019: it’ll all make sense in a second

moments are not lingering anymore. people want instant satisfaction and gratification, or it almost doesn’t count. i think a contributing factor to this is the way fashion journalism and the press are so swiftly demanding. social media also makes everything and almost everyone easily accessible. people want the material fast. and as the curator, you want to be first. i get it.

however, this accessibility gives people a sense of entitlement, and this is where lines get blurred. where we should be appreciating and processing a body of work for what it is, people instead focus on what they would have done differently. trying to gain control over how an artist expresses themselves. in a world where art is often profit-driven due to pressures from labels, die-hards, and stats, it’s rare to see successful artists say, “f that.” but it happens and it can be humbling for those who criticize a lot and do little.

billie eilish just released the "birds of a feather" music video. fans raved online about how their vision for her music video was better than what her and her team put out. they wanted to see her running through a field of flowers in babydoll clothing, with a hot romantic interest, telling the story in a more explicitly expressive way. they wanted bows and ballerina core and all the things.

however, the video communicates love as a force————> it just pulls you. no matter what you do, love demands, love calls. and all it took was a face and some liminal space. for what it’s worth, love is not as cookie cutter as walking through a field of flowers. love lies in the nuances, the subtleties, the slow burns, and burn outs.

there are so many ways to express something as complex as love. in my own life, i’ve learned that. for the sake of art (and for the betterment of the world) artists must continue to take unique approaches, even when they aren’t understood immediately. only then will they be able to leave behind a goldmine of experiences and emotional truths for the next generation of lovers. think of all the things we have to reference, ponder on, and relate to… all the things that were created pre accessibility shortcuts when there weren’t so many things to consider.

that’s why it’s so important for artists to challenge this sense of entitlement i speak of. when we demand instant satisfaction, we miss the depth in the work. instant satisfaction is good, but instant satisfaction is not imperative. we start to think we’re owed something—that we deserve to be shown art in a way that we already understand, instead of letting the artist guide us to something new. that’s what made billie’s "birds of a feather" video cool to me. refusing to give us the cliché, she forced us to sit with her vision & to talk for humanity’s sake. that’s how we learn to appreciate something beyond the surface.

the same can be said for fashion and all mediums.

it’s hard to keep up in today’s fast-paced world, but that’s exactly why we have a responsibility not to push things we don’t feel. as artists challenge us, we should hold them accountable to produce work that is honest and genuine, rather than letting gimmicks and shortcuts dictate the conversation. many brands today are doing numbers off gimmicks alone—AVAVAV, balenciaga (and others, but i digress)—rather than truly connecting with the art form.

stop coddling these brands. instead of trying to be the first to cover every single thing, we need to shed more light on what’s real and true about fashion and expression in general. we owe it to ourselves and the art we love to celebrate depth and honesty. we should celebrate the artists who refuse to pander to surface-level desires and, in turn, give us something worth sitting with.

a great example of making moments last is john galliano’s work with maison margiela this year. first, there was the artisanal show which was all the rave, then kim kardashian wore a custom look inspired by the collection to the met gala, björk for vogue scandinavia, and margiela for vogue. through this journey, the story behind the pieces was told again and again. it never gave snoozefest, tho. galliano himself also highlighted his muses in his sit-down with central saint martins students, where we got to understand how the pieces were crafted with the wearer in mind.

it wasn’t just about producing clothes. it was about crafting a narrative that required us, as consumers, to slow down and take it in. galliano’s attention to detail (like imagining how a woman would wear her lover’s sweater after being caught in a garden and needing to flee) emphasizes true craftsmanship.

then, just a few days ago, maison margiela & john galliano released a film in which viewers could immerse themselves in the world of the margiela “nighthawks”. back in january, not everyone understood what they were seeing. but we all felt it. and we loved it so much that we let the moment last. now, those same consumers can tell the story behind these pieces intimately because they took the time to engage deeply with the art.

all in all –and to address the statement piece in the room– i am happy to be back. taking a break from the chaos was essential. it wasn’t just a pause; it was a meeting of my heart and mind. in a world craving instant gratification, i found peace in slowing down because as i’ve been emphasizing here, it’s okay to do so. this stillness taught me to appreciate the depths of art and challenge the entitlement that often jades our perceptions. i’m excited to continue to honor my truth as i step back into this space. in the meantime—and beyond— let’s celebrate the art that lingers, the stories that resonate, and the creativity that breaks down walls. together, we can create a community where authenticity shines, and where we can all feel at ease being ourselves.

xoxo, vc!