“Everything changes but nothing changes.” My compulsive-need-for-improvement,
grandeur-ambition-embracing self automatically wrinkles her nose, dismisses
what was just read, and quickly flips the magazine page. Yet there it is
again. The same sentence is now sprawled across a double-page spread amidst
two alligator skin “Kelly” bags and two Parisian models playing
mock tug-of-war with chocolate brown Hermès logo ribbon. Could
this statement, which proposes the idea that effort for change is ultimately
futile, actually be the crux of the Hermès fall ad campaign? Now
having taken several marketing courses, I can temporarily don an advertiser’s
thinking cap and view this launch as an attempt to permeate a label statement.
Perhaps Hermès is suggesting that despite fashion’s fickle
revolving door, count on them to provide updated chic without compromising
timeless sophistication. Because no matter how you sport it, a Birkin is
a Birkin is an “ooh-aaah” Birkin. But does a finality of nothing
changes really apply to a life outside of calfskin handbags?
If death and public speaking rank as the top two fears for all Americans, than the very notion of change must sweep up the bronze. Those suffering from the Peter Pan syndrome may grumble that nothing is scarier than the unforeseen, especially when it is seen riding the loaded coattails of familiarity and expectation. Just think about the shift from confident seniors graduating from college only to become unemployed little girls again surviving on stipend internships and Wheat Thins. Or think about the recent switch of hands from Gucci powerhouse genius Tom Ford to successor Alessandra Facchinetti. (This former design director for women’s ready-to-wear could tell you a thing or two about stress.) Change is inevitable and the obstacles that follow are inevitable, but the ultimate result can prove sweeter than the most elaborate of daydreams. So in this limbo between the last days of summer and the start of a new school year, wouldn’t now be the perfect time for every evolving woman to embrace a little change and turn a few of those daydreams into reality? Most of us are past the stage when we were sent back-to-school shopping lists from our teachers, but I comprised a list of fresh “supplies” to equip you with the tools necessary to earn the highest marks in fashion, in life, in a changing society…whatever your desired subjects may be. This isn’t the old school standard list of number 2’s and marble books because like it or not, the times they are a changing. So go ahead and tip off the old hat, give a nod to another summer past and a wink towards a fall-wonderful future.
Opinion. Kate Bosworth and Eva Mendes have both been seen modeling
DKNY’s
glamour-punk, gold and rhinestone embossed tee that says it all (literally): “Rock
the Vote”. High profile celebrities such as Ben Affleck and Sarah
Jessica Parker are putting a halt to their acting careers for the campaign
trail. Even the runways are emerging with politically
charged messages. Lately it seems as if politics are increasingly blending with pop culture
and everything in between, suggesting that perhaps Americans have finally
discovered the urgency to be aware. Yet according to Women’s Voices
Women’s Vote in the year 2000, unmarried women
between the ages of 18 to 64 make up the largest untapped resource when
it comes to who actually appears before the voting booths. That means that of the 22 million single
women out there, if even a mere 6 million of them had voiced their opinions
four years ago a la a ballot box, chances are high that Bush (a man that
lacks integrity and intelligence, among many other fundamentals) would
not have been given the chance to run our country amuck. And whether or
not you concur, remember that opinionated women are hot. But opinionated
women also who seize the chance to influence an election--and in turn society--could
start a fire with their bare hands. Familiar with the new song “Mass
Destruction” by Faithless? They hit the right note with the lyric “Inaction
is a weapon of mass destruction.” So this November, all opinionated
girls raise your right hand and rock the vote.
Power.
In the latest rethink of The Stepford Wives legacy, opinions have become
the precursor to power; just take look at Theresa
Heinz Kerry, Gloria Allred, or Alessandra Faccinetti. Now these are some outspoken ladies
who wouldn’t be afraid to say, “Don’t give us crap
and call it ice cream”—lovely ladies
who possess equal parts passion, power, and intelligence and know exactly
how to grab a bull by its horns. So try this on for size: As women gain a rush of momentum
in the social, political, and economic realms of society, not only have
they stepped into the high power positions men are used to dominating,
but they have ever-so-gracefully stepped into their high
power clothes as well. Seems as if the pendulum has shifted--Gone is the spring anthem
for pastel chiffons and frills; the fall runway is
hot for attitude to the umpteenth power. From Galliano to Chanel to Dolce, menswear
in the shape of snap-brim fedoras, slouchy trousers cinched with silk ties,
and checked waistcoats are just the opening act to an abundance of androgynous
dress-up clothing. Cranberry velvets, navy and charcoal wool blends,
houndstooth tweeds… the season’s best textures and saturated
colors create just the right sparks between tomboy and pretty boy. It
is exactly how Faccinetti once described her vision of Gucci: “Glamorous,
strong, and sexy.” And who dares to say clothes
don’t make
the woman?
Indulgence.
When you want to take a break from gender bending, remember that there
is no power lost in celebrating femininity. So for anyone who was ever
a minimalist (i.e. a thin gold necklace, a simple sheath dress and call
it an outfit), the designer gods are inviting you to revert to the glory
days of childhood when no one apologized for dressing
up and beyond.
I remember being six years old and barely tall enough to open up my mother’s
dresser drawer full of jewelry and accessories. On lucky days when I
managed to do so, I would go bananas piling on the pearls and velvet
chokers, pinning on the jeweled brooches, and gleefully jangling my charm
bracelet-laden wrists. I felt so ladylike swimming in accessories-- especially
when I spritzed on my mother’s Chanel No. 5 and toted one of her
fancy sequined purses. Who knew that after all these years, designers
are taking the side of the anti-minimalism and rekindling the fun of “playing
dress-up”? Even the most Plain Jane girl of the bunch will get
carried away in the swarm of action, because if it’s not Dolce & Gabbana
with their colossal rhinestone flower pins and brushed gold lariats,
then it’s Chanel with their trinket-galore charm bracelets. It’s
even a Marc by Marc Jacobs cropped cream cardigan that, laced with pearls
and clear rhinestones, looks like Grandma went a little crazy with the
Bedazzler. And as usual, Prada is my choice for this season’s best
in ladylike ravishment; this label has hit the gold—and the gems
for that matter. From a beaver collar coat featuring a blue and purple
gemstone placket right down to an exquisite lineup of delicate rhinestone-encrusted
heels. Because honey child, you’re only a
lady once.
Pens. (…Because I should include at least one real school supply.) Today
as I was working at Saks, a customer complimented me on my messy up-do,
inquiring as to how I managed to make my hair so cute. I laughed, said
thank you, and told her that I just got so frustrated with the unruliness
that I finally just grabbed a ballpoint pen and twisted
it throughout my hair to get it out of my face. I then offered to demonstrate the finer
points of pen twisting on her locks. Two minutes later, she took one look
at the end result in the mirror and incredulously remarked, “All
this with a pen, huh??? This trick should be in a magazine!” I took
that as an invitation.
Ambition.
For some reason, the first day of fall has always been my version of January
1st. I’m not sure if it’s the excitement of a new school
year or the knowledge that I’ve become one year wiser, but there
is always a certain je ne sais quoi in the air that makes me set resolutions
for myself. I begin to tally up a mental list of hopeful accomplishments,
and this year the list includes everything from calling my grandparents
at least once a month to saving enough money to
purchase the aforementioned Prada coat. Some goals are tangible, others I realize may well run over
into next year’s list. But I think for anyone to really continue
changing for the better, ambitions should be set
high and free from the hindrance of doubt. Just take Giorgio Armani as an example. If he had
allowed fear to shadow his talent and ambition, he would have never sold
his Volkswagen to set up shop in Milan back in 1975. Twelve
months ago I would have never imagined that I would be fulfilling my
dream as a young fashion journalist and as cliché as this sounds, dreams
do come true. In addition, it’s equally important for friends
and family to be mutual support systems. There have been countless times
throughout college where I’ve called my best friends Jida
or Leila crying about some unworthy boy or frustrated about a failed
something.
Bless their dear hearts for having put up with me all these years. And
the truth is, the majority of those failed somethings I no longer recall—all
that remains is a feeling of how wonderful it is to be blessed with people
who continually lift you up and remind you of your strengths. They remind
you that right now is as good a time as any to turn a new leaf.
