Thursday 31 March 2011

"to humble beginnings" : it's not what you know but who you know...right?
It’s not what you know, but who you know, goes the saying. A pearl of wisdom yet slightly defeatist in today’s society which unfortunately rings true.
So i'm sitting here mulling it over. Tea apparently cold.

One may agree that in the fashion industry today one can’t always rely on a flash of Touche Éclat (wonderful though it may be) and flick of eyeliner these days. To have that certain ’je ne sais pas' and be the 'crème de le crème' what must one have?
I don't know, I have a hunch that even Mr. Quasimodo could quite easily have a slot at Paris Fashion Week if a certain fashion council member was a certain relative. Maybe, if appeased could even be talked into a massage right there on the table, glasses of Perrier no longer vertical on the glassy surface. Don’t know.

Elaborate conspiracy theories aside you can’t help thinking there may be an element of truth in this, the proverbial kissing of ones rear end, and one too many creases in a certain council members Hermes scarf.


Two very different examples though. Does your beginning spell out your end?
On a very previous episode of CW’s America’s Next Top Model came a child fashion designer, Russian heiress 14 years of age at the time by the name of Kira Plastina if anyone can remember the name because I couldn‘t (ten Google searches later). Her father being extremely wealthy simply came across her drawings in her room and immediately blew her up to be a legend and has recently done collection collaboration with Lindsay Lohan...Kudos? Not the hard way to the top at all.

Lee Alexander McQueen. A person who grew up in a council flat, (equivalent of projects), not particularly affluent in any way, shape or form, left school with one qualification in Art and became one of the greatest designers in British history.
Success has to do with desire and ambition and creativity and I think although friends in high places and ample coin are helpful, it’s not part of a talent or an endearment when the job needs doing. You either can or can’t. I think.

So...am I right? Is it,
what you know and not who you know?
Or the other way round explain yourself?

3 comments:

  1. Really enjoyed your style of writing. I think that nowadays, unfortunately, it is mostly about who you know in many areas, such as fashion, it is not even about who you know but who do you impress, what popular icon mentions you, then my friend you are all set, you are out there.
    Of course, as an artists I am a pure believer in that it is all about what you know, but kind of have to be realistic somedays and cut the wonderland utopian fairytale of the pure and devoted creative minds sometimes.
    Great debate though ;)

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  2. @ArianaP Thanks for your kind words, glad you liked it. It's a debate which definitely has two sides perhaps one more valid than the other whos knows! :D

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  3. Your writing is exquisite, I so wanted more.

    Talent rises and its work of course but then it's passion. Alas it consumed too many in so many fields. The work is so hard and yet so necessary.

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