So I just came across a very inspiring interview with Alber Elbaz on Wall Street Journal today and thought that I share some wisdom of this Moroccan-born who refused to lose his weight. Macam bagus je kan baca WSJ. If you have no idea who Alber is, well he's the uber talented designer of Lanvin. And if you dont know peanuts of what Lanvin is, most probably because you cant afford it.
If you have been flipping through fashion magazines online or offline, Alber Elbaz definitively is something rare.One who thinks that fashion should "feel" like its a family business, Alber doesnt believe in hierarchy,in a pyramid of people reporting to other people. I love it that I can totally relate when he said that "Family is the only place where you feel comfortable enough to make mistakes, and in creation,mistakes are important. They drive you forward". Im not particularly sure how to elaborate but to simply put it,your family is your best critic. Your family SHOULD know you well enough to know whether you're doing the right thing,the right way.
I quote "I always say that if you really want to know the truth you have to go to the basement because thats where things happen. If you look for the truth in the penthouse,usually it's fake".
My understanding :-
1. Bukanlah maknanya theres no need for an organization chart, but you know, sickeningly, most people (especially in the corporate world) at the bottom, do more,work more and suffer more (haha) than people at the top.
2. This means that the people at the top, deserving or not,have found the answers to their burning questions before they reached their current positions.
3. I've said this before, and am gonna say this again, as a reminder to myself at the same time. Don't wait for too long. I learned that waiting have cost me a lot of pain. Inside.
I quote "Today we have to relearn how to be small again. It's not just about marketing,but about creativity again,about returning to intuition,to emotion. We have to bring joy to people - that's the essence of the job".
My understanding : -
1. Dig deeper inside your very core to find the ultimate definition of happiness.
2. Sadly, I feel that the yearly appraisal back in my old workplace WAS mostly marketing (didnt mean to sound so negative but this is sickeningly true)
3. There's nothing more awesome than bringing joy to yourself and the people around you. I'd tell u perfect examples but it's gonna be sekajang Pak Malau, so I save a story or two,for later ye.
Somehow working on my own has made me even more emotional than I was ever before. Highly likely the result of too much noise of people around me (I am assuming), yet to find their exit strategy. Stop whining, start praying, real hard. The answer wont show up at your doorstep the next day but it will, one day. It's only a matter of time.
You may not need to leave your 9-5 job like I did :P
Lanvin Spring Summer '12
Those silk chiffon dresses are just sublime.