Last week I made one of the worst garments in the world with one of my most beloved ultra violet fabrics and yesterday Karl Lagerfeld died. I’m comparing apples to… a fashion god. But, here we are…
I cannot decide whats more sad… but I might go with the purple coat. No offense Karl dahhhling, you lived a very successful and inspiring life but my purple fabric did not.
I’ve had it for a long time. Finally got brave to cut into to and basically murdered the poor thing. I partly blame the pattern but I mostly blame myself.
As I sat at my sewing table one night, in tears… I contemplated my purpose here on the web and my machine and panicked because I’ve invested many years to this.. hobby? form of expression?
Why did I do this again?
What do I actually do?
Do I really love fashion and sewing?
Do even I love sewing?
Does it bring me joy?
Do people care what I do?
What am I doing?
I thought about quitting – ha, I’m totally overdramatic! However… making huge life choices late at night should never be taken seriously because I woke up the next morning feeling uplifted and ready to try again. Maybe my husband, very supportive husband, said a few prayers… but I thought if I were to quit, then I would throw caution to the wind and sew all my collected fabrics!
That mindset brings a whole new life to my workroom… I knew what I wanted to do. Create. So before I gave it it’s proper send off to the nearest donation center, I picked up my poor purple jacket and photographed it for the first and last time.
And that’s what fashion is all about, right? Taking risks. Stepping outside of your comfort zone, making mistakes and never standing still.
Today I realized that these were some of the things I loved most about Karl Lagerfeld. Taking risks, letting your freak flag fly and owning your most truest self. Here are some of my favorite quotes to live by…
Work:
“I have a sort of Alzheimer’s for my own work, which I think is a very good thing. Today too many people remember what they did – just forget it all and start again.”
Vanity:
“Vanity is the healthiest thing in life.” —
Self Care:
“Don’t sacrifice yourself too much, because if you sacrifice too much there’s nothing else you can give and nobody will care for you.” — The World According to Karl
Self Improvement:
“Improvise. Become more creative. Not because you have to, but because you want to. Evolution is the secret for the next step.” —
On Athleisurewear:
“Sweatpants are a sign of defeat. You lost control of your life so you bought some sweatpants.” —
Self Confidence:
“Don’t look to the approval of others for your mental stability” ―
Taking Risks:
“When I took over Chanel, everybody said to me, ‘Don’t touch it. It’s dead. There’s nothing you can do.’ And I said to myself, ‘I love that people think that. Now let’s see.’” —
On Sleep:
On Public Image:
“I am like a caricature of myself, and I like that. It is like a mask. And for me the Carnival Of Venice lasts all year long.” —
On Fashion:
“Whatever it is, good or bad, it influences fashion. You can see that in fashion quicker than in any other thing going on. Fashion is something that reflects our lives and times with the shortest release because, cars, design and architecture take years to realize.” —
xoxo, Riva
ON ME// fabric – ; Blouse – coming soon!; Pants and
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