Sonya LaRae
CEO, LaPaz Image/Event Consultants
What comes to mind when you think of the word Diva? Probably not humility, grace or selfless giving. And then there is Sonya LaRae, a woman who redefines the word Diva. Sonya divides her time between running LaPaz Image/Event Consultants and donating her gift to image seminars for young women.
When we decided to start a series on women of interest, Sonya LaRae immediately came to mind. We had set up to do a phone interview and had scheduled 30 minutes. After 2 hours it was only out of necessity that we ended the interview.
As Sonya began to speak of her early childhood spent in New York, it was easy to assess that Ms. LaRae was far from what anyone could describe as a typical Diva. Raised by her mother, at the tender age of 10, her family moved from New York to Texas. In her own words, it was a culture shock. A Hispanic girl with blue-green eyes was an unlikely fit, but with fashion as her passion Sonya adapted to her new environment. She attributes her mother’s strength for her own ability to overcome life’s difficulties and Sonya has had one or two.
Sonya tells that she has always helped friends and family dress for different occasions but this was always just for fun, something that she enjoyed. At 17, Sonya accompanied her mother to a seminar. She had designed an outfit, last minute for the occasion and unknowingly this would set her course. A woman at the seminar spotted Sonya’s outfit and wouldn’t give up until Sonya told her where she’d gotten the outfit. An embarrassed 17 year old quietly stated that she’d designed it herself. There the seed for LaPaz Image/Event Consultants was planted.
Sonya tells that she has always helped friends and family dress for different occasions but this was always just for fun, something that she enjoyed. At 17, Sonya accompanied her mother to a seminar. She had designed an outfit, last minute for the occasion and unknowingly this would set her course. A woman at the seminar spotted Sonya’s outfit and wouldn’t give up until Sonya told her where she’d gotten the outfit. An embarrassed 17 year old quietly stated that she’d designed it herself. There the seed for LaPaz Image/Event Consultants was planted.
In 1999 LaPaz Image/Event Consultants came to fruition. The company has afforded Ms. LaRae experiences that by her own admission she’d never of had. Living the good life and working at her first love, in 2002 she almost lost it all. After what should have been minor surgery, Sonya was left paralyzed. It was four years before she would walk again but none of it stopped her from pursuing her passion. Ask Sonya why she’s love fashion and you’d expect to hear the typical and you’d be wrong. Ms. LaRae is driven to educate people about self-worth and her love of fashion comes from the knowledge that looking good to yourself equals feeling good about yourself.
La Paz means The Peace and the company motto is:
“Where Everything Is Fabulous!” We think Sonya LaRae is rather fabulous!
“Where Everything Is Fabulous!” We think Sonya LaRae is rather fabulous!
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