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www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday December 12, 2007 - 19 Lundstrom shares her inspiring story By Melanie Cummings SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER Through failure and faith, fashion designer Linda Lundstrom has learned three invaluable life lessons: that it is possible to visualize something and make it happen, that relationships are everything and that everything is a gift. From small town Ontario to the toast of the catwalk, the 56-year-old has built a multi-million dollar business from a $10,000 loan; and sidled near the brink of bankruptcy to land back on steady ground again. Her story brought 400 people to their feet in thunderous applause last Wednesday (Dec. 5) at the 24th annual Oakville Prayer Breakfast, held at the Oakville Conference Centre. "This is not a story of my faith in God, but God's faith in me," said Lundstrom. In 1984 the designer's expanding company was moving for the third time to yet a larger site to accommodate its growth. But she was faced with severe cash flow problems. At the time, a recurring vision of a figure walking across the horizon on frozen ground in a garment that changed colour like the sky, from an iridescent lavender to pink, compelled Lundstrom to forge ahead and mimic it. Yet, she was filled with doubt. Practically speaking, she was skeptical that a bank would lend her the cash she needed to buy the fur and fabric, which she found in Paris, France, and to buy the machinery she needed to make this mental picture a reality. The coat would be called La Parka, Fashion designer Linda Lundstrom which was a nod to her Icelandic and Swedish parents' roots and the family's new Canadian home. But Lundstrom got the confirmation sign she needed while sitting in congested traffic idling behind a truck emblazoned with its company name `Laparkan'. "God showed his faith in me that day," said Lundstrom. La Parka became a fashion phenomenon in 1998, generating $12.2 million in sales. But declines the next year and even more the next year saw the company drop from 150 employees in its heyday to just 12 by 2001. She went from a frightened person lying in a heap of tears on the floor of her office, to a person infused with faith and determination. Prayer became a morning ritual and still remains one in her company that now employs 90 people. In a similar full-circle moment, care for nature and the aboriginal community she grew up in became equally important too. Lundstrom created the Keshik Fund, a foundation that builds awareness of Native culture and helps eliminate the racism she witnessed in childhood. Growing up in a small town outside of Red Lake, Ontario, called Staratt-Olsen (population 30); the United Church was the centre of her world. But she abruptly left in her youth. Her self-exile from the church was prompted when the women of the ladies auxiliary scorned her for suggesting Native women could teach them a thing or two. "I was crushed. I walked out of the United Church right then and never set foot in any kind of church again," said Lundstrom. But she has since discovered that life is like a jigsaw puzzle. "At first that piece of blue sky seems like it should fit, but no matter how that piece is configured, it doesn't fit," said Lundstrom. "You just have to keep looking for the right puzzle piece." '02 Accent Fully certified, 4 dr, Silver Dove Grey interior, Low kms. Only 87,000 kms. Stk.# U5408. bi-weekly $ 83* Foxrun Limousine of Oakville DECEMBER SPECIAL '06 Kia Spectra Sport 5 spd, 4 cyl, A/C, CD, alloys, hatchback, low kms. Stk.# U5403. bi-weekly $ 99* 15% OFF Limousine Rentals for Any Occasion Sedans · SUVs · Superstretch Don't drink and drive - call the professionals '07 Sonata Black beauty, power windows, power locks, cruise, tilt, CD and more. Balance of factory warranty. Stk.# U5411. $ bi-weekly 115* 905.616.7723 '06 Elantra SE Grey on Grey. Balance of factory warranty, only 18,000 kms. 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