Episode 005: Body Inclusivity in the Fashion Industry with Magda Guichard

If the pandemic taught me anything over the last two years, it was to find comfort in my clothing—but when it comes to the fashion industry, there aren’t many brands catering to every body. In this episode, I’ve brought on my dear friend, Magda Guichard, a custom lingerie designer for every body. As someone with a closet full of custom designs from Magda, I can attest to her dedication to creating affordable fashion that fits all bodies. Listen in as we discuss size inclusivity in the fashion industry, comfort in clothing, and finding confidence in our bodies.

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Review the Show Notes:

Get to Know Magda (1:00)

Size Inclusivity in the Fashion Industry (2:33)

Creating Comfort in Clothing (5:44)

Taking Your Measurements (20:28)

Stop Wearing Things that are Uncomfortable (27:05)

A Turning Point to Finding Confidence (35:26)

Media (44:44)

Advice for Younger Self (50:44)

Connect with Magda:

tiktok.com/@legit_55

instagram.com/ambergoddessdesigns

facebook.com/ambergoddessdesigns

ambergoddessdesigns.com

Let’s Connect:

instagram.com/someplaceimages

instagram.com/carlysomeplace

Review the Transcript:

Carly Someplace
Welcome to some place for everybody where we talk about belonging and being a human in our bodies and living in and learning to love our bodies. I’m your host Carly someplace. This podcast is brought to you by someplace images, boudoir for everybody you can see the full show notes at some place for everybody.com Now let’s change some self perspectives

Carly Someplace
Hello So hi I’m Carly with someplace images and welcome to some place for everybody. Today we have one of my favorite humans ever. My dear friend, an amazing, amazing creator, my friend Magda Guichard, who is the owner designer and fabricator of amber goddess designs. So, my darling tell us more about you and Amber goddess designs because everybody needs to know about design. Hi,

Magda Guichard
I am I am Magda Guichard, I started last year Amber Goddess designs, which is a lingerie company that Andre and swimwear for every body, which does not mean like off the rack every body, it means your body and your measurements. So I do everything custom sized. Occasionally I do custom requests for designs. And yeah, I want every everyone to feel sexy in what they’re wearing. Even if it’s like a very simple piece, you know, you need to feel good in what you’re wearing.

Carly Someplace
I so wholeheartedly agree. And I know you’re no that doesn’t think that I wholeheartedly agree, I wholeheartedly agree. So tell me a little bit more about obviously like talking about every body and wanting body, people to have anything and everything to feel comfortable in what was like your big push to start Amber goddess and like what, like the niche that you’re filling, which is obviously custom design themes. Let’s talk about that. I think it’s really important that people have things that fit them. And I think that the fashion industry now has it’s changed so much in so many ways over the last well decade, but also 50 years of custom closure, or things like that. So let’s kind of touch on that. Because those are some hot topics in the fashion industry in general.

Magda Guichard
Right. And I mean, even in the last five years, it’s changed a lot, luckily, towards the better. But I am by trade a costume designer, and I’ve worked in the costume industry for over 10 years. But I have training in fashion design. That is what my undergraduate degree is in. So I kind of always wanted to make things differently. For different types of people, my stuff was always very showy, and oh couture. And so I kind of knew that I wanted to do costume design, but with a touch of fashion. And they’re always right. And I am also a plus size person. So you can’t find a lot of things in my size that I like, luckily, we’ve got stores that are getting better at those sorts of things, but they’re also getting worse in a lot of ways. fast fashion is very cheaply made, of course, and it’s great because it fits in everyone’s budget, but it you know, it doesn’t fit everyone which I mean and there are a lot of great companies that have an amazing range of sizes I would try Fenty is probably the top one that has amazing amazing style and is very size inclusive, which you just don’t see in those types of lines nowadays. So you know that’s probably right and that are of quality and that’s so that’s probably one of my top competitor you know for especially someone that’s new I’m competing with Rihanna I mean, I don’t shout out right casual I don’t I don’t write I don’t think that I’m you know, in that same league just yet as someone who started their business just over a year ago, but I you know, I have at least my differences in that I do everything especially the there’s a cost difference to savage by Fenty is very accessible in their, their size and their cost. But I have the advantage in that my stuff is custom made. And you know, we’re going back 100 years now before more than 100 years were before things were made off the rack. So you know, everything was bespoke to you to your measurements. I mean, granted, the range and sizes was not necessarily the same as it is now. Right in that, you know, people have changed bodies, but it doesn’t mean that the types of bodies that we’re fitting right now did exist over 100 years ago. But, you know, the upper class looked a certain way the lower class looked a certain way. And the people in between kind of did their own thing. Right, but but, you know, you couldn’t necessarily afford it, then I still think that even if something that I make is in a higher price range, I mean, I would say that I’m like, competing price wise with, with Victoria’s Secret. Yeah. Yeah, and they certainly don’t make things that are,

Carly Someplace
they don’t even make things that I like, I have a couple pairs of underwear from them that like, still fit me, but by still fit me, I mean, like, have stretched out and grown with

Magda Guichard
Victoria’s Secret since high school. I haven’t fit Victoria’s Secret underwear since high school, let alone ever really fit their bras. So I mean, I just, and then when I was in high school, I wasn’t able to afford that stuff. But I think it’s important to that, like, you know, they’re not size inclusive. And they’re not I mean, then so then they’re not fitting other people. So it’s like, even if you’re, I am on price point with them, to be frank, but then, you know, I’m not, I’m doing it to fit your body, like, you know, a person, that’s an exporting, right, there’s a person that’s a 42, double D at one place, you know, and you know, their sister sizing and that’s, that’s a whole thing in the laundry industry that you know, with your underwire bras, your you can fit sister sizes, right? But I mean, it’s still never really going to fit you properly, and you can find a great fitting bra that’s not, you know, that’s not to knock any of the the, like the brands that you find off the rack. But it, you know, this is different. And that’s kind of my, that’s kind of my goal. And it’s it Yeah, I like it. While we kind of push a lot, you and I have pushed a lot towards fitting our plus size friends, right? It’s not just the plus size, people that wear bras that need to be catered to, I mean, we have our, our smaller size friends that also can’t find bras that look right, or make them feel sexy. Yeah, you know, some people have smaller breasts and wider backs, or you’ve got a very narrow ribcage, or you know, like your shoulders or lower or whatever I mean, it just that those are all things that a normal fashion brand can’t cater to, because they’d have 1000s of pieces, right. And, you know, I make everything one by one, literally from designing out, I’ll design a piece that, you know, a lot of times you say, Oh, well, that piece can’t possibly look good on all of the sizes. And you know, it’s true, there’s some editing when I’m making the piece fit person, right. But it generally looks the same, and looks pretty damn good, if I say so on on the different sizes. And so the I mean, I’ll design something, I will draft literally every single size, and I actually just upped my sizing up to a 15x Yeah, girl, and then so then I’ve got my generic sizing, and then when I get someone’s measurements, I can kind of go in between those measurements. So like, if someone is between, like their, their bust measurement fits of 3x. But their underbust is a 6x Ray, you know, that’s not something that you can normally find, you kind of have to get your 6x and have it be a little looser, or the bust or you know, you have to deal with a be a little tight in the underbust or whatever. And because I kind of pre draft everything I can pretty quickly though, between those sizes, and I’m starting to like go completely digital with all that. So that it’s not I’m not going to be printing size extra small through 15x. Right, um, I can just do it completely on my computer, which I had started playing around with a couple of styles ago. And so now I’m going to be strictly doing that where I’m just doing it all on my computer and I print it out for person so that I can cut out just those sizes. And then I save the digital size in my computer. Well, I’m on a storage drive and then if someone orders the same style again, I can just use that or modify what I’ve already used if if they haven’t changed sizes, which I mean let’s be real we’ll fluctuate and I mean, let I’ve definitely put on like I COVID 15 Which I’m not ashamed about. I let myself feel my feelings and we baked a lot. I did a lot of things He decorating video.

Carly Someplace
So when you’re talking about this technology of just like having it on your computer slash your hard drive and being able to do all of that stuff like, I just like, that takes my mind to like, why are bigger brands not able to, like have more in betweens? If it’s, I don’t want to say like, as a small business, but like, if you have access to this technology and you know how to use it, then why aren’t they, they definitely have access to technology like this, and they definitely have access to like, be able to use this and use it to size things better and do better, let’s,

Magda Guichard
let’s be real, it’s all I mean, it all comes down to money, I’m not, yeah, making a million dollars a piece, like they are able to get their factories and you can mass produce your size range, right, it doesn’t mean that it’s impossible for them, and that they shouldn’t be able to do it, but it comes down to money, and it’s always going to be coming down to money. They’re, they’re paying workers overseas, you know, below, well below the United States minimum wage, and, and not all of them, but you know, I’m not gonna knock every single fashion major fashion brand, not all of them are doing that, because they’re certainly but they’re also using labor in prisons in the United States, and not paying them above minimum wage, which I think is a whole other story that I don’t necessarily need to get into. Because that’s, you know, a different type of force labor. But um, so, you know, so it comes, it comes down to money. And so if I were to produce one piece, it cost me X amount of dollars, I am designing it, I’m cutting it, I am sewing it, you know, eventually I might be able to hire a cutter and a Stitcher, but you know that I’m paying them a wage that eats into what I’m making in profit. And so it either means that I make less profit, or I raise my prices, right. But those brands should be able to afford to do that. They have certainly the billions of dollars to be able to do that, or at minimum pay their workers a living wage. Whether or not they’re making custom sized pieces.

Carly Someplace
So absolutely. I mean, yes, I think that I mean, they have they’re, they’re not doing it all by themselves, but they also have, they have their product, they have a massive profit margin.

Magda Guichard
That’s great. And it’s it’s not the people, it’s certainly not the designers that are making the money. It’s not the people that are in the stores that are making the money. And it’s not the people that are sewing it, it’s the it’s barely the buyers that are making that money. And it’s certainly the CEOs and the CFOs that are making their money. Yeah. So I mean, there’s certainly a cost difference there. But that is also to say that there are brands that you can get custom size, not lingerie, but custom size clothing, right, that is a very reasonable price. You Shakti is one of my favorite companies that I design for me as well. I bought a few pieces from them, and I absolutely love their stuff. And they do dresses and suits and you know, casual wear, and I mean, you want to say like 100 bucks for a dress. Oh my gosh, it’s so expensive. It’s it’s not. It’s not um, you know, you go to torrid and you pay $100 for a dress, and it’s not greatly made. It’s I mean, it’s pretty good. But it’s fast fashion, the person who made that made 50 cents.

Carly Someplace
Yeah. But it’s also not going to the way that

Magda Guichard
Yeah, right. And so I mean, I love brands, like Shakti and they’re, they’re growing and they they work out of India, and I believe, somewhere in the West Coast. And so they’ve managed to make their their essentially their lines work the same way that I do, where a person can submit either general size or their customer measurements, they have it broken down, they have their computer software that sizes it for those customers, I’m sure that they’ve worked it out or they’ve got a design. I don’t know if they’ve got a designer behind the scenes that then breaks it down. I’m sure there’s a software and I’m hunting for one that where you just plug in the numbers and it like edits the pattern for you. And then it it cuts it. I mean, there is a cost to not making 10 pieces at a time or making one at a time. But they’re smart because they’ll do like the same fabric in like 10 different pieces. Yeah, and kind of mix and match things that way, which is really smart. Because a lot of times you can buy fabric less expensively I don’t want to say cheaper when you buy 100 yards today. So once that 100 yards is used, you’re done with that line.

Carly Someplace
I was like that correct?

Magda Guichard
Yes. And I mean, I still have a ton of that fabric. But and I think that’s gonna be like my through line, I’ll you know, I’m going to be retiring a lot of stuff next year, right and start over for 2022. But I think that fabric is going that particular fabric, it’s going to be like my OG like through line fabric for everything. I mean,

Carly Someplace
nobody’s ever mad about Red Velvet lingerie. So

Magda Guichard
Right. And I think it looks great on every person that I’ve put it on, and people just kind of want to pit pit. Yeah, and I mean, I’m learning things as a small business like what’s selling what’s not trying to hop on trends, but there’s also like, I don’t want to copy savage by it. Like I that’s not what I do. And I love me on colors. Like did you know me online for the swimwear? Yeah. Which is now retired, but like, because yeah, that’s what was popular this year. Yeah. Who knows what’s going to be popular for swimwear? Yeah, it’s, it’s

Carly Someplace
an ever changing

Magda Guichard
in great like, and, you know, it’s just like, as far as, like, people are asking, Well, why don’t you do underwires? COVID. I stopped wearing underwires. Yeah, when COVID hit, and I just hated it when I had to start putting it back on. And I kind of decided not to. So um, so the first year, I’m just like, so that’s, I mean, that’s like 80% of why the other 20% is, frankly, it’s a lot more difficult to pattern those especially to be a really individually sighs it’s not going to say that’s something that I’m working on, and figuring out how I can easily do that as a solo person. So that I’m hoping that by 2022, that that will be a thing in the early lines, so that those requests can be fulfilled.

Carly Someplace
Well, it’s, it’s just I feel like that’s, I could see why that requests for, you know, underwired things is big. Because that’s, I mean, I don’t want to be like my first idea of what lingerie is is like a bra and panties set. And when I think of bras are only honestly, in the last like, five years have I even worn non underwire bras like wearing bralettes is a new thing versus wearing an underwire bra.

Magda Guichard
I think Luckily, I’ve kind of hit on the trend because of COVID that

Carly Someplace
nobody wants to wear a bra anymore.

Magda Guichard
Bras is super popular. But there’s also this misconception that only underwire bras give you support and only underwire bras will give you a push up look right. And I personally think that’s false. I mean, honestly, if you come at me and you’re like, I want padding in this, Brawl it, I’ll figure it out. But I really don’t think I you know, we had a friend that came to me and was like, Oh, I really think it would be better for push up. And I like look at her and one of my bralettes and I’m like, Yeah, but you’ve got cleavage right now. I don’t know what you’re talking. So, um, I think it’s just about how it’s designed and how it is meant to, you know, support you.

Carly Someplace
Yeah, yeah. And your wire I and I can say from a consumer side, like, I don’t want to say that’s not something I’ve ever like, truly, like sat down and thought about but like, my, I mean, my brain goes to my body goes to comfort. And I think that comfort is a huge, huge thing. And like, I’ve taken such a it’s really been in the last couple years that like I don’t wear things that are uncomfortable anymore. I don’t care what it is. Or if I’m like supposed to be wearing it or supposed to like it. Like if it’s uncomfortable. I’m not putting it on my body. The exception being like, occasionally I’ll wear something that’s like, Okay, this is gonna be uncomfortable, but I’m wearing it for an hour and I’m wearing it because it looks really cool. Or like, for a specific something like stilettos are terrible and so uncomfortable. Will I wear them for photoshoots? Yes. Will I wear them in real life?

Magda Guichard
No. Will I wear them between two different sets of a photoshoot? Absolutely

Carly Someplace
not. No way. But like, I think that that’s the type of like, I don’t want to be like we as women have been brainwashed that like we have to wear these things. And so even like looking at the underwear discussion on that, literally I was like when I started to like, I don’t wanna say have to wear a bra again, because I’ve just not, um, I was literally like, okay, cool. I’m gonna put this bra on. And I was like, It’s really annoying. Trouble? Is it uncomfortable? Because it’s not the right size on me? Or is it uncomfortable? Because I haven’t worn a bra in over a year? And the answer is probably both, but at the same time, like, and then I was like, eff this, why am I why am I bothering to try and put something on my body that’s uncomfortable to uphold a beauty standard that I don’t really care about. I don’t give two shits, if I have cleavage or not, like, it’s not really a big deal for me. So why would I, you know, go into,

Magda Guichard
like, 100% Respect, the women that want to do that, like, I don’t know, your if that’s what, like, if you want to walk around with cleavage, cool, awesome, I don’t mind looking at that. I think your boobs are gorgeous. Um, but I personally don’t want that. And I mean, certainly with the COVID weight and like my ribs, expanding from probably laying around for 20 hours a day. You know, all of that junk. I certainly couldn’t fit in the underwire bra that I was wearing before COVID. And before quarantine, and I just didn’t feel like going and refitting a bra. That whole process is just so dehumanizing when you go and you’re in this tiny room with this woman that like got trained in five minutes. And is telling you what your boob shape is like. I mean, that’s not to say that it’s any more comfortable. Like, I’ll be I’ll be real, and you had to do this for me, like taking your measurements at home is not comfortable. Like, I don’t want that to be awkward, right? Like sometimes, sometimes you just don’t want to see those numbers. And I mean, but that’s, that’s not to say that I’m going to get a number and be like, Oh my God, you’re so out of this range, or whatever. I will know because I asked my customers to send me a photo if I don’t know them. Like I know your body type. I know your body like by hurt by know

Carly Someplace
my body. At this point, Magda has lingerie for some place images, and it looks amazing on everybody if I say so myself, but like really well, and my body shape really well. So yes.

Magda Guichard
Like, I know, my friends bodies really well, because that’s what I’ve been trained to do. I look at bodies and they look for, you know, differences. And but if I don’t know you, and you send me a picture, and I get a measurement, and I’m like, that isn’t right, that’s not the right number. I know, I know what it’s supposed like. So I’ll be like, Hey, I’m sorry, can you like pull that tape out? Again? Just check that one number, you know, like, because

Carly Someplace
that’s a huge part of small business. Like, that’s a big thing. Like, I would I mean, if I don’t want to say I haven’t actually taken my measurements, because I’ve usually stood in whatever kitchen we’re in, in whatever state we’re in weather and said magnetic measurements. So I’ve never had to do it myself. But I could totally see like, not getting the right number or like confusing. A Bustan and under boster confusing something. And as a small business, like you pretty much following up and being like, hey, that doesn’t seem right. I just wanted to check in and like, you know, you sent me your picture. And it’s saying that you have this but you know, I’m seeing that that might be a little bit wrong. I’d love to confirm before I you know, make that and I think that’s a huge thing. Right? And

Magda Guichard
I like the measurement her I went through like four different versions of it. And it’s never, I’ll be honest, it’s never gonna be perfect, right? Sure. He shocked he deals with the same thing. And they’ve got their fig guarantee. I mean, yeah, but Mistakes happen when you’re taking a measurement at home and you don’t have a tape measure. And I’m like, Okay, well grab, grab a belt that doesn’t stretch and take a number, like, you know, like, do your best. Like, you know, we try and do our best. But it like, mistakes happen. And I’ve had people are friends friend, and I’m gonna name drop, if we need to leave her name out. That’s fine. So Shannon, ordered some pieces from me. And she got them. And, you know, there were a couple of issues. Yeah, she got two swimsuits, which I think she I couldn’t believe that she ordered two swimsuits for me. And she got them and just something was cut weird. And when I saw her in person a couple of weeks ago, I double checked her measurements. And I was like, Ha, Ha this was I figured it out. Like even with the pictures and everything and like I like I don’t advertise that. Oh, just do whatever you like. But I’m gonna I’m gonna say right now. This is not the first time I’ve made I make mistakes. I’m a human. This is not on you or your body. This is your we’re humans. We’re all humans. I make mistakes. You make you make a mistake. And so I you know, and this is probably the fourth or fifth time where someone’s like, this just doesn’t feel right. And I’d be like, Okay, send me pictures or like in Shannon’s case. It was impressive. All right. And I said, Alright, send it back. I’ll fix it. Like I just, I want you to feel good. You’re, you’re spending money on this to feel good. And it’s not ideal, because then you’re waiting another couple of weeks to get this piece because I am doing this by myself. But like, I want you to have this and wear it for as long as it lasts. And

Carly Someplace
it should last a while. So.

Magda Guichard
So like, yeah, I don’t want you to spend this money and then have it go sit in the bottom of your drawer because you’re like, Oh, well, it didn’t fit, right. I, if it if it’s not someone that’s near me, honestly fix it.

Carly Someplace
That’s a struggle that I hear from a lot of my clients anyways, like, I mean, obviously, I have the lingerie wardrobe, with the studio. And so and like I said earlier, I have quite a few pieces from you, which is amazing. And they’re some of the most flexible, easy pieces that I can put on different bodies. And obviously, so when I’m shooting, I do use a system of like using clips and different things like that, because I realized that I’m not going to be able to customize lingerie for every single thing, of course, but I can do will say, you know, like, nips and tucks for lack of a better word, using small clips and using you know, tricks because it’s on camera, it’s not in real life, these aren’t things that have to fit perfectly. They just need to look good in photos. And that’s a that’s a whole other thing of being able to to look at laundry and do those things. But a lot of my clients come in and they’re like, Hey, I, you know, bought all of these things, or I have these things, but they just like don’t fit me right. And so they’ve just been sitting in my drawer like that is I bet that on a I would say almost weekly basis, at least one of my clients will be like, Yeah, I’ve had all these things for a really long time. And they just like, you know, this doesn’t fit quite right. Or like this is this doesn’t This feels weird. And so I’ve never really worn it. So it’s just been sitting in a drawer and I’m like, I want to be like, Girl, put it on your body just like don’t let it sit at the bottom of the drawer forever. Like where it just

Magda Guichard
we all have those pieces that sit in a drawer because they’re not comfortable. Like I don’t know.

Carly Someplace
I mean, I even mean like that, that I’m like, am I gonna wear these ever? No, but like, they’re fuzzy, like, keep them but no, like,

Magda Guichard
right? Like, I think like the two years ago, I went through my sock drawer because I had all these like fun little socks that, you know, people would buy me like the socks that I don’t know why people buy me socks ever. But people like me socks that have like cats on them or something. And I just don’t wear them because they’re not comfortable because that’s a whole other thing. And I’m bad ankles.

Carly Someplace
Or I’m so far just like not putting things on your body that are uncomfortable. And that’s like a huge thing that I’ve done in the past couple years is like I don’t wear things that are uncomfortable, even like, I will buy certain things brand new, a pair of leggings or a pair of joggers or whatever. And if I put it on and I don’t like them, and they don’t fit me well. I will literally be like, Hey, Mom, you want these? Because they don’t fit me right? And I’m not. Or does anybody want these because I’m not going to wear them. If it makes me feel uncomfortable. If I have to pull it my clothes. And if I have to like constantly readjust things, it makes me feel so self conscious. And I hate it late so much. And I think that

Magda Guichard
right and that absolutely goes into like self confidence and 100% like rock yourself. Yeah, yeah, that

Carly Someplace
so the most common question that I get, like people are like, What’s one thing I can do to boost my self confidence? I’m like, put on

Magda Guichard
right how do I have confidence? That’s the one that you always get is How do I get your confidence?

Carly Someplace
You do I do get that a lot. So like my literally number one thing is like put on underwear that make you feel like a boss. That is what you need to do. And it could be like, listen, we all have different underwear days, I have some underwear that make me feel like a boss one day and the next day I’m like, yep, nope, that’s not you. Um, which is fine. But like putting something on your body, the first thing that you put on your body that is next your skin needs to be comfortable and needs to like make you feel like a badass because then you’re going to walk around being like I’m a fucking badass and those vibes come out no matter what you’re wearing on top of it. You could be wearing sweat pants, you could be wearing a business suit if you were wearing something saucy underneath there and you know it and you feel confident in it. You are going to walk different talk different act different everything and it is such a huge, huge thing and like literally it’s step one, what you put on your body starting with your underwear is the most important thing that you do because if you are uncomfortable, you are going to act uncomfortable and it comes across in every single thing that you do. Absolutely. That’s my soapbox now.

Magda Guichard
I’m gonna I’m sorry, I’m gonna quote you because your favorite the other is your responses. I like when people are like how do I get your confidence is don’t get my confidence, get your own confidence like I’m and that’s part of it is like what you wear and what you do are part of what make you competent and it’s not. It’s not just about what you’re wearing and it’s certainly not for other people. Not because Yeah, I mean, I, I will be the first to admit that I’ve had a major slump in the last couple years in my confidence. And I’m, you know, slowly gaining that back. But that, you know, because and that’s not on anyone but me like and how I’m responding to what society says, um, you know, I’m wearing baggy clothes and wearing T shirts. And that certainly doesn’t make me feel great when I dress up. I feel amazing. I mean, even if it’s like, a shirt that’s different, that fits a little bit better, I feel so much better than when I’m wearing just a baggy t shirt. And that’s not to say that you can’t, you can’t fucking rock a t shirt, like everyone can rock a t shirt. But I’m not talking about those T shirts. I’m talking about walking around in my like, baggy target plain t shirt that is like three sizes too big. And, like, you know, not flattering at all. And yeah, it’s totally different.

Carly Someplace
I, it’s a huge component of what you put on your body affects your confidence, which is why important.

Magda Guichard
Right, and I think that first step is certainly a huge one. And I, you know, like I you can be sexy without showing skin. I mean, like, you can feel that sexiness without showing that. i It’s something that I certainly, again, struggle with myself, because I work in my day job with children. So like, I can walk or I can’t walk around showing off my bra and underwear. But I can certainly be wearing something underneath what is very conservative, and feel better about myself. And yeah, so I think I think that’s super important. And I think that if whatever it is like whatever you do, like dyeing my hair, purple makes me feel more confident.

Carly Someplace
Yeah, shaving my head make me more confident, right.

Magda Guichard
Like a month ago, I finally redid that. And it made me feel so much better. I feel like myself again. Magic. It’s so magical how that is. And you know, like, if wearing makeup makes you feel better, which, like 50% of the time it does, because it’s kind of a mask for me. I I work as a costume designer. So yeah, I create characters for myself. If I have to pretend that I’m confident to get through the day, then that’s what I do. It’s certainly some thing that I’m reminding myself because it’s something that I did when I started playing roller derby. And you know, I kind of had to trick myself into that and

Carly Someplace
faking it till you make it.

Magda Guichard
Yeah. Yeah, I I don’t play right now. Because everything’s kind of still shut down here. But yeah, yeah, I gained a lot of confidence, because I just pretended that I was. And I know that you hear that a lot. You know, a lot of people tell you like, oh, just fake it till you make it. And it’s not like you don’t have right, like you’re not faking it. You’re you’re faking it until you fake it for like you until you believe it for yourself. Exactly. That’s exactly what you know, that you’re but it’s also yourself more than anybody else. Right? Like, if I, if that’s what I have to do, I’m sorry. Like, I have to just if I have to disassociate to be able to get through my day. It’s it’s a really terrible mental health thing that like, you know, I’m sure that some people are gonna be like, Oh, no, I don’t just associate but like, sometimes you have to do that. Like that’s, that’s how I get through my anxiety. And, and it’s, it was a trick that I had got in from a therapist a few years ago. And then with everything shutting down, it kind of went away. And so like now I’m trying to remember like, oh, right, I have to play pretend again, right? I’m not an actor. I don’t go on stage to save anyone’s life. I hate public speaking. So the fact that I do these podcast things is like, hilarious to me. I bought like, a roller derby. Yeah, for roller derby a few years ago, we were doing what? It’s essentially a TED talk a local TED talk. I can’t. Charlotte is creative. Okay. And I, we did it as a group, which they never do. But they were like, Hey, we need some volunteers to public speak about what roller derby did for you. And I was one of the first to volunteer because I was like, I hate public speaking. Sure. I’m gonna go do that. Right.

Carly Someplace
Well, I want to ask because I think I know the answer to this. So I have a couple questions that I’m going to ask everybody as interview questions here on the podcast. You know, you’re my second guest. So I’m the first one being like what what was or like has been a turning point in like your self love Journey and like, this sounds like it of like being able to be like, Yes, I’m I’m feeling calm. evident in myself, even if you were quote, unquote, faking it until you make it like, that’s a huge thing. And so like, but like, what was that for you? What was a turning point where you were? And we, I want to, we all have good days and bad days. So I’m not gonna like just sure that, especially if you said, you know, you’ve been in the slump for a couple months, and like, I feel like a lot of us have, we’re 18 months into a global pandemic, and it’s a lot.

Magda Guichard
Yeah, a lot. And it’s something that I’m I, I’m gonna start acting like the youths and have a tick tock about all this stuff. But I was like, really thinking about it today and being like, Okay, I really, I talk about this a lot on my Facebook page, and I get some flack for it, that I talk very openly about my mental health. And that I say, when I’m having a bad day, and part of that is because social media is very fake. Yeah. And so to get back to your question, the sounds to anyone listening to this sounds very, like kissing your butt. Because, I mean, you’re my idol. But, but like, my turning point was the someplace group. And being really involved in that I kind of dove head in, I was one of the early people in the group. Yeah. And, you know, being able to be there for other women and support other women. And tell them, you know, like, the shitty days and the great days and have like feedback that, okay, you’re allowed to have those terrible days. Um, I think that was really the start. And then I had my first shoot with you, like three years ago. And I still felt terrible about myself. But I was in the middle of playing roller derby and and so for me to have gained the confidence to play roller derby was because I started talking about my life in the someplace group, and, you know, be able to be open about that, I think was really important. And to be able to say, like, what my fears are, I had a professor in grad school who always would yell at me that because I was so afraid this is such a gifted child dilemma. Like I like to me, right, like, for anyone that grew up in the Gifted and Talented groups, in school, you know, you’re so afraid to fail, that you don’t try anything as an adult. And so I went to graduate school, all places like this is the place that you’re supposed to be able to, like, try everything, and do all of the things towards what you want to do as a career, right. And I went into this class with a professor, who literally was like, Okay, so your next project is thinking outside the box. Go. And I was like, what does that mean? And I could not, I literally, like, I literally could not make, like, I couldn’t even think outside of a physical box. Like, what he’s like, I didn’t know what it meant. Like, I was like, No, I need more parameters. And he’s like, Nope, you get to fail. And so he, he was like, What is your? And so like, he had to break it down. Like he was my therapist, like, what? What are you so afraid of? And I was like, I’m afraid of failing this class. If I fail this class, I’m kicked out of grad school. Right? And he’s like, Okay, well, I mean, you’re not gonna if you do anything, you’re not going to feel the project. So do something. Well, yeah. Yeah, do absolutely anything. And you so so my favorite phrase was like, It’s okay. He’s like, it’s okay to fail. You just have to try. And that’s kind of been my motto. It is on the plans for a sleeve that I mean, to get tattooed on my arm. I love it. Because I constantly need that reminder that you have to you have to try something. And so when you were like, here’s this Black Friday sale to do this photo shoot, and I was like, Yes, me. I don’t even care if I get prints from it. Just gonna do a photo shoot already. I know. I was like, ready for it when one of our now friends moved into Charlotte and was like, I play roller. Oh, she was my boss. Right boss was being interviewed for her position. And on her resume. She said she played roller derby, which I think is probably one of the best things to put on a resume that she was the treasurer of her. Right. Like the she was the treasurer for roller derby league in California. And I was like, Oh, we found a roller derby league in Charlotte. She’s like, Oh, no. I was like, Oh, I’ve always wanted to do that. But I’ve been too afraid to do it. So when she got the job and moved to Charlotte, they had a fresh meat night and she grabbed the flyer and shoved it across the table at me and I was like, Okay, I’m in I’m going to $300 worth of equipment and I’m going to go to this. I love it.

Carly Someplace
I love itself. And so like,

Magda Guichard
because I don’t ever do anything like, this is probably why I should never ever do drugs. I have a very hard time doing things half assed. And so roller derby was very hard for me because I was failing every day. Yeah, it’s not something I’m used to. And that makes me sound like such a like, I’m so amazing. And I mean, I’m allowed to have that confidence. I’m sorry, I have grown up doing what I doubt. Well, I

Carly Someplace
100% agree.

Magda Guichard
I’ve grown up doing what I do for a living. And I think that we’re allowed to be proud of what we do. You grew up being a photographer, you are a photographer, you are an amazing photographer. I grew up crafting, and I like to joke about this when people come tour, my job is to like, find out what I do. And I say, I was an only child and I literally did every craft under the sun. Yes, that is my job is my job. Right? I crafted I stone. I’m amazing at it. And I allowed to have confidence. And so that’s something for anyone listening to this. Like, if you are good at something, you’re allowed to be happy about it. Damn it. And so I that’s what was so difficult for me because I was always good at those types of things. I never strayed outside of that. I never strayed outside of the art, or the artistic side, I can copy a piece of art like anyone’s business. Yeah, I can knit, I can kind of crochet but I will fake it. I embroider I embroider I sew, I do all these, like I paint like I paint and I screenprints and I make puppets. And I make hats that after learning like you know from one person how to make a puppet, I made a 30 foot puppet. And you know, so that was my comfort zone, which for anyone who was not artistic is not their comfort zone. But a lot of those people that are not artistic are more sporty than I am. very, I’m very not a sporty person I like I like to sit on the couch. And I

Carly Someplace
and therapy just puts you like out of your comfort zone but in a such a good way.

Magda Guichard
Oh absolutely. You get in a room of 40 badass women and men that are just building each other up and like kicking each other’s butts. Modern roller derby is not like WWE and skates, it is a sport. And that’s not something that I know how to do. I don’t I’m not a team sport person, I am not a team player. It’s something that I have to be better at in my job. And but so it pushed me out of my comfort zone. And it’s it’s something that I try to take forward every single day that, like, you have to try something new. That is not what you’re good at. And that’s fine, you’re fine. If you’re not good at

Carly Someplace
learning, it is all part of the Exactly.

Magda Guichard
Right. Like it’s okay to fail at something and but you’re you’re not gonna die from it. I mean, there are very few things that you would die from if you fail. Like I wouldn’t recommend like, you know, go skydiving without any training. Or like, you know, operating on someone, obviously, but like, you know, like someone had to try that at first and found out. You know, what I do isn’t going to be killing anyone. And that’s fine. And so it’s taking those risks and trying to figure that out. And then like applying that to yourself every day. But it’s a kindness that I’m relearning. Like I said, the last couple of years with quarantine have been very hard on my body. And that’s not to say just my physical body, but the mental health of my body and how I view it and I’m not very gentle with it anymore. But I have to take forward every single day that I It’s okay that it’s like this, and that is going to change. Yeah, it might be different in two weeks, and it might not. And that’s fine.

Carly Someplace
So So my next question is, so do you have any like particular books or media or a person who has like helped you in this journey with your body and even like we can even touch on mental health there because I think that it’s such an important factor of everything. Yeah,

Magda Guichard
sure. I mean, I hate to admit that I haven’t been reading as much as I’d like only because I read a lot of scripts for work, right. And so when I get home, it’s very exhausting to read a book right Like, it makes me sound like I’m not a very well read person, but it’s just really tiring because I’m done. I get into a book and I want to analyze it work very different way.

Carly Someplace
You got to put your brain off in that.

Magda Guichard
Right and when I you know when you’re working 10 hour days or 12 hour days or whatever it is, and then you come home that’s like you just want to shut off. So, as far as I’ve been watching a lot of like mental health tick tock, yeah, I’m 30 I’m, I’m one of those 30 Somethings on tick tock.

Carly Someplace
I love tick tock. Right.

Magda Guichard
I’ve recently learned so much to it. Right, I’ve recently gotten back into it, and let me tell you, mental health tick tock and plus size tick tock is I am here for it. And I can’t wait. I think I’m just that’s gonna be the next thing I need to like, get over that fear of public speaking again, and I’m gonna start making tic TOCs again, so if anyone wants to follow that I am at legit underscore 55. And we’ll see if that’s on my list for tomorrow morning.

Carly Someplace
I’m, I’m envisioning it. I’m so excited. Right. Yeah.

Magda Guichard
Like I, I can imagine that it’s gonna end up being gi like, occasionally just pitching to the camera, I might make a fool of myself and dance for the camera. I like it all. But I think that there are a lot of amazing people on there. And I think that it’s really accessible. It’s not a two way thing, which I think is both great and not great, because, you know, but it’s great because you don’t have the pressure of having to respond. But there are a lot of amazing writers that both have their, their positive sides, like a lot of amazing actors and singers on Tik Tok, right, but the ones that I love to follow are the ones that do that, and then talk about the struggles every day.

Carly Someplace
Because there is there is struggle, there is struggle, like I think that that’s absolutely when we have this confidence conversation or like you said, You’ve watched multiple people ask me like, oh, how can I have your confidence like it is? I have to pick myself every single day. That is, like, there is such a, like, even what you were saying, like failing every single day, and like picking yourself every single day is really hard. It’s not easy.

Magda Guichard
I I crack up when people ask that. People ask that in the group, and they’re like, Oh, my God, how do I get that confidence? Or even when they look at other people’s photoshoots? And like, oh my gosh, I don’t know if I could do that. That’s take so much confidence, and I just have to laugh. Like, you think I walked into that? Like I was, I mean, I was like, bloated? And like, you know, feeling like crap that day. Vicki, oh my gosh, yes. I am a sweaty person, by nature. And when I get excited about something and I start talking about something if I’m not sitting in my freezing cold studio like I am right now, I would be drenched in sweat. Because literally as soon as I start getting excited about something, I started sweating for it. Yeah. So like, I laugh when people are like, because I know you I’ve known you for 10 years or so. Yeah. And so when people are like currently, how do I get your confidence? And I’m just like, I’ve seen her death. Her lows, guys like she has them. She’s a human being and social media has trained us. Yeah, right. Social media has trained us to think that, that everyone is perfect and every time. Right and if you get in the right streams of Tik Tok and, and Instagram and things like that you can find those. Like, there’s little pockets of wonder where? Right there. It’s amazing. And I think that it’s great for the young people of today. And I hope that you can see that. And it’s not as fake. And I think that there’s an what’s even better is discord has that too. And you’re able to converse with people and it’s free. I think that the the terror for a lot of young people and for a lot of people in general, I mean, I should say I shouldn’t just say young people because I have friends that are in their 40s and 50s in the group. Right? You know, you need like that that discussion. But you can’t afford to go see a therapist. And it’s not like the best thing because you should go to therapy, and people that are not trained. Oh, well. Yeah. I mean, there are people that are not trained that are giving out advice, but sometimes all you need is someone to listen. And I think that’s very important. And yeah, and I’m sorry, but like there are people that are just not supported by their spouses or their parents that can’t go to therapy that can’t afford therapy or their community or their communities. Yeah, I mean, I I have health insurance and I’m lucky enough to have health insurance that could partially cover therapy, but it’s still somewhat Ask prohibitive. And so to be able to talk to people that are, could be somewhat anonymous, I, that’s very helpful because sometimes you just need to get that off your chest. So that’s a long, that’s a long way of saying that, like, I don’t read right now, but I listen and watch a lot of things that kind of helped me through those moments because I think that’s really important.

Carly Someplace
It is really important. Okay, so my final question, what is one piece of advice that you would give to your younger self? And this can be like college younger self? Or like little kid younger self? Or like, any any of it? I mean, like, last week, self is younger?

Magda Guichard
Well, I think we kind of touched on it a little bit, for sure. And it definitely goes back to that, like, it’s okay to fail. Just try for crying out loud. Just fucking try. Yeah, because it’s always I mean, like, I’ve had anxiety and my entire life, and I have had to shut a lot of it at home. I did go to therapy for a couple of years. And I am planning on going back. But we literally had to go through the same process use of EMDR that PTSD people go through, because that is how my anxiety presents, right? Because I will remember something that I said in the second grade, and it will haunt me all night long. And so I Yeah, that’s exactly what I would say is like, it’s okay, like you can, you can save and be the weird person. Like, it’s not your fault that that person decided to go with the popular people. Right? be weird. Be the person that is so weird that even the goth kids think you’re too weird. Like, like, I there was definitely a point in. It’s like posting xiety Because there was definitely a point in high school and middle school where I was like, I don’t care. I’m gonna wear these flower print tights with the shorts and the crop top and my hair in pigtails. Um, and you’re okay with it. And then, literally, I talked to one of my friends that is was in the goth crowd. And he’s like, yeah, they don’t like you because you’re too weird. How does that make sense? Right. Oh, right. But it’s okay. And like, and that’s honestly even like to myself, like five years ago, like, you don’t have to think about that anymore. It’s okay. But you were too weird for the GOP? Totally. Because

Carly Someplace
your weirdness is one of the things I love the most about.

Magda Guichard
It’s okay for you to be like that now. Because those kids that were the preppy ones, or the goth ones that grew up, they’re still like that. They still critique you. I have coworkers that will be like, Oh, that’s a choice to dye your hair purple. And I’m like, is it hurting anyone? I mean, I’m not dealing I’m not public facing which I don’t know why that matter anyways, but Right. don’t deal with the public in case anyone is concerned. I don’t deal with the public for my job. I deal with the children backstage or I deal with my coworkers. So it shouldn’t matter that I didn’t dye my hair purple or that I bought snake bite piercings on my face or that I’ve got tattoos. Not so slick, right? None of that matters. It’s okay for me to let that go. Now, I can wear mismatching colors now and be okay with it. Or I can world black if I want to. And it also doesn’t mean that I need to dwell on the fact that someone in seventh grade so that it’s too weird for the guy.

Carly Someplace
Listen, I will take all of your weirdness and lift it up and cherish it because I love it.

Magda Guichard
And I like it. It’s like I said like I’ve said 1000 times in the last hour like I have forgotten that over the last couple of years and I’m fine with it. I’m fine with my mismatched colors and prints and I’m fine with wearing all black and I’m fine with wearing makeup or not wearing makeup and every day is different for me like I wake up and I like maybe not today right but that’s fine. And so that I think is the biggest advice for my self five years ago and myself five minutes ago like I hear okay to be who you want to be and how comfortable you are in that is up to you. Yeah, it’s not up to anyone else. Yeah,

Carly Someplace
and it’s okay to fail. Okay, I think that’s a hard lesson though. It really is, is it’s a it’s a hard thing to wrap our heads around when a lot of society expects I don’t wanna say perfection from us but perfection in so many different ways and and even with the rise of social media of you know, oh or like these people can do no wrong or whatever and that’s it’s not true and and social media. You know, I guess a huge thing of having the Facebook group that we have in the community that we have is like, we talk about highs and lows we talk about it’s, it’s, it’s a place on the internet that isn’t, I don’t want to say judgmental, because I’m sure that there are still people in that community judging others. And there have definitely been some times that I’ve been like, Girl what you were in. And then the first thought that comes to my mind after that is don’t judge anybody for what they want to wear and feel comfortable in. But I have to untrain myself,

Magda Guichard
I have to untrain I call people out on that all the time. I call myself out on that all the time. And it’s because, you know, everyone wants to pit us against each other. Yeah, and but it benefits consumerism, if we had that, because it just means Oh, well, then they’ll go buy that makeup, or they’ll buy that wrinkle cream, because that filter made them look perfect. Yeah. And that’s not

Carly Someplace
reality. No, not reality. Yeah.

Magda Guichard
And not, you know, we’re, we’re both of that we’re both of that, like No Child Left Behind generation. And it’s really screwed up a lot of us, you know, if you don’t go to college, or total failure, and i i Still, this is where the anxiety comes in. I still remember I had a friend that dropped out of college after his first semester. And I was stunned because gap years weren’t a thing. And I’m very thankful that they are now it’s taken me a couple years to like, understand what that really means and that some people are not right for college. Some people are not right for college right now, they might go back to it. Absolutely. We need technicians, we need people that do the jobs that are not college based. Like you have to have that for society to run. If we continue to be consumer society, those people need to exist.

Carly Someplace
That can also be that person’s weird thing. Like I have a friend who like literally has known that they were going to be an electrician their whole life because it fascinates them. And they’re obsessed with it. And they didn’t want to go to college because they wanted to go to trade school. And I was like, do it like it’s just such,

Magda Guichard
let me tell you people that are electricians and went to trade school are not idiots, like they’re like, and that’s that’s me telling my past self that for sure. Yeah. But like that get there, you have to be really smart to work with that kind of equipment. And literally, it’s right. And it’s just like, you know, they turned what I do for a living into something that you need a graduate degree. And right. But like, you know, if you’re a carpenter, in theater,

Carly Someplace
well, you can even just say, this touch on the subject. I did not need a college education to do what I do. Period. Sure.

Magda Guichard
I I’m sure that if I I mean, as a costume designer, I needed a college education, I don’t know that I needed a master’s degree, right. And I certainly as a Stitcher did not need a master’s degree. Right. But there are, those are technical fields that they’ve turned into something where they can make money off of people going to graduate school to do right, those people are brilliant. And I think they do amazing work. But you don’t need to spend in an army like going to graduate school to do that. And I think that’s really important. And I think that you kind of get that a little bit in New York, you can be trained and apprentice in that and not get a master’s degree, you can go in the technical field that way. But I think that that’s something that needs to come back to the smaller towns. A lot of people go into mass production. I know that there’s a town, a small town in Georgia, just like on the other side of the Florida Georgia Line that like does all the manufacturing for like, UPS, uniforms and things like that. And those are trades that are not things that you need to go to graduate school to do. But I agree, you know, it’s something that you can be trained to do. And I think that that’s really important. And I think that those are things that people need to get back and that the No Child Left Behind thing kind of screwed everyone over on because it made this so important that you have to go to college.

Carly Someplace
Yep. But it’s not true. You have to go to college, you have to do these things. You have to have you know, 2.5 kids and a white picket fence and a dog and all end like right I’m I’m ready I’m ready for the flip the script and it’s it’s coming it’s it’s happening and it’s it’s a good thing and I’m I’m glad that we’re part of the generation that’s changing things. I’m glad I’m glad for both what you do and what I do that you know I work with, you know all bodies, period. and all genders and being able to showcase people as they are. And people in their I don’t want to say most beautiful form, but like I can show people that they are beautiful exactly as they are. And what you do is an especially with Amber goddess, like you give people something that they feel badass in, and being able to move forward with that, like, we need so much more of, we need so much more vibes, like many more vibes like that leave and thank you of like, feeling confident in your own skin. And I think that that’s such such an important thing for everybody to feel and everybody to like be able to do and that what we’re doing now, what you what I’m doing as a business, what you’re doing as a business, what I see so many other people doing is changing, changing the narrative, because we were of that generation that that were like, this isn’t acceptable, and the younger ones shouldn’t have to do what we did.

Magda Guichard
Right. And I and I work often enough with high schoolers and college students that I’m really proud of them. And they’re really changing. I mean, I see high school students that are so such activists, and trying to push forward to make the world better. To the point like, Yeah, I did some of that. But like, the level of organization that these high school students have, and middle school students have towards politics and reform. It’s just absolutely amazing. And I think that they’re building each other up, and they’re supporting people. And I think that, you know, I want to take credit as being part of the generation before that, and that we kind of, like my friends that have had kids that are now old enough to be that is, yes, um, like, we’re raising little, you know, feminists that are able to do those things. And I certainly can’t take that credit, because I am not raising them. But I try to be kind of, you know, better when I am around those students, right. Because I think it’s really important, I think it’s really important to call out people, and they’re calling them out. I mean, they call out the politicians and their peers when they’re doing something wrong. And I think that’s amazing.

Carly Someplace
And I think it’s changed so much. I’m so thankful, so thankful for them. It’s, it’s, it’s great. It’s, it’s such a refreshing thing to see. And, and like I said, I’m proud of both of us, because we are part of that in the ways that we are and we’re both helping change self perspectives of people in our generation and older, you know, we’re flipping the script for people who aren’t in that generation and aren’t being raised with that and aren’t being you know, we’re where you and I are both standing here saying it’s okay to fail. It’s okay to be different. It’s okay to do these things. And it’s okay to just love yourself where you are, you don’t have to, you know, want to be whatever society tells you you need to be and I think that that is a huge, huge thing. Huge thing. So yay.

Magda Guichard
Yay,

Carly Someplace
us. That’s all I gotta say. All right. On that note, yes. I am going to say thank you so much my love for coming and talking with me. And where can people find you on socials?

Magda Guichard
So I am at Amber goddess designs on Instagram. I am Amber goddess designs on Facebook. And currently that is it. My store is Amber Goddess designs.com Cool. Which is DirectLink perfect through Etsy and I’m currently working on a website upgrade hopefully

Carly Someplace
so I’m about it. I’m about it. Thank you so much, my love. I am so so thankful for us to have all of this open conversation and you are the best. Thanks so much for listening to someplace for everybody. If you love this episode, would you mind leaving me a review in your favorite podcast app and subscribe to the show. If you’re looking for a community to love on you and support you and your self love Journey, come join our all gender Facebook group someplace for everybody which can be found in the show notes at some place for everybody.com Until we meet again, be kind to yourself.