Ocoee resident hosts first-ever fashion show

Ocoee resident Santia McKoy hosted her first fashion show with models, designs and performances all by her company, S&M Custom Design LLC.

Born and raised in Haiti, McKoy came from humble beginnings. Now, she is taking the world by storm with her unique designs that accent her Haitian culture and her passion for color and creativity.

"With God, everything is possible. Never give up on your dreams," McKoy said. "World Tour Fashion Show was everything for me. Being able to see my dreams unfold brought me to tears. A little girl from Haiti, did that! It took lots of tears, hard-work, prayer, an amazing support system and team to get here. We managed to overcame all the obstacles and in the end, history was made."

McKoy's show featured five different lines with 60 models from across the United States. 

Diana Otieno, who modeled in the show and was born and raised in Kenya, said McKoy exceeded her expectations. 

"This Fashion show honestly inspired me because I can fully express myself with what I actually want to have on my body," Otieno said. 

Edward Tapia, personal model for S&M Custom Design, said that he was impressed with all of the designs on the runway including his light blue custom design suit. 

"With every outfit I wear I feel royal and regal.  World Tour Fashion Show was not the exception," Tapia. "I felt handsome and empowered as I walked the runway, and the crowd made it known that I looked fierce. One of my favorite moments was working with all the models backstage helping them bring Santia's creation to life. Designer Santia once told me 'Edward, the journey to our destiny will never be easy, but you should never forget we are unstoppable.'"

McKoy's manager and coordinator, Tiffany O'Connor, said the fashion show is only the beginning of the journey. 

"In life, one of the most fulfilling feeling is knowing I can help others in accomplishing their goals and dreams, while doing the same for myself," O'Connor said. "Seeing my sister’s dream unfold on Saturday was the best feeling in the world. All the sleepless nights, hard-work, and tears was well worth the end result."

In the future, McKoy said she hopes to have many more fashion shows and even open her own stores in Orlando, Los Angeles, New York City and Haiti. She said she hopes to open the stores by 2025.