A LETTER TO STYLE

Hello, hello there!

How are you?

I had a vision of you today. I was picking up my online orders from that concept store we like, and it made me think about the evolution of our understanding of fashion...or style. We’ve become so detailed and specific, I had to take a moment and wonder how we got here. 

I find being in Berlin does force it out of us even more so. It doesn’t exude a fashion forward mindset, so being curatorial is almost a must. There are a few good concept stores here in Berlin, but it still leaves much to be desired for what I would label as great fashion and great styling. I still try to find inspiration where I can, but the selection is even more stringent. 

I was with my friend who had just gotten in from New York. Without pointing it out, they mentioned the store’s peculiarity, saying the shop’s design and curation reminded them of Soho.

Do you remember our first trip to NYC? It was during the era when fashion was no longer just a word that designated styles, trends or brands. Fashion, as a word, had transcended during this time. Every time I heard it, a robust visual image was broadcasted in my mind. And yet, we were always told that the true understanding of fashion is naturally elusive, what the mind conceives when it thinks of ‘fashion’ is just a watered-down extrapolated version of its true essence. 

I remember we could never grip that comprehension of fashion. For us it  “-was sparkly, shiny, and it redirected our point of direction and achievements. It was another world away from where we started and growing into it felt like an unattainable goal.” But the dream was always there. 

Remember when we were young, and would go thrifting? We always went with our (favorite) model cousin, who to this day is still the epitome of beauty. We spent our days rummaging to find pieces. Clothing that would express our personality or that we could use to convey our idealized portrayal of self. Do you think we realized back then that we were using these clothes to tell the world so much about us?

“But the reality is, we’ve been surrounded by the influence of style and fashion since we arrived on Earth. This in turn influenced where we felt we belonged and what we associated with; like the pew we sit in during Sunday service at our local church, or the kids we associate with at lunch in school. Of course, then there’s the quintessential 90s and early 00s aesthetics which changed everything. I can still visualize Usher’s music videos frame per frame, and Kanye’s The College Dropout era, that paralleled the rise of superstars like: Fonsworth Bently, Andre 3000, Pharell Williams, and the forever iconic Dennis Rodman.”

Sometimes I think back to home. I think about mama’s attire and it affects the way I get dressed today. Our style has been so influenced by the generations before us. Soon you’ll adopt pieces from our grandmother, and accessories from her brothers. I’ve come to learn how to appreciate the dichotomy of blending who we understand ourselves as becoming, with the things that make us who we are; all which together create me. 

Sometimes, I romanticize how our family and ancestors would have looked and dressed if social norms didn’t exist. Like remember that time we were teased because we recycled our wardrobe? Made to feel small for our understanding of ‘fashion’ and our execution of this expression. Now I get compliments of my curation and unique eye. Don’t imbue the insults into your self-worth, value, or confidence; your uniqueness becomes my strength. 

I love revisiting the steps of our journey. In 10 years we navigated so many unforeseen paths. Atlanta allowed us to experiment, find our aesthetic  and introduced us to menswear through Sid Mashburn and our dear friend Charity Harris. 

New York City taught us individuality, confidence and to take risks. Fashion blossomed before my eyes, I remember. You must have just seen what was our first runway show by Naheem Khan, and you’ll soon fall in love with your favorite brands The Row and Aimé Leon Dore. 

Paris will be where you explore sophistication and synthesize everything that came before. I remember going to view exhibitions by iconic designers. The illustrations of their collections will always stay with you.

 Berlin has felt at times like a fever dream with the recycled Y2K trend, but it also has shown me that my own personal style isn’t a fad. I realized here the consistency and trueness of my own taste. 

If fashion signifies the times we live in, then style is one's personal taste. It took us a while to understand these two as separate entities, because they exist in the same limitless system. 

Nevertheless sunshine, I’m off and to  make something to eat and want to try and get to bed early. I started watching this series that was inspired by Italy’s first woman lawyer in the late 1800’s. It’s quite interesting so far, the costume design is stunning. 

Talk to you later my dear
-xoxo