EDITOR'S LETTER: January 2014

Being that last month I focused on the recent projects produced by Swarovski in the past few years, going into this new year, I was fortunate to find a panel discussion lead by Member of the Swarovski Executive Board, Nadja Swarovski which featured famed interior designer, Iris Apfel, and President/Creative Director of Kate Spade, Deborah Llyod, at the LINK Jewelry Summit this past April in 2013. This 30 minute discussion on their secrets to style and creativity has become my inspiration for the month of January, and in my fashion, the coming year as a whole. I was glad to see this video because I wanted to know more about the style icon, Iris Apfel, and it’s great to hear her account of her contributions as a arbiter of style. I am always glad to hear success stories from industry leaders like her, and it was great to listen to Deborah Llyod’s perspective at the helm of the Kate Spade brand, but what I found most intriguing and inspiring is how much their insights said about what it means to enjoy life and be an individual. In my fashion, their analyses of the different subjects Nadja probed them about were allegorical truths for life that I feel we need to remember as we go into this new year aspiring to become greater than we were before.

Going in 2014, it's out with the old sunglasses I was so used to wearing everywhere I went, and in with my new Ray Bans to experience the world through more open eyes (litrerally and figuratively). How do I look?

As you may remember from my March 2013 EDITOR'S LETTER, I have been on the hunt for a perfect pair of eyeglasses for myself, and I finally got some classic circular framed, tortoise shell, Ray Bans this past Christmas (Thanks mom and dad!). Now, I am not one for New Year's Resolutions (by the end of the year I find I can never remember what specifically I committed myself to "resolving"), but I do go about the idea in a more sartorially conscious manner. I feel going into 2014, the new glasses I got will help me change for the better. Since I got my new eyeglasses in late November, I have been wearing my beloved sunglasses less and less. Since college, I have made my big, dark, sunglasses a signature piece of my overall look that people know me for. The thought of abandoning my mysterious allure by revealing my eyes with eyeglasses was mildly daunting because I am so used to the comfort of wearing them. What I learned by wearing my sunglasses all the time (even indoors) was how our eyes make a big difference in our interactions with others. While my sunglasses gave me a certain confidence by defining a certain look for myself, in my fashion, perhaps it was time for me to experience life through more open eyes. Ever since I gave my shades a rest, I have found myself to be much more engaging with others through my eye contact. I find I have a new confidence about interacting with people now, and being an introvert, I find that by forcing myself to take off the sunglasses and be more expressive by with my eyes, I find myself resisting the urge to be solitary and antisocial. Being social has always been  a struggle for me, but in my fashion, this change in my style serves as a badge of courage to overcome my social anxiety and improve my quality of life. It’s a growing experience.

In regards to my New Year’s Resolutions, I consider my effort to be more engaging with my eyes one way to bring new opportunities and experiences my way this year. My thing about resolutions is that while we may have specific goals for ourselves, if we can see a positive difference in who we are compared to who we were the year before, we have accomplished our resolution regardless of achieving our financial, career, or relationship goals. In my fashion, its not  worth it to be a person who works so hard at being happy that in effect one becomes unhappy. Revealing my eyes more is my testament of the idea that change is good, and we should never stay the same. Staying the same is boring, and when you stay the same, that means you are not growing. Changing up our style is a way to refresh our attitude about life, and in my fashion, the key to reaching one’s goals is to be able to maintain an attitude that continually stimulates your will to work towards your goals. That is the premise of what I gathered from Iris Apfel and Deborah Lloyd. Fashion helps to release us from the monotony of life, and style is our badge of courage to show that you will hold on to your spirit of youth. The thing about keeping a youthful spirit that Apfel so aptly puts it is that we must keep ourselves stimulated. In my fashion, while our bodies grow old, a youthful spirit never grows old because one retains that desire to learn and grow. As Apfel says, “If you are not interested,  you can't be interesting!" This month, BE STIMULATED is the key phrase going into 2014, so look forward to exploring how we can use our style to stimulate our youthful spirit, because when you think about it, life is all about the things that stimulate us. Have an awesome 2014!