We recently had the chance to connect with Sandi Siegel and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Sandi, thank you so much for joining us today. We’re thrilled to learn more about your journey, values and what you are currently working on. Let’s start with an ice breaker: What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
I am an avid pickleball fanatic playing 4-5 times a week. I enjoy the physical and mental challenge and comradery immensely.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Eight years ago, at the age of 57, I began my journey as an older model. Cast for Steve Sells to walk for Denver Fashion Week. the world of creativity and collaboration this opened up for me has been expansive and exciting. Now a verteran of numerous runways and fashion editorials, my husband and I took our fashion passion and produced the inaugural First Peoples Fashion Show in January 2025 last year in our hometown of Estes Park.
Last year was a peak for me in this world walking for international house of fashion Balmain at SWAIA Native Fashion Week. I also received my second nomination as Alternative Model of the Year from 303 Magazine. My first magazine cover came along a few months ago for Artell Magazine from a photo shoot for designer Madvan Designs in collaboration with photographer Randi Rhea ,hair guru DarreI DeWitt and makeup artist Talie Ayers. I hope to continue to represent my demographic in this world and continue the joy of intergenerational work through fashion arts.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
In 1982 I picked up my few belongings and moved to Berlin. At that time it was a city cutoff from the rest of the “west” by the Berlin Wall. As a young American I was stunned to see a scene from a movie as I entered the city for the first time. Men in long coats with dogs and kalashnikovs manned the huts where we needed to stop at in order to enter this island city. It just did not seem real. As we entered the city and I saw the wall for the first time I asked my German friend , “do they really shoot at people trying to escape?” Living there for 3 years I heard of numerous times when the answer to that was yes. There is an important museum called Checkpoint Charlie that documents this. I wrote a song a few years ago with that name but more on that later.
I learned German, enrolled in the Technische Universitaet and began a year of studies in my field of Resource and Envirnomental Economics. Sitting on the spot where much of WWII history took place I aslo dove into studies of WWII. Taking erxams in a foreign language despite being fluent was one of the most intellectually challenging things I have ever done.
Perhaps the most imporrtant lessons were learned from watching two sets of news broadcasts one from the “east bloc” and then from West German news. So incredibly relevant to today’s political bee hive, I then learned the power of words to shape your world view. At 5:30 PM it was “the American Imperialist forces in ..” at 6:00 PM the “Freedom Fighters”. I fear we have completely lost all sense of history and understanding of rhetoric’s effect on the masses and in particular the danger of fascism. I observed it first hand as a young student in the early 1980s and am often left breathless these days watching history repeat itself.
What have been the defining wounds of your life—and how have you healed them?
My early childhood was a deep dive into abandonment which has been a wound I have worked to heal and used as a creative force for much of my adult life. My years of studies in Hindu literature , Sanskrit and philosophy as well as loving parents have helped me to turn these scars into creative assets.
I have found as I look back over my lyrical compositions and song writing the theme of “home” is constant. This was subconscious at first but I do see it now.
There has been so much healing but I do feel this lifetime will never be completely free of it informing my actions. Being aware at least helps. I was raised by an incredibly loving father and my adopted mother who encouraged all of my many interests and I owe so much to them. Yoga and deep dives into my shadows has helped heal a lot as well as songwriting. My increcible marriage of 29 years and 3 children have been instrumental as well. My saying, you gotta go through it to get through it is my constant mantra as well.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What important truth do very few people agree with you on?
I hope to record a third album in the next year or two and one song I wrote called “Self Love Letter” sums up the answer to this question quite well. There is a saying that you can’t love another til you love yourself and I dont agree with this. I work constantly to learn to love myself but often fail and yet, deeply love many others around me. Here are the lyrics that explain:
Why can’t I write a love letter to myself?
As hard as I try most days I fail
Love yourself for who you are
And try making assets out of those scars!
Im grateful for so much
Loyal friends and family I can trust
Strength, wisdom talent and love
But those inner voices
They rise above
CHORUS
The older I get the greater the divide
Between what the mind says and
What’s on the inside
That constant battle to be “that girl”
They say some truly preposterous things
That turn into Facebook memes
Cliches don’t seem to apply
“You can’t love another til you love yourself
Comes to mind
Subtle moments in those formative years
Set the tone
Become our bones
CHORUS
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. When do you feel most at peace?
I am lucky to have several places where I feel this. At my home in Estes Park deeply embedded in nature with my family is my peaceful happy place. But I LOVE being on the pickleball court too!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: Sandi_Siegel
- Facebook: Sandi Siegel
- Youtube: Sandi Siegel
Image Credits
Tony Gallagher
Jessica Bork
David Siegel
Tira Howard
Don Siegel
Mona Lucero
Randi Rhea
Robin Fulton
