The End of the Year – A Personal Note

2010 has been one of the most exciting years, ever, for me. I have been incredibly lucky and I’m grateful for all the projects, clients, friends, opportunities and wonderful ideas that have been a part of my life. I am also very grateful to the many consistent people who read my blog and have been following me through social media. December is such a fun month and the Holidays are exactly what most of us are looking for in life: family, friends, warmth, happiness, celebrations, magic and inspiration. And that’s exactly what I got a at the beginning of this month, being invited by the French Institute Alliance Française (FI:AF) to celebrate the accomplishments of a man who has worked tirelessly for more than two decades pursuing his dreams. The one and only Marc Jacobs, known for making women and men look beautiful, sexy, playful or empowered through his designs (he can also get artists of the caliber of Takashi Murakami or Richard Prince collaborate with him to create the coolest Louis Vuitton bags or pick up his phone and get Madonna or Mikhail Gorbachev be the face of the LV campaigns). Every year, the FI:AF gives the Trophée des Arts to an extraordinary artist or cultural icon who has exemplified FI:AF’s mission of French-American friendship and cross-cultural exchange. I was elated when I knew Marc was going to be honored this year and even more excited when we chatted that night, before he received his award from that powerhouse that is Anna Wintour, the Editor in Chief of American Vogue.

Marc doesn’t consider himself an artist; he insists he is a designer (though his fashion presentations seem to firmly say that he is an amazing artist). I found him humble, kind and grounded. I admire his will and determination. I asked him what his advice is for young people--it was to keep pursuing their dreams. He feels that if you are consistent and driven, one way or the other, you are destined to be successful in whatever makes you happy and what you feel a passion for. And Marc is really the embodiment of a lot of interesting qualities that are worth imitating: he is an amazing art collector (and not afraid to acknowledge that he started collecting contemporary art late in his life, more precisely in 2002); a man who is fearless when taking risks (either with ad campaigns, fashion shows or with his own personal style of wearing kilts and Birkin bags) and somebody whose curiosity and eagerness to learn more and know more have made him who he is. In the words that Anna Wintour had for him the night of the gala, “Marc is someone who makes you want to rush out and do things”. And that’s how I leave 2010: inspired by the greatness of other human beings and looking forward to doing lots of great things in 2011. Happy New Year!