My name is Tirzah Lopez . I am 31 years old , born in The Netherlands and grew up on Curacao , a small island near the coast of Venezuela . My father was born in the Dutch Caribbean , and has Colombian roots . My mother is Dutch . My parents met while working at an orphanage house as volunteers . My mother is a teacher , and my father is a graphic designer . I have a younger sister and brother .
I have been drawing since I could hold a pencil . I won first place at age 5 in a drawing competition . My dream to become a fashion designer began when I was 11 .
When my parents divorced in 2003 , my mother brought my siblings and me back to The Netherlands . We lived with my grandparents for a few years . I had a difficult time as a teenager . I did not fit in at school and was bullied . I struggled with depression and low self-esteem during those years . When I turned 18 , I moved to a city to study Art & Design . My life ’ s journey has had a lot of ups and downs , but I made peace with the past and started to focus on my future .
After graduation , I enrolled at the University of Applied Sciences to become a Textile Engineer . I worked as an intern at the headquarters of the Dutch fashion brand G-Star in Amsterdam . I also traveled to Barcelona for a minor in Fashion
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