Lately, oh ok more like for the past thirty days, I have been thumbing through a wonderful book, ‘Couture Confessions’: Fashion Legends In Their Own Words by Pamela Colbin. Don’t pester me that I have not gobbled down the entire pages of black and white by now. This book is more like caviar. You can only have a morsel of it’s rich meanings and words that splatter the pages.

Fashion, oh how boring…

Are you yawning, yet?

Absolutely not! Fashion is the one fire that lights my lions. I love the sparkles of sequins, glimmer of satins, silks and the plush velvets of winter.  While others are dreaming of sugar plum fairies dancing in their heads, I am dreaming of the costume designs  in Walt Disney’s Nutcracker.

One thing  I remember most was an reply from Jeanne Lanvin on page 48. The questionnaire stated, “The Lanvin house remained open during the war years (WWI and WWII), It must have been a particularly arduous time.”

Jeanne Lanvin replied back. “Life goes on, no matter how hard things may get. And it is a woman’s duty to remain as elegant as possible. Think of all those whose living depends upon feminine elegance… and everything that goes along with it! Naturally, balance is required. With discretion and distinction as it watchword, couture was able to set the tone.”

While many will disagree that is a woman’s duty to remain elegant. I would say it is a duty to humanity that all of us maintain a state of grooming and pose. If you have the means to care for oneself I believe that it is your duty to at least bathe, brush your teeth, wash your hands and wear clean attire that is presentable. I do agree times have change significantly since the great wars and horrific violence.

Please do listen the remainder of Lanvin’s reply on page 49,  ” Despite all the sad aspects of the Occupation, (Nazi occupation of Paris in WWII),  we never stopped enriching our collections with evening dresses that we knew -als! -would never sell. But that turned out to be a much more precious asset than one might have thought. Also, those dresses gave us courage!”

When speaking to another I mentioned this reading. My confidant replied, “why does this bother you?”

Well, in someway Lanvin speaks in volume to all artist. Especially to me. You see I do feel guilty creating art or literature that is humorous, joyful or silly when the mood or atmosphere of the world around me does not correlate. I guess this one reason why sometimes I get bogged down.  Then I can not create anything at all.

Those days, when  I wear my holiday bright colors with vintage earrings and accessories I feel amazing. I look in mirror and I see history.   I see fun and witty; however, I also see others give awkward social glances. In this day and age, I shouldn’t fold to silly looks or thoughts of others, but I do.

Waking up this morning I listened to the sound track ‘The Greatest Showman.’

My favorite song, ‘This is Me’ was playing.

That is when I decided that today is the day, I am me. I pulled out my crazy red plaid leggings with my green floral head band. I shifted and swayed my shoulders left to right. The beat got louder as the movement shook my soul as I smeared that red lipstick on my lips. When the song finished I looked in the mirror with my black leotard, red plaid tights, green floral headband and bright cherry lipstick and mouthed, “This is Me!”

This day and everyday forward I dare you, to be you. No matter what is going around you, just be you.

Love

JCV