Conversations

Conversations seem to be the most important thing, and possibly one of my greatest challenges and triumphs as a New Yorker.

Conversations not related to fashion, with people who aren't my friends seem to be as impossible as those of Schiaparelli and Prada, thank you curators at the Metropolitan Museum. In New York (where I have been a resident for just over three months now) conversations are integral to survival, especially for an up and comer. These past few mornings while taking a shower I used the time to reflect on the importance of conversations in my work, as well as my life. In fashion, the best work, the most inspiring clothing, the most creative editorial stories, or most provoking articles all start conversations more quickly than the juiciest celebrity gossip. They create an intellectual buzz and we all want to give our opinion and have our voice heard, no matter how silent they are in our internet times.

Personally, I find it very difficult to relate to people in everyday life. I can carry an extensive conversation in a showroom or with fashion friends and designers. Recently I met a guy who I find to be very attractive but I found it difficult to relate to him via text message after meeting him. I wondered if I had lost touch with anything not related to fashion. What if I would never be able to relate to the person on the street who is extremely nice and just wants to take part in small talk? Then again, this is New York; who in this city has the time to stop for small talk?

In the fashion realm, Christian Lacroix has taken the helm of the revived House of Schiaparelli, a conversation piece for sure. For me, Lacroix is everything that a true couturier should be (#1 is alive to create beautiful work). I also count Lacroix as one of my favorite designers--I found him alongside John Galliano for Christian Dior in my first foray into the pages of Vogue. His collection spoke to his own and Schiaparelli's past with nods to his past couture collections.

In the words of André Leon Talley there is a famine of beauty and Lacroix has been called in to restore our famished industry. 
This has been inspirational for me in my own work. I've been focusing on working at a higher caliber than I was before and to strive to create pieces that will be the center of a conversation. Hopefully someone will discover a new designer, be inspired by the story for their own work, or just talk about the concept and what it means to our times. I remember in the documentary, In Vogue: The Editor's Eye, the editors spoke on how important Vogue was to the changing times, how every piece was a discussion, even incited backlash from the readers. Everything that those editors did changed the way women thought about dress and inevitably the style of women within that culture. Much like Coco Chanel making women's pants, as an aspiring fashion editor, I want to create work that will challenge the thinking of the people around me. I don't think I've accomplished that just yet, but I am steadily working towards it.
What exactly do Coco Chanel making women's pants, Christian Lacroix returning to fashion, and my incapability to ask a guy out for a drink have to do with one another one might ask? Through conversations with myself I was able to look into each of these subjects and find insight into what many young people of our time struggle with, simply having a meaningful conversation. 
Curated Conversational Pieces:
From Identity Politics by Grace Coddington and Craig McDean (Joan Smalls) Vogue July 2013

From Destination Detox by Phyllis Posnick and Mario Testino (Karlie Kloss) Vogue July 2013

From Beyonce Knowles x FLAUNT Magazine by Tony Duran FLAUNT July 2013

Dovima with Elephants Richard Avedon