This thing of ours

I have never really written directly about the fashion industry before, as an "insider" so to speak, even though I have worked in the thick of it for almost 3 years. I prefer to write rhapsodically and in a circumspect manner; I seem to prefer the outside vantage point even though I fought to get in and work in the trenches. Its a bizarre business, where sex appeal, good taste and "style" are quantifiable. I work in women's contemporary designer wholesale (and salespeople like myself are truly on the outer edges of this industry), mostly with specialty stores. This is not a time in the world I would choose to own a store, as they will never really compete fairly with the behemoth department stores. This particular level of fashion, fairly expensive but not wildly artistic in the manner of the Lanvins and Rodartes, is often a rich girl's idle hobby. And yet, it is interesting to see how commerce and art mix, to varying degrees of success and happiness, to build companies, brands, and legacies. I think in particular of one designer who has such a distinctive perspective and is absolutely sure of her style and vision, and has managed to brand herself extraordinarily well, through artful celebrity placement and the sleekest website and branding. She aggressively looks ahead, works obsessively, and sucks everyone into her little creative vortex; she is so damned intriguing that you have to drink the Kool-Aid.