Fashion Candy

A fabulous lesson in fashion branding. A MUST read if you are doing anything in fashion!!
By Mike Toth, Rockport Publishing

Resilience

I want to see the good people. I want to believe they always have your best interest and that they will always rise to the occasion. I want to be positive versus jaded and negative. However, when people prove their true colors, how can you not be disappointed and frustrated!?



Maybe I had a heavy dose of "naivete" as a 20 yr old. Maybe too many experiences and too much of life's more tragic moments have now splashed cold water on my face. But the reality of life, competition, and the mere fact that NOT everyone has good, pure "intentions" is constantly being brought to life.



But you know what!? That's okay. Because I am okay. I am determined to be RESILIENT. I have had to bounce back on a much grander scale over much larger issues. And disappointments do make you stronger, they do push you to go further, to innovate and take your mentality and projects to a whole other level. Kanye's "Stronger" is pounding away in the background as I write this ;-) It will be this week's theme song!



So here is to disappointments; to believing people the first time they show their true colors, to knowing that no matter what they do, I will be okay, because I am determined to be resilient. And when you can innovate and re-invent, well, there is no stopping me then!



And here is also to the true, the genuine, those with with beautiful souls and pure intentions -- you know who you are, I adore and appreciate you EVEN more each day. Sometimes you have to detox to get back to a pure state and this with a heavy dash of resilience is what I plan on doing...

Let's Be Annymous For Once

So refreshing. My manifesto, as of late, as been good design is less design! Strip away all the bling, all the flashing lights, all the frosting! Let's get down to products that work, fashion that is well-made, well-thought out, and sharp! And let's move away from all the logo-celebrity-obsessed-Ed-Hardy paraphernalia that has been cluttering the airwaves for so long!!

The Europeans always lead the way. Check out the NY Times article and see what the Milan designers have to say about this.

Forever Fashion: Forever Art: Chanel + Jacobs

When I was living in New York City my dear friend, Lizzie Keach's, now husband, Mike, worked for a high-end construction firm. Mike's company built designer boutiques and stores. While remodeling the Madison Avenue Chanel store, Mike "rescued" the Chanel letters from being thrown away in the trash, and Lizzie brought the coveted letters to me!

I had them mounted in my West Village apartment, and they made my bedroom the quin·tes·sen·tial fashionista-space. Thank you Lizzie and Mike, those pretty six letters will always remind me of you guys...and singing karoke at some dive bar on the Upper East Side ;-)


While reading Jane Aldridge's fashion blog, "Sea of Shoes" I stumbled up the artist Danny Roberts (http://igorandandre.blogspot.com/) and I told Bob I thought Danny's prints would look nice hanging in my Beadle Box. Bob gave me Danny's print of "The Marc Jacobs collection", for Christmas -- it's even signed!!!. It is awesome and oh so fitting! I'm the girl who used to sign her emails to certain friends "Miss Marc Jacobs" and Brian knows that instead of saying "Thank you" when strangers complimented me on any MJ purses, apparel or shoes I had, I would boldly reply with "It's Marc Jacobs" -- yes, I am rolling my eyes at myself now! I was obsessed with Marc -- well, until I went to his Christmas party at the Rainbow Room and he was dressed as a Camel Toe ;-) No, he is still one of my favorite designers, and no one can touch Lagerfield's personality.



So I think it is only fitting that Chanel letters and Marc Jacob illustrations continue to grace my home and creative space. And just now I returned from getting the mail, and I received the cutest "Chanel-themed" card from Diana, congratulating me on my remodeled Beadle Box. And in my email in-box is an email from Danny Roberts himself! Thanking me for my words of inspiration and gratitude! How cool is that! I am printing it out and putting it behind the Jacobs print.

I will DEF be collecting more of your works of art Mr. Roberts!!!!

Art is in the air! Fashion is Forever!