“We are the stories we tell ourselves” – Shekhar Kapur

Most know me as the consummate traveler, forever espousing my fundamental belief that travel is the most tried and true way to enlighten our minds and expand our spirits, often in ways that we least expect. It’s one of the most important things we do in life. However, the few that wade through the chaotic creativity in my life know that at times I prefer being still, reflecting my introverted self. Despite the numerous, and sometimes extended, excursions to hamlets and islands I’ve long-since forgotten how to pronounce, I’ve always loved spending time at home…that’s a simple reality of mine. Even as a young girl, I bloomed in my time after school painting, for the years I’d plan to grow up to be an artist. It was the best homework ever, as it sculpted the ability to tell a story through my pieces, and ultimately shaped my career in design.

Today, I seek refuge in Southern California and Europe – one foot in the countryside of France and the other in the city of Barcelona. If living in Barcelona taught me how to dream then Provence has taught me how to live. Southern California’s isolation juxtaposed with the propinquity to the ocean afforded a new found freedom to be present and still – a freedom to observe and to experiment as an artist of my own design, to take control of the personal narrative, and to discover and develop previously dormant aspects of my own creative voice as a designer.

I’ve been able to reacquaint myself with the great poets and how their writings effortlessly capture the mood and the essence of a woman. In designing collections – focusing on the interplay of physical, emotional, and spiritual experiences, and how they are expressed through a woman’s personal growth and self-awareness. I’ve also come to appreciate my design work as a storytelling medium, and the poetry has found its way into my designs. How a woman chooses to dress and communicate herself to the world is inextricably woven into articulating her personal narrative – more so a strong, free-spirited mood that is so much more than just a look – it’s about how it makes you feel. That’s not to say that changing our lives is as simple as changing our clothes, rather, it can be as simple or as excruciatingly difficult as changing the script in our personal stories.

The stories we tell ourselves reflect our belief systems, insecurities, and aspirations. In many ways, we become the story, whether negative or positive, self-defeating or productive. The revelation is that each of us is the guardian of our own story, and the nature of our personal narrative is fundamental to who we are and who we become. Our time in this world and journey through life can be viewed as the interplay of our personal paths with those of others. It’s metered by those moments of confluence where we follow the same paths with our loved ones, friends, and strangers – no matter how fleeting or extended, banal or emotional, negative or positive, the experience is what matters – embracing an emotional luxury of connectedness.

I view life as a quest for wholeness with purpose, not just happiness. It’s about the series of choices that we make along the way, a combination of the joys and sorrows we experience, the friends and family who come in and out of our lives, and all the while staying true to yourself.