Baëlf Design founder Jamela Law has been shortlisted as a finalist for the Vogue Talent Prize 2023, organized by the Vogue Singapore Foundation. She was given the opportunity to create a campaign under the theme ‘Reverie’ for the Vogue July/Aug 2023 issue in which she interviewed three inspirational women, dream-makers in their own right.
These women mused on their preoccupations and how they manifest dreams and ambitions, not just their own but of others as well. Jamela transformed their imaginative reveries into whimsical works of wearable art in the digital realm, informed by their aspirations, experiences, and challenges.
One of the three women featured in Jamela’s design is Moonlake Lee, Founder of Unlocking ADHD, a charity/ social service agency with a mission to empower ADHDers to live life to the fullest and draw strength from their neurodivergence.
In this dress design, fragments of a skull cap are floating around the head, symbolizing the state of distracted reverie that ADHDers constantly experience. These are juxtaposed with butterlies, illustrating transformations ADHDers undergo through different pressures of life. These butterflies (Moonlake’s favourite motif) are formed from diamonds, representing the amazing, brilliant, strong interiors ADHDers possess under the shame, trauma, and lack of self-esteem. “What we try to do is uncover the diamonds and give them the resources to shine.” she shared. Lastly, the dress has orange ribbon motifs which is the symbol for ADHD awareness.
The special aspect to this story is that Jamela herself was recently diagnosed with ADHD – her creativity is one of the strengths of her wiring and it is especially meaningful that she has chosen to use her talent to spread awareness about ADHD and support the work that Unlocking ADHD is doing in the community.
Jamela Law’s Interview with Moonlake Lee
What were your dreams when you were a young girl?
As a young girl, there was an inner drive and restlessness that prevented me from just staying in one career track. Looking back with my new understanding of ADHD after being diagnosed at the age of 50, it gave me the context for some of the decisions that I made over the years. There were so many things that interested me, that I did not know what to choose – thus my LinkedIn shows the head-spinning career/education path from aspiring journalist/entertainment professional to lawyer, healthcare marketing strategist, angel investor, real estate investor, to where I am today as Founder of Unlocking ADHD, a newly registered charity and social service agency.
What is your vision for Unlocking ADHD?
My vision is to make ADHD more normalized and create more awareness and support systems for this condition, which has a far greater impact than most people think. Through the hard work of our volunteers and team that believe in the same vision, in the 1.5 years since Unlocking ADHD was launched, we have grown to a community of about 3,000 members. Furthermore, ADHD has now been mentioned in speeches by the President of Singapore and other senior government ministers.
What are your long-term aspirations?
ADHD symptoms can impair relationships and cause underperformance in school, work and life leading to lost potential. There is much to do in getting needed help to those who are struggling with the condition.
Knowing that Unlocking ADHD is touching lives and giving hope is something that keeps me going even when it is overwhelming, tiring, and challenging.
In the long term, I hope Unlocking ADHD can be recognized as the key organization to build collaborative ecosystems among mental health professionals, educators, corporations, government and families, to get resources, training, and ADHD support in Singapore and beyond. Hence there will be more opportunities in the workplace, practical support in schools, and more resources to support and strengthen ADHD families so that ADHDers can thrive and contribute back to society.
If you would like to vote for Jamela Law’s design in the Vogue Talent Prize, please visit https://bit.ly/VogueVote (Voting ends July 26, 2023). You can view more information on Baelf Design’s Instagram.
Please support the work that Unlocking ADHD does by making a donation at https://bit.ly/donate2UA – each donation dollar will be matched by the Tote Board, doubling the impact of your donation.
Leave a Reply