From Ballet Dreams to Fashion and the Oscars: D'on Lauren Edwards on Reinvention, Confidence, and Finding Her Own Lane

D'on Lauren Edwards once dreamed of becoming a professional ballerina.

She started ballet at three years old, fell in love with the art form, and by 17 was preparing for the possibility of moving to New York City and pursuing a professional career. Then her health changed everything.

After becoming seriously ill and later being diagnosed with Behcet's disease, severe arthritis and chronic pain made ballet increasingly difficult. The dream she had worked toward for years could no longer look the same.

But creativity had always been part of D'on's life.

With encouragement from her father, she began looking toward fashion and eventually attended SCAD, where she immersed herself in evening wear and couture, won multiple awards, and began discovering just how far her design instincts could take her. Her work would later expand into footwear, accessories, and styling—giving her a creative career far broader than the single path she once imagined.

Along the way came unforgettable moments: designing for acclaimed costume designer Ruth Carter, spending awards season in Los Angeles styling her, preparing her for the Oscars, and realizing that styling had become another dream she wanted to pursue alongside design.

But D'on is equally candid about what sits behind those glamorous moments. Fashion is demanding. Health has required boundaries. Rejection is inevitable. Burnout is real. And sometimes the most important thing is remembering who you are instead of chasing whatever everyone else is doing.

For women who have watched one dream change shape—or who worry they must choose only one passion—D'on's story offers another possibility. A dream can evolve. A detour can become a new direction. And success does not require fitting neatly into someone else's lane.

Key Discussion Points

• 01:42 — D'on shares how ballet became her first major passion and how creativity shaped her childhood through dance, drawing, painting, and other art forms.

• 02:23 — She explains her dream of becoming a professional ballerina and moving to New York City to pursue ballet professionally.

• 02:37 — D'on talks about becoming seriously ill at 17 and eventually being diagnosed with the rare autoimmune disease Behcet's disease.