Hi it’s Claire Rodrigues Lee, married mum of 2, international songwriter and founder of fashion accessories brand Neon Army.
My story began at 34 years old when I came out of a very long and unhealthy relationship and had to start life over from scratch. It was a very frightening time as I had completely lost all my confidence and identity. With the love and support of my parents and connecting with an old friend, she introduced me to ‘The Secret’, a book on laws of attraction. By changing my mindset and viewing myself in a different light, my life began to change in a really positive way. I decided to stop being afraid and just go for it. I had always loved music and written songs as a hobby, so I worked really hard and put myself out there. It was at this time I started to notice the number formation 222 appearing to me quite often.
I was radiating happiness and positivity and in doing so, found my way into a music publishers office, who took a chance on me. Within weeks I had my first cut in China and then before I knew it, I was being flown to Norway, Denmark, Japan, Sweden, Korea etc and started to have hit records all over the world. By following the laws of attraction, I also found love but just after getting married in 2016, found out I carried the BRCA2 variant which meant I was high risk of breast and ovarian cancer. I stayed strong and went onto have 2 beautiful children. Lockdown hit and shattered life as we all knew it. I went from songwriter to full time mum and during this time, there was no choice but to online shop. I couldn’t find any fashion online that was unique, exciting or representative of who I was so I ended up making my own. I would source beads/patches/trimmings and make one off pieces.
I realised there could others like me who want to enhance their wardrobe to be more interesting and exciting while also in a reasonable price bracket. So Neon Army was that lightbulb moment. I started making notes, designs, researching and piecing the whole brand together over a period of 2 years and then in December 2021, I decided 2022 was the year for Neon Army to be born. 222 is a huge part of the brand as I discovered they’re angel numbers. They say when you see the numbers 222 its a sign that you’re on the right path, making all the right decisions and are exactly where you’re suppose to be. That’s why we launched on 22.6.22. Neon Army is about creating unique, vibrant and stunning fashion accessories with a strong message. To remind you that you are amazing, anything is possible and you can achieve your dreams if you just put your mind to it and believe in yourself and your vision.
Thank you for reading my story and I hope you love what I’ve created.
