The Feed 2:14:17
Brock Collection
The Feed 02:08
Frivolous and Substantial ASAP
There was a moment this past weekend that I felt good and inspired to post something here. It was about my outfit and maybe a little bit about something completely material and frivolous. But this moment was fleeting — a blink of an eye really — between the nonstop, back-to-back decisions that have been effecting family and friends who are hardworking and kind aspiring-American citizens, going to work in the wee hours of the morning while most white collar employees are still sleeping to go clean an office building in silence to make ends meet. I blinked my moment of self indulgence away to the sight of thousands of people at airports everywhere protesting a hasty executive order that was not thought through, harmful, and worst of all, presented in defense of Americans everywhere. I then remembered just a week ago when over a million women and men (and kids) marched all weekend to represent women's rights, climate change, poverty, and racial injustice.
How do you blog in a time when it feels so incredibly superficial to talk clothes and style? Real issues are at stake and no amount of designer shoes in your closet or on your feet will spare you from the reality of the American situation.
I click on my reader of blogs and sites I follow and I'm surprised how many of them are turning a blind eye to what's going on. It's business as usual in many parts of the internet with not even a single word to reflect that what Emma Stone nervously misstated in her SAG awards speech this weekend as "tricky times" in America.
I'm not looking to stir up anything with this, but merely stating that if there's nothing here on my site lately it's because my mind is somewhere else (and maybe yours is too!) and that maybe the people still blogging about outfits on a budget or upcoming Valentine's Day wish lists are less useful right now as they are tone deaf.
You know what I want to see? I want to click on someone's blog that has to get up every day and go to work to pay the bills and make a living despite the incredibly troubling political climate. If blogging is meant to be authentic, slice-of-life then most people fail. Some blogs are fantasy, escapism of sorts, so fine. I'm not a monster, I can get behind that concept. But I do want to click on an escapism site that tones down the optimistic language and keeps it a little more close to reality by nodding at least in some way that most of the country is outraged.
I know some people in the country are rightfully pleased with the decisions their chosen politician is making, but to be a blogger right now in the U.S. and not even acknowledge the vast discontent that majority of the country is in is just dishonest.
When the American weekend is more about demonstrating your right to free speech and protest peacefully than it is brunch, shopping, and perfectly coordinated colored backdrops, then that should be a signal to everyone with a blog to be more authentic.
I invite "influencers" to be more thoughtful about their content ASAP. Stop assuming that people that enjoy fashion and appreciate design are also incapable of understanding more complex larger issues at play right now. Now more than ever, you can be both frivolous and substantial.
It's not longer as easy to ignore issues and tune them out in favor of pretty pictures, quotes, and affiliate links. Be more than perfect pictures and selling people things and omg fashion week. The temperature of the United States has definitely changed and I'd be willing to bet the majority of readers are expecting more as well.
Photo: detail of a Chuck Close painting at the SF MOMA
Feminine, But Un Poco Strange
This Rochas Pre-Fall 2017 collection speaks to me on many levels;
1. It speaks to my penchant for clothing that is more granny conservative than anything.
For the record, I'm not a prude. I like girlish things, but I also think I'm at my best when my personal style hits a slightly masculine tone, translating into some authoritarian power that only I can feel and tap into and thus make me a better creative leader. If this sounds like nonsense to you I think you're a damn liar. Think back to the last time you felt fucking strong and smart. Now think about what you were wearing, because I'm willing to bet you remember the exact components on your body down to the finest detail.
Personal style to me is personal branding, and personal branding (like branding branding for companies and such) is at it's best when it's authentic. There's nothing worse than wearing a dress you're not too comfortable in so you spend the whole day tugging at it distractingly when you'd rather be wearing some trousers. Tangent: I love that I spent a decade career in creative advertising, PR, and now editorial and all the skills acquired and refined have been equally useful for my style philosophy.
Fun fact, summer is my least favorite season because it's all skin and no layers — boring.
2. It speaks to my mood these days, which is less to do with my job, but more to do with the uncertainty of ...life and the future it holds. This ain't a political statement. Well, fuck it, maybe it is a little bit, but it's also a quarter life crisis statement in which my entire life's work has lead me to a position I love but there's a tugging feeling that I want to do and be so much more. Power trip? Not so. Search for meaning? No. Just a crux, a ticking clock in my head (and heart, blah) that is nagging at me with each second of each day to do something. It could be anxiety -- which I'm prone to — but I've got a feeling that it's more tangible than that. Now how to act on it?
3. It speaks to my need for consistency.
My closet is so tiny now. No lie: I recently got rid of anything I don't wear in 6 months. Special occasion dress? See ya. Special high heels for special nights? No. Bye. High maintenance tops that require excessively delicate cleaning rituals and therefore are unwearable most of the time? Goo riddance, and Goodwill.
My mom described my style recently as "muy feminine, but a little strange." This was the ultimate compliment! It was a lovely compliment because although my beautiful mom certainly is not a fan of many things I wear, she respects my choices and consistency enough and so well that she has my own style dialed in — maybe even more than her own! (This is not a knock on my mom, whom I love dearly, but it's more falling in line with the trend that people find it easier to analyze and label others confidently more easily than themselves).
So back to Rochas.
This collection speaks to me. Simple. It's not breakthrough fashion, but it's thoughtful, emotional, and consistent. All the things my life needs right now.
Collage by me. Other images via vogue.com
Mood
Indoor Style
Commune's designed properties feel authentically lived in and warm, instead of hastily furnished and cold like most modern designs. I love their aesthetic, but hate the prices for a lot of these pieces! My interior style mirrors my personal style: Collected, curated, and practical. I want to live in my home, not treat it like a museum.
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Lion
Lately
This is the latest painting I'm working on. I've got lots more to do on it, but I'm quite happy to spend the time on it this weekend.
Happy Friday, people.