the unconventional way she dressed made her stand out even more.
Nicole was oblivious, at sixteen she was very focused on school and her desire to become a fashion designer. From a young child she was obsessed with recreating her clothing much to the consternation of her parents. They admired and encouraged her creativity but could not understand why she delighted in transforming perfectly good clothing into outlandish costumes. She would wear her ridiculous capes and daring creations with such panache that they became the perfect complement for her uncommon looks.
When Nicole graduated from high school her parents announced that they were sending her to live with her father’s younger sister in New York City. Unknown to Nicole, her parents had been putting aside money for this next chapter of her life from the moment she turned twelve.
Conrad’s younger sister Marie had migrated just before Nicole was born. Marie was an ambitious career woman who was quickly moving up the corporate ladder of the advertising firm she worked with. Nicole would live with her aunt Marie, attend college and pursue her dreams of becoming a designer.
Although she hated to leave her parents and the village she grew up in, Nicole was excited and happy to start living her dream. Her parents sent her off with teary-eyed admonishments to be good and Nicole embarked on her first ever plane ride.
She had one goal in mind – to earn her degree in dressmaking and design and establish herself as a famous costume designer. Her dream was to one day see her name in movie credits and be recognized for her creativity and vision.
