In Support of Solitude

There is a quote that I’ve frequently found myself reflecting on throughout the past year

“I find it wholesome to be alone the greater part of the time. To be in company, even with the best, is soon wearisome and dissipating. I love to be alone. I never found the companion that was so companionable as solitude.”- Henry David Thoreau; excerpt from ‘Walden’

Of course, it’s quite obvious that Thoreau is an introvert by nature. He wrote this quote while living solo in the woods by choice, not after being unexpectedly thrust into seclusion in the midst of a worldwide pandemic. Still, Thoreau’s point highlights a simple human truth---we require solitude, and lots of it.

We’ve spent the past year and then some distanced from the communities that defined us, that brought us joy. Loneliness has been a rising sentiment globally. Living in a digital age many have been able to find substitutes for connection through online modalities, but after a year of quarantine, synchronous communication feels like an insufficient means of bonding. As people ache to connect with loved ones in person, solitude has become a detested villain. Yet, I believe solitude to be a necessary part of the human experience. Further, I believe that we must practice solitude frequently.

My belief in the necessity of frequent solitude might seem a bit outrageous. How many times have you heard the phrase “humans are social creatures” or “people thrive in groups”? And I am not disagreeing with these arguments. I fully believe that two things can be true. Yes, humans are social creatures, but also, we require extended moments of seclusion. When practiced correctly, solitude gifts us the opportunity to introspect and better understand our own humanity.

Prior to the onset of the pandemic, how often were you in true solitude? And when I say solitude, I don’t just mean the absence of other people. Complete solitude means shutting away the phone, turning off the TV, getting rid of the music, closing the book and any of the other ‘noisy’ items that distract us from our own thoughts. If you were anything like me, then those moments of true solitude were probably few and far between. When they did happen, all energy went towards trying to fill those moments with activity that would divert attention away from our inner thoughts.

While everyone hasn’t had the opportunity to practice the true solitude I am speaking about during the pandemic, a lot of us have. In my case, practicing solitude was unavoidable during quarantine. My roommate, a mechanic, continued to go to work each day, while my entire life shifted online. I often spent several hours home alone. By the second month of quarantine, after spending the entire day online, apps like Netflix, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter no longer captured my attention. The constant consumption of other people’s opinions, thoughts, and lives became exhausting. Even my safe haven, music, was becoming a bit too much to bear so I began to spend time away from the devices that were my sole connection to the rest of the world. 

I swapped out the time I had spent on those devices with quiet activities that allowed me to peruse my mind and introspect. I began walking through my neighborhood more. I meditated. I painted. I sewed. I journaled. Sometimes I just closed my eyes and laid down. This time that I spent with myself gave me the chance to get a better understanding of my ambitions in life---which I had lost sight of thinking I was running out of time for success because of social media. I gained a better understanding of how my emotions operate and how to address them in the moment, rather than distracting myself from them.

 I learned a great deal about myself, more than I could even begin to lay out here. Even so, that does not mean I do not have a need for solitude anymore. Humans are ever-changing beings. The same personal inner truths that have been uncovered over the past year may not resonate in a year’s time. To continue to unveil the hidden parts within, escaping from the noise of the world is essential. Similarly to giving time to a loved one to listen and learn about the ways in which they’ve grown, you need to extend the same time to yourself. Being alone grants us the chance to be in companionship with ourselves, having the chance to get to know ourselves like a good friend.

Only when we are alone, truly alone, can we begin to hear ourselves clearly.

Written by Victoria Hall

Dressing After

I’ll be frank, I spent the first few months of quarantine in loungewear. Working from home means that 80% of the time I do not have to interact with anyone else. The other 20% they will only see my blouse (unless, of course, the camera function is toggled off). So, there was no harm in wearing sweatpants all the time. But around September 2020, I slowly began to opt for dresses. By November, I was wearing slacks and a steamed blouse for the daily zoom meetings at my job with a health PR agency. January 2021, I was waking up early to put on a full face of makeup and incorporating shoes into my outfit. As an industry, fashion took a notable hit during this pandemic. Unsurprisingly so, considering that many people no longer had reasons to buy that head-turning dress or a new pair of oxfords. Although loungewear unofficially became the global uniform in the early days of the pandemic, over the past few months I’ve realized fashion serves a greater purpose than functionality. In the midst of quarantine, for me fashion served as a symbol of optimism.

I know that there are many who were more than glad to cast aside their button ups, their high heels, their tight pants and opt for cozy loungewear in the beginning of the pandemic. Don’t get me wrong, the main purpose of loungewear is comfort which we all needed more of in 2020. Despite the unwavering support for loungewear over the past year, I believe its days are numbered in the public sphere. As restrictions loosen throughout the world and people are invited to socialize in-person once again, the casual loungewear will be replaced by our more expressive and less comfortable pieces. This change in clothing will help us reintegrate back into in-person living.

Loungewear is typically considered as clothing for the home or relaxing. Over the past year we have begun to associate loungewear with something else--quarantine. Many of us invested in new loungewear pieces. Like me, I added a few sweatpants to my previously sweatpants-less wardrobe. As we begin to shift back to a new normalcy, it will be difficult to take our loungewear out into the world with us. Those warm sweatpants or that loose t-shirt that brought us a ton of comfort over the past year will now just remind us of endless days stuck in the house. Our more stylish pieces that have been relegated to the back of the closet will be a physical representation of the shift from isolating at home to going out and experiencing all the world has to offer.

Another con for sticking to our cozy lounge pants might be the way they affect our productivity.  Our comfortable loungewear begs us to snuggle up on the couch and binge Netflix all day, taking a nap break or two in between. Wearing more dressed-up pieces will help us be more productive as our minds recognize that we are no longer in a resting state, increasing our productivity and energy.

The past year has been a year of growth. Time in solitude has caused people’s identities to evolve. Whether that be minor lifestyle changes or major personal evolutions, a lot of us are not coming out of this quarantine the same way we entered it. Fashion will help us to communicate those evolutions to people without ever opening our mouths. It will help us embrace those personal changes better than loungewear can. Like a debutante ball, the more creative pieces that we wear will allow us to enter into society with our evolved identities.

What I believe to be the most important reason for fashion, and the reason people will opt to wear more chic pieces after isolation, is that storing the loungewear to the back of the closet will help spur optimism. By this we will demonstrate to ourselves and others that we have more hope for the future. After more than a year indoors, investing in a more elaborate wardrobe will show that we are optimistic that we will have ample opportunities to wear the clothing to various locations.

Loungewear has successfully provided plenty of comfort over the past year of quarantine. While I am grateful to it for that, I am more than ready to have an excuse to buy a new designer dress. I cannot wait to come up with a fancy outfit to wear to the office. I am patiently waiting for the moment when I can wear a slightly over-the-top brunch outfit. More than anything I can’t wait until wearing my sweatpants is a rare treat and not a routine.

Written by Victoria Hall

Pros and Cons of The Changing Fashion Calendar

Trying something new is never easy, especially if doesn’t only affect the person making the change.

For Fall-Winter ’21 market, we at Haus Agency for the first time ever showed PreFall and Fall-Winter collections together. This was partly done in response to #rewiringfashion – a proposal to reimagine how the fashion industry could and should work, facilitated by BoF.

As a boutique agency, we are by no means singlehandedly changing the industry but what we can offer are our learnings so far.

PROS

-       Every buyer that normally buys both pre and main said that they wished all designers would do this. Showing two drops at the same time gives the buyer a chance to see the collection as a whole. Most retailers plan their budgets for a season as a whole, not separately for pre and main. Showing both drops at the same time takes out the guessing game of understanding how much budget to leave for the next drop and then hoping that the next drop would have styles that are suitable for the store.

-       This allows for the designers to reduce each drop by about 10-15% without sacrificing the ability to still give buyers enough choices. Designing four full collections per year is a lot of pressure on smaller, independent designers but it feels like something that has to be done if the designer wants to partner with a major retailer that expects frequent drops of newness. Additionally, PreFall and Fall-Winter collections are usually shown extremely close to each other – December-January and February-March. There is no time to design another thought through collection in between, and often times the main FallWinter collection suffers. By combining the two drops, the collection is more edited yet still comprehensive enough for buyers to be able to buy into two separate drops.

-       Instead of thinking of a new concept every three months, designers have at least five months to prepare one well-rounded collection.

-       Buyers are bombarded with less appointments and can allow themselves to give each collection the necessary focus to make a selection that is cohesive and represents the collection in the best way. There is one email exchange to book the appointment, one appointment, one order to submit. Technically, this can cut down the buyer’s work load by at least 35% as the buyer does spend a little more time on their order. However, this time is more focused and productive than when dividing up the buy.

-       Retailers that usually don’t invest time in looking at pre-collections, had a chance to see them together with main, and some ended up placing an order for pre because they saw styles that they actually better than some of the styles in main. Because of this, their main budget was reduced a bit, but the total order was still larger than if they had just ordered for main.

-       As already mentioned in the #rewiringfashion proposal, buyers and press expend too much time, money and energy traveling. Now that we’re showing online, buyers feel like they’re constantly in market and are experiencing Zoom fatigue. Now as well as once we go back to showing collections in person, these issues could be easily avoided if we showed two drops at the same time. Not only would this save valuable resources of retailers but also brands and agencies.

CONS

-       Some of our brands felt that this change was a bit rushed and didn’t have enough time to design for pre and main together; however, as we continue to do this, a new rhythm will develop, and designers will actually have more time to dedicate to their collections.

-       Currently buyers are so used to the rat race that sometimes they don’t have the time to read the email that explains that we are showing two drops together thoroughly. As with every change, this will take time and getting used to and during our first try we’ve definitely had some explaining to do. We will still continue to show our main collection through February for the buyers that were not in a position to make their buys in January.

-       Brands are worried that because of this we can miss retailers that are used to the old system and there may be reduction in orders.

When looking at the pros and cons, it’s quite obvious that this type of system would be more beneficial for everyone in the long run. It’s the middle of February and we at Haus Agency have collected most of FW21 orders for our brands. The brands can start planning their production and have enough time to think about SS22. Our retail partners are set with their orders and will not need to book another appointment for February. Now we can focus on working together on marketing efforts and plan for better sell throughs.

However, given the cons mentioned above, skepticism can still slip in as with any new idea or endeavor. When new practices are implemented, it’s important to remind ourselves of the facts and not feelings and continue to weigh pros and cons.

So how will we proceed? What will happen in June? Will the industry finally take the maybe a little scary and at first uncomfortable steps to make a change or are we going to follow the broken system that left the industry tired and uninspired?

My hope is that all independent designers can unite and embrace this change together in order make a real difference.

“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

x Karina

the science of contentment

An age-old truth that I’m being reminded of right now is that most discontentment in our lives stems from wanting that which we don’t have. In the age of social media this is easier than ever.

I have always been the first person to claim that I don’t compare myself to others. However, recently I realized that while I wasn’t consciously comparing myself to others, discontentment would settle when, while scrolling, I noticed the things I wasn’t doing and experiences I wasn’t having. I didn’t look at people and wish they didn’t have what they had, but sometimes I wish I had that too. That comparison made me feel as though I was lacking.

This made me think of the commandment that most of us know – you shall not covet. Even if you are not a believer in the Bible’s wisdom, this ancient truth is more relevant now than ever.

We weren’t told to not covet because coveting is some obscure sin. We were told to not covet because coveting is bad FOR us while not coveting benefits us.

There’s something that happens when we choose to focus on that which we have instead of what we don’t have. We are filled with positive energy that motivates and inspires us to move forward. If good is happening (and we all have something good in our lives that we can be grateful for), our brain is more expectant of other good things happening.  Sensation on hope causes the brain to release neurochemicals called endorphins and enkephalins which actually mimic the effects of morphine. Neuroscientists are investigating the science of hope which results in the brain overcoming hurdles and moving to a place of recovery. In scientific terms, hope and recovery are not causally connected, but they are correlated.

Sense of hope inspires us to take on that new project, push through with something we’ve started on, or simply to spread more love and joy around us.

When a setback happens (because it will happen), we’re still further along in our achievements than we would have been if we did nothing. I’m not talking about blind optimism or positive thinking. Failures and hardships are a part of life, and it’s much easier to live if we accept them as normal. Another study actually revealed that moderation is key when it comes to optimism as well. However, if we appreciate the positive, we can take that energy and create more good around us.

My faith is a major source of hope and joy for me. I rely on my God for everything and I’d be happy to tell you more about Him if you’re interested.

However, an encouragement for all of us today can be the good that is already happening in our lives. We can take some time for appreciation and allow for our brains to fill with hope. We can start dreaming about other good things that can happen in our lives and the lives of those around us and take a few steps towards that reality. Even if life’s hurdles make us take one step back, we will still be further along than if we stood still.

x Karina

essentialism in life and work

There comes a point in every person’s life when something or someone causes us to re-evaluate the course of our lives and the things that we do. We see the meaning and results that some of these things bring and others appear to not add value to our lives. According to Pareto’s Principle, twenty percent of your efforts are responsible for eighty percent of your results.

This principle can be applied to everything starting with time management and ending with the clothes we wear and the things we actually need.

Now (and always, really) is a great time to look at this principle in regard to our lives and careers. During a crisis, our brain is less likely to perceive as much information as it ordinarily would. Oftentimes our creativity can even decrease while we’re grieving. At a time in which retaining our output (much less increasing it) may prove difficult, finding that twenty percent is not just smart—it’s necessary.

This thought led me to another principle I had unknowingly subscribed to a long time ago while exploring the minimalism trend: essentialism. Being able to discern the twenty percent of essential activities and finding a way to focus on those may show us that we are doing more than we need to. And in doing so, we’ll be able to increase our attention to the tasks within the twenty percent bracket and ultimately, increase our quality of life. 

So, why don’t we subscribe to this lifestyle more often? The problem is not that we don’t have the ability to discern the important, the problem is that we don’t give ourselves the space to think and process what is important. A time of seclusion is imperative in determining what’s important.

Picasso once said, “without great solitude, no serious work is possible.” I’d like to argue that, without great solitude, no intention is possible. Taking the time to evaluate is not only beneficial for our work, but also strengthens our lives, relationships, and ambitions. According to neuroscientist Dr. Caroline Leaf, our brains need silence and space to enter the “decluttering and cleaning” mode. It’s in these moments that we find creative solutions and recall important facts. 

People often get so lost in the mundane, day-to-day tasks that they lose track of the reason they are doing those things in the first place. In order to maintain focus on what’s important, essentialism teaches us to always concentrate on the bigger picture.

According to Greg McKeown, the first step to adopting the essentialist lifestyle is cutting out all non-essentials. It’s been helpful for me to do this by determining my goals and then setting a clear path to achieve those goals. Anything that is not on this path is not essential. This doesn’t mean that I have to completely cut off everything that is non-essential – some of these things may serve others or bring me joy. However, that does mean that if I have to choose between activities to invest my energy in, I have a clear vision on what must go if I want to achieve my goals.

A simple example in a business setting is that the goal of Haus Agency is to help my designers grow by connecting them with retailers. After evaluating my business, I can see that sales are what benefit my clients the most and brings profit to my business. With this in mind, despite how enjoyable and valuable the contribution of my creativity through writing and photography may be, it does not make up the eighty percent of Haus Agency’s profit – sales do. So, whenever I’m feeling overwhelmed or just too busy, if my main goal is still to bring in profit by helping my designers grow, some of the creative endeavors will be put on a back burner. We can always go back to our priorities and adjust our activities accordingly.

Another example is our relationships. This is different for everyone – some of us may prefer fewer but deeper connections while others thrive with a wider, more surface level network of people.  Once we decide which type of relationship style is the most fulfilling to us, we can decide how to spend our time. Those that want to build deeper relationships will spend more time with the same people and those that enjoy meeting new people will habitually put themselves in new environments. Again, once the goal is set, we can easily determine the twenty percent of activities that will lead to the desired result.

The essentialist sees tradeoffs as an inherent part of life. We are not able to be everywhere and do everything, so the essentialist chooses to make a big stride in one direction (the desired goal) and rejects the notion that we should accomplish everything. The essentialist understands that only a few things truly matter, and we can do anything but not everything.  Failing to say no to the things which aren’t vital can lead us to miss out on the opportunities that truly are.

A tradeoff that I am facing right now is learning French. Last October, I spent a month in Nice taking French classes every day for three hours a day. Much to my surprise, I was not fluent in French after that one month. While this was an invaluable life experience on its own, I often beat myself up for not keeping up with my French after returning home the way I had intended and thus not building on this experience. However, if I accept my humanity, in that I cannot do everything at once, I give myself grace and put my focus back on the things that matter to me now. Right now, my main focus is building Haus Agency while maintaining strong and healthy relationships with my friends and family. These are the things that matter most to me. And while I love languages and the idea of being fluent in French would be an amazingly chic flex in my book, that will just have to wait for a better moment. Accepting that this is not part of the 80/20 rule allows me to no longer stress about it.

Essentialists constantly question their motives for doing something and update their plan accordingly. When studying successful executives, McKeown found that oftentimes success actually hinders a focused lifestyle and further growth. At beginning of their career, the executives focused on a few things and achieved success. However, as their successes began opening up more opportunities, the executives’ focus was split, and productivity and results started to dwindle. It is easy for us to fall in the undisciplined pursuit of more but what is going to help us during a crisis as well as with the bigger picture of life is the disciplined pursuit of less but better.

In spite of the tendency in our culture of more is better, only a few things are actually essential to our dreams and well-being. Everything else is unimportant and oftentimes imposed on us by a comparison of ourselves to others. By focusing on the few vital things and learning to do better by doing less, we can craft a life that is far more productive and fulfilling.

x Karina

my experience and lessons during the time of social distancing

It all started when a showroom in Paris was shut down because one of their employees tested positive for COVID-19. I couldn’t confirm if anyone I had met with had prior been to that showroom; thus, after returning from Paris I decided to stay at home to not endanger my friends. I did have a slight cough (could have been allergies), and I was jet lagged and exhausted from market anyway. As I’ll be the first one to light a candle and enjoy a glass of wine and a book at home, secluding myself from the outside world for a week or so didn’t seem like a terrible idea at all.

I have now been in my apartment for over a month. Besides a few grocery runs, and countless zoom parties, I haven’t been in a presence of a human being for that same amount of time.

Needless to say, this time has been filled with ups and downs emotionally and a few revelations along the way. 

1.     There is no right way to cope with what we’re encountering because we’re all going through a different type of storm. The best thing I can do is to be mindful of others. No matter how big or small the loss, loss can be painful, and compassion is the best medicine. Compassion for others and for myself.

2.     I need to give myself space to grieve personal loss and the suffering around me. If you’re familiar with enneagram, I am a 3. What that means is that I’m motivated by accomplishment. However, when under stress, my personality type naturally goes to a low 9 – which means numbing out and being passive. It’s been helpful for me to know that I have this tendency, so I can give myself space to numb out and not be surprised. However, to feel even better about numbing out and to rest, I set parameters for myself. If I feel like I really won’t get anything done at the present time, I schedule another time to do it. This allows me to actually rest because I don’t have to wallow in shame about putting things off. I know exactly when it’s going to get done. The key is to actually tackle the task when that time comes. Usually, I’m able to focus and I’m happy to be productive at that time because I have allowed myself to rest and fully disconnect. This is something that I was practicing before social distancing as well – Saturdays are my days of rest and nothing can really change that. When I allow myself to fully take a break on Saturdays, I actually want to do more during the week. Intentionality is key.

3.     As humans we are wired to create and exhort energy in some way. That means that growth and getting things done will make us feel better and give us a sense of purpose and confidence. I am making a list of things I would like to accomplish while at home. They involve my spirituality and values, relationships, professional life. I don’t want to come out of this the same person. However, it’s important that I don’t burden myself with a list as long as a CVS receipt all in one day or even a week or a month. When my lists are too long, I get too overwhelmed. Then I feel bad for myself and all the things I HAVE to do so I wallow in self-pity and opt to zone out on Schitt’s Creek instead. But who decided that I have to do all these things? Choosing one thing per day or a certain amount over the whole time I’m at home doesn’t overwhelm me and allows me to do less but better. One is better than none.

4.     I try to think about what makes me happy long term versus short term. Nothing wrong with knowing my vices and indulging once in a while, but it’s important to listen to my inner voice. Deep down I know what makes me feel better in the long run, and the more I focus on those activities, the less I need the quick fixes. I feel more leveled, and enjoy more consistent peace and joy rather than spikes of satisfaction and rock bottom lows. I’m choosing things that feed my soul and body for a marathon not a sprint.

And here I am, four weeks done and very likely at least four more to go. I don’t know what will happen or when this will end. I do know that as humans we are incredibly adaptable and resilient. We grieve, we grow, and we move forward. I want to be compassionate and ready when it’s time to move forward.

x Karina

love that kills

“Love’s gonna get you killed but pride’s gonna be the death of you and you and me.” – Kendrick Lamar “PRIDE”

Do we really know love? As a society that talks about inclusivity and harmony so openly and focuses on various activities or lack thereof to attain full peace and love, do we actually understand love? Does it ever cross our minds that in today’s society, true love may get you killed? Maybe not in a physical sense but certainly on the inside.

For the last couple of months, I’ve been heavily inspired by Cole Cuchna and Femi Olutade’s analysis of Kendrick Lamar’s DAMN on Dissect. Lamar’s statement is intimidating but rings very true.

It is easy to love those that love us. It is easy to love those that agree with us. But what about the ones whose perspective is unacceptable to us? It doesn’t even have to be that serious. Are we able to love those that just rub us the wrong way? Do we choose love there? Do we choose to love these people when they’re not in the room? Lift them up and support them?

This is when love kills us. It kills the satisfaction of feeling right. True love kills the need to one up someone and gives unconditionally. True love says “You don’t owe me anything. I accept you the way you are.” Love keeps no record of wrong, and he who has been forgiven much, loves much. Pride is unable to love because pride doesn’t recognize one’s own shortcomings and thus cannot accept those of others.

So what do we choose? If we are real with ourselves are we really seeking and giving love or is even our love rooted in pride?

Choose love and die on the inside or choose pride and stay you, but that may mean the death of “you and me” together.

x Karina