At certain points in life, I firmly believe you must stop and ask yourself how you can level up. Health-wise, career-wise, relationship-wise, and otherwise, the beauty of life is that it gives us the opportunity to proactively grow each day if we recognize and pursue the opportunities to do so.
Bag: Emilio Pucci
An important stepping stone in my career was my recent trip to Paris and Milan for fashion week. It was hard at first to think of this as a “business decision,” because what I do—my career—is also one of my biggest joys in life. When you chase your dreams and are able to make money doing so, it’s often hard to fathom that the journey of growth is “scaling your business” too. But, business aside, I want to talk about some of the experiences I had during MFW and PFW that I hadn’t had in any of my previous NYFW experiences–which truly made it a level up!
Here are two raw truths that explain why I found MFW & PFW a level beyond what I’d ever experienced before:
- The venues were opulent. People who say that architecture and fashion are poles apart couldn’t be more wrong. During fashion week, the two work together to achieve symbiosis and bring to life the designer’s collections. I mean, really, would a Chanel show be what it is if not for an over the top venue? While I did not see any Chanel show live this season, I did get to see several shows at the Palazzo Reale (Royal Palace) just next to the Duomo—simply a mind blowing place. Before the designer even presents his/her collection, you’re already charmed with the luxurious, opulent aura of the place. Other fun places included grand libraries, gorgeous courtyards, and the most iconic and royal hotels.
- Guest lists were inspired. Now, I’m not going to say anything bad about the lovely people I have met at NYFW, but in Europe, the fashion going crowd is something else entirely. Actually, in complete transparency, I felt quite intimidated around the crisply dressed, (often super tall) who’s who of fashion. But, by the end of it, I think I took pride in merely being invited to these events, and began to open up and accept that at the end of the day—we’re all just humans! Slowly but surely I started feeling more comfortable chatting with complete strangers at events. I found myself approaching and complimenting people who I’d then google and tell myself, “Oh my gosh, that was [insert name here]?!?! I can’t believe I just had the guts to talk to them.”
Shoes: Roger Vivier
Bag: Roger Vivier
Well, those were my two truths from fashion week in Europe this SS20 season. If you want to know which trends I discovered after viewing all the shows, see my Instagram highlights! If you’d like to really get the full behind the scenes footage of me in Europe (including what I ate, how I chose what to wear, and me running from place to place, check out my MFW and PFW vlogs). Now that fashion month is over, I’m excited to see which of the trends stick!
XOXO,
-MS
