Change of A Dress

Hey there, it’s Olivia

It’s going to be a hectic couple of weeks at work. The Summer season is around the corner, and I have back-to-back deadlines. It was so much easier when I was just freelancing. I moved to Mountain City sight unseen to fill in for a friend. What was supposed to be just 3 months, turned into 2 years, and I haven’t looked back!

I do wish I could have maintained the more flexible schedule of a consultant. Four days a week with Fridays off to venture out. And no politics! But once Kate saw my skill set in action, she had to lock me in. She had tried to get her NYC team to follow her to the mountains, but she did not get any takers. After working with her, I understand why. She is a master manipulator and opportunist. She threatened me by telling me that if I did not sign on full-time, I would be fired. I should have called her bluff, but I do love my new life and was not ready to move on yet. She promised me that in 1 year she would promote me to Director. Unfortunately, I did not get that in writing. Lesson learned. It has been 1 year and 3 months and no promotion to speak of, even though product demand has doubled in the last year.

Even with all of that, I try to do my best to focus on the positive and let the negative slide off my shoulders. Dresses are my favorite category to design, so I am head down focused on silk chiffon, cotton poplin, and linen. I received the most amazing fabric swatches and embroidery mockups from our Indian vendors. They are all so inspiring! Did you see the most recent collections from Mes Demoiselles? Cuyana? And Me and Em? Looking at them just makes me want to go on a river cruise, desert caravan or Saint Tropez! I am constantly storing away prints, color, and garment details in my mind, to be recalled at a moment’s notice. I need to pull out all the stops to keep Kate happy. She is a hard one to please. Well back to it!

Until next time,

Love ❤️

Olivia