This week, I unknowingly met some really accomplished and impressive fashion designers. And after doing a bit of stalking from the comfort of my living room couch, I was left feeling…small.
In fashion, there’s a wide spectrum a brand can fall along—from mass market, to ready-to-wear, to luxury, to couture.
But more than a spectrum, fashion often feels like a hierarchy.
So meeting designers higher up in the hierarchy makes me feel, well, inferior.
But then I got to thinking—do I want to be like them? And honestly, my answer was no. I want to design pieces that are unique, limited quantity, and high quality, but still available to a wider group of value aligned people. I want to build a coveted brand at a price point that's not prohibitive. And I love the challenge of building a business with economies of scale.
And if that’s the case, I have no reason to compare myself to them—we’re apples to oranges.
I bring this up to say: if we’re not clear about the category we want to be in, about the space our skillset makes us best leveraged to be, we can fall into the trap of wanting bigger, better, more. And that desire cannot be quenched. And sometimes, it’s misplaced!
The more you can filter between what’s for you and what’s not, the easier it is to stay focused on the journey you’re actually on.
We have to learn how to say: that’s incredible AND it’s also not for me; to be inspired by others without chipping away at ourselves.
P.S—I was super inspired by the artistry of these designers' work and want to weave more of that into my practice. I think you'll be able to see this evolution come to life in our 2023 collections.
