The dress that changed my life
Ever had one of those weeks you just wanted to throw your hands up in the air and say, “I give up - a kind of day where you feel like you could just throw it all away, walk away and start new?” I have many days like that! I’m often tempted to walk to my computer trash all my work files, clean out and go somewhere where no one knows me, and I have no responsibility whatsoever!
Yes, I had one of those days recently, and I know you know the feeling! So, what’s a girl to do when she has no motivation to get anything done? Well, she scrolls facebook, of course! So, that’s what I did, too. I scrolled social media to find out what the real people were doing and to see everyone else’s progress. (I don’t recommend this under normal circumstances….you usually only sink deeper into the “I give up” state of mind).
As I scrolled, I came across a video featuring one of my favorite fashion designers - one that has stood the test of time and stands out among the rest for many reasons. Her name is Diane Von Furstenberg, and I’m sure you know her. If you don’t, just look in your closet for your favorite wrap dress, and you will see her handprint all over it since she was the very first to design the style in 1972 and is still today the best selling dress. Yep, that’s her!
There was something in that video that spoke to me, something she said that I can’t quite remember exactly, but the essence was this: “I designed a dress that I wanted to wear.”
Back in the early 70’s, Diane was a young 20-Something with a baby in her belly and designed a dress she could wear before and after her little baby was born….that’s brilliant! And if you’ve worn any wrap dress whether it’s a DVF or another label, you know it’s a true statement. That dress can be worn in any season!
It was then and there as I listened to this icon speak about sitting on the floor fitting her friends, making sure the fit was just right for them, I realized exactly what the beginning of the CW fashion line should be. It was like I got a computer download straight through my brain, and the sulk-fest was over just like that. I picked up my journal and pen and started scribbling down exactly the items that I like to wear and feel the most comfortable in. The type and style of clothes that go from mommy to hot mama with a simple accessory or jacket change, I immediately knew was my style.
It was as if all these years of wondering and dreaming about what a CW brand would look like was answered in just one moment. For too long I had been trying to figure it out myself, put it in a box thinking I had to be this couture designer who came up with some crazy runway piece. Well, people don’t buy that stuff anyway so…what was I thinking.
As I sat there scribbling in my journal, I wrote down all the pieces that I like to wear and have become staples in my closet - you know the pieces you go back to over and over that make you feel beautiful and put together - the kind of clothes that fit into your life (and no not yoga pants so stop it). Just like you, I’m a woman with many different roles and one that loves to have fun, so clothes have to be versatile and more than anything fall into these categories:
Breathable – Stylish – Washable – No Dry cleaning (Yuck) – Non-iron –
Can travel – Lasts a long time
The clothes in my life have to match my lifestyle and fit into the busyness and the mess of my everyday life. They have to go with me as I follow my dreams, go on date nights, watch my girls take dance class, or have coffee with a girl friend as we catch up on life. They must be a reflection of who I am.
But above all of this, I want to buy and wear clothes that work beyond wearing them and long after I’ve purchased them. I want to know that the money I spent was not just on me, but for HER, too. The woman who has big God-sized dreams and is learning how to walk it out and make a difference in her community, church, business and family. Yes, my clothes have big shoes to fill, right?
So, there you have it! That’s what one simple wrap dress designed in 1972 did for me one day in 2017. It changed the way I looked at designing clothes and how a CW clothing line could impact a community of women for generations to come. It doesn’t have to be runway-ready, just ready to wear and take on the world - one dream step at a time.
Thanks DVF!
WHAT DO YOU THINK:
As we take this journey, we want to know what you like because you are HER! We are in the stages of branding, and we’ve come up with some pretty fun tag-lines, but are open to suggestions. Which one do you like below? Or, give us a new idea! What inspires you?
Tag Lines:
A. Created Woman: Designed for the woman who believes in her dreams
B. Created Woman: Designed for the woman who dreams
C. Created Woman: Designed for the woman who lives on purpose
D. Created Woman: Designed for the woman who believes
E. Created Woman: Designed for the woman who is faithfully fearless
