Reveal Your Style

 In a world where there is an exorbitant amount of turmoil about how we should be as humanity, it leads me to think of the importance of fashion and style.  Fashion is the industry and style is how we wear it.  I have read many books on fashion history from many centuries till now.  Points of view gave me a new point of view.  

I have loved fashion since a little girl even before I knew what fashion was.  I use to play in my Great Grans jewelry, makeup and perfume.  My Great Aunt kept purses for me to play with in her front hall closet.  When my Great Gran passed I inherited her jewelry, purse and a hat.  So before I was consumed with how I looked, I was intrigued by things we wear.  How they made me look and feel even as a wee little girl was pure joy.  Nothing about it was frivolous.  It was important.  I smiled when looking at myself with her accessories on my person.  

Why say this right here right now.  There is much arguing going on in the US and around the world.  Even though I am in fashion, I am in this world.  I do not ignore the hurting of humanity right now.  When it comes down to it at the core humans are hurting.  They are lashing out at one another in pain.  So much incorrect and too much info is leading to burn out and overload.  One could say this same thing about fashion and they would be right.  I know when working in bricks and mortar retail that if I as the merchandiser put too much on the floor cluttered, people would walk out quickly; conversely, if I created displays that showed different collections in a spacious way with just a few things lined up in a way to coordinate, voila people would come in try things on and find what they wanted.

I remember many times women would come in feeling less than and when I got them to try on a dress they would leave with a smile on their face.  They lit up when they came out of the dressing room and saw themselves in a new dress.  It was not a superficial look but a true authentic look of relief and joy.    

Now that I am a fashion designer and starting my own collection, I think about all my experiences like those.  Because when it comes down to it, we are not designing for one woman but women.  We are not designing to collectively homogenize women - hell no.  I do not want to create lifeless uniforms.  I also don't create with the intention of upholding a particular social class of woman at the expense of others.  However, I am entitled to earn for my laboring and material.  I source, design, create, style, and sell.  I am a soloprenure.  However, I have worked in the industry since the 90s at the design level, production, manufacturing, styling, merchandising and sales.  At the core of it all is women all over the world.  

I lived through the era of MaDonna as a teenager.  Her rallying cry was "Express Yourself!"  That is what fashion and style have been to me.  Expressing myself through what I wear.  It's not about getting it right or wrong.  It's not about trends.  It's about JOY!  The joy that putting on an interesting hat or headpiece brings out in us.  We are creative beings so being creative with style is a true expression.  

For my new collections and at the core of my design vision is JOY.  It's about Revealing and not concealing.  We should embrace our uniqueness as individuals.  We have a right as humans to be seen.  Don't cover yourself from someone else's selfish repression.  Find yourself and freely be you.  Your style should be your own expression.  Don't conceal yourself.  Reveal yourself through what you wear.