I’m happy to say that Claire has been giving me bigger projects lately. This week, as she was creating her fall forecast, she asked if I’d like to produce my own. I figure she’s testing the waters to see if our thinking has become more aligned. Anyway, it was unbelievably fun to make. I dug through all of my vintage magazines and tons of the fashion books in the company library for inspiration. From there I created boards showing what I think everyone will (should) be wearing for fall ‘08. It was muy dreamy!
Now that I think about it, I did a similar proj when I was 12. I think it was about three weeks into the sixth grade, when – sitting at the weirdo lunch table, I let my social climbing dreams die.* Concluding (um, do you think?) that the year was going to be a colossal disaster socially (much like the prior five) I promptly began honing my “Popularity Strategy” for the seventh-grade. My top secret playbook was a three ring binder filled with tear sheets and prepubescent manifestos. If I remember correctly, 90% of the plan hinged upon scoring a pair of faded Guess jeans with ankle zippers.
Anyway, my forecast board came together brilliantly, if I do say so myself. Claire actually smiled and nodded when I showed it to her! I know! But oh my God, the night before she reviewed it I had the weirdest nightmare ever. In it, I was presenting a lengthy slideshow titled, A Salute To Stirrup Pants.
*Side note: remember when every September presented at least the illusion of a chance to completely re-create oneself? Sure it was delusional, but I kind of miss that – it seemed so… possible. I mean, I honestly remember starting each school year genuinely shocked that despite my obsessive scheming over the summer, I still didn’t look like Linda Carter.
