A Night With Victoria Beckham

"If I set my mind to something I do it. My biggest wish for all of us is that we are happy, successful, and that we stay true to ourselves." This quote by Victoria Beckham is a driving force in my life. It has been my bio on both Twitter and Instagram since I created my accounts and I feel that it describes who I am to a "T." In life and in fashion, we have to push ourselves in order to succeed and I have noticed all too frequently that when we are striving so hard to make something of ourselves, we tend to neglect others. Victoria Beckham is a style icon, a singer from the 90s girl group the Spice Girls, wife to People Magazine's 2009 runner up of the Sexiest Man Alive (in my opinion, he was robbed), a mother of four and most important of all attributes, she is an absolute inspiration to many. 

A beautiful table setting featuring Victoria Beckham's iconic brand logo (note the "As" are upside down "Vs", it's all a part of her aesthetic.

On September 10th, I had the opportunity of the lifetime not only to meet Victoria Beckham but also to have a private viewing of her latest S/S 14 collection that had only been shown days earlier at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week. This all took place at a beautiful Manhattan mansion that was actually the unforgettable location of Big and Carrie's penthouse in the Sex and the City movie. Trust me, the beautiful windows and high ceilings are nothing to be joked about; the atmosphere was stunning! Of course, Victoria Beckham could make any room feel that way but the whole experience was completed by the ambience of the location.
Victoria was accompanied by the Executive Editor of Harper's Bazaar, the brilliant Laura Brown; together they narrated the mini fashion show that was put on for us. It was unlike any other fashion show I've been to because Victoria was right there giving her input. This really tied the whole collection together and it really talked to the fact that VB is 110% involved in both the design and execution process of her line. This was quite refreshing to me because it seems like every celebrity dabbles in fashion nowadays whether they start as a singer, actress or even an heiress (you know who I'm referring to...) The real talent and dedication of Victoria Beckham on all of her collections came through in the way that she passionately described each garment down to what the pieces were made of. 

Victoria's 2002 Autobiography that she signed for me! (At the point it was written, she only had her first son!)

I was blown away by how down to earth and so very humble Victoria is. There were quite a few mothers in the audience who remarked on how incredible she is in that she has such an empire in the fashion industry and yet has such a beautiful and functional family which is all to rare on the celebrity scene. She said a few things that stood out to me and struck me as very inspirational and unique as a celebrity of such stature. She said, " I wake up every morning and I say thank you." What a refreshing statement to hear come from the mouth of Victoria Beckham AKA Posh Spice. As a very dedicated fan of hers, I have known that she has a side other than the very sharp and quite intimidating persona that she is portrayed as in the media, but I am sure there are people out there that think that her concerns fall short at which "little Gucci dress" she should wear. Victoria is so much more than that and after being personally greeted by her and being able to really talk to her, this fact is all the more apparent to me.
Talking about her very blunt exterior, I must mention another quote from her that really resonated with me and that is, "I think you should laugh everyday. Enjoy yourself." A very simple statement, but coming from Victoria's perfectly pursed lips said in her cool British accent, it really makes sense and kind of made me rethink how I live my life and whether or not I laugh and enjoy myself enough. Who would've thought that Mrs. Beckham would be the one to make me think about laughing. She said this in response to a question by a fellow audience member who asked if Victoria ever completely "cracks under pressure" and if there were moments where she just laughs. Victoria also mentioned that it is laughing that keeps her sane. I mean come on, how much more perfect could this woman get?!

Me with the two of fashion's most talented gals, Victoria Beckham & Laura Brown.

After the fashion show, we were able to browse the latest collection and pre-order pieces that won't be available to others until February. I bought a very sharp pair of eyeglasses that can be described as nothing less than collegiate. They have little gold "Vs" on the sides that stand for none other than Victoria. This latest collection features many triangles that also closely resemble a "V." Victoria made it clear that "squares and polka dots are very out this season" and triangles are where its at. 
To say that I enjoyed myself at this event would be an understatement. Laura Brown was definitely the perfect person to accompany Victoria. The whole exterior of both the fashion industry and Victoria were both softened by Laura's commentary and personality. There was an ease about the conversation between the two that showed the passion that they both have for the industry and I was proven right about the fact that the industry does have a soul. I have said it before and I will say it again, although the fashion industry is "cut throat," there are still women and men that make me feel that I am not pursuing this career to be let down; I am in it because I love it.  I can see that those who get to positions that they want to be in have gotten there not only by fighting for it but by having the love for the industry that fuels them.

Where Am I Going, What Am I Doing?

I am all to aware that I have neglected this blog a wee bit and in all honesty it is because I am trying to answer the questions in the title of this post. Although they seem a bit dramatic, it is where I am at right now. I am feeling a bit like Jenna Hamilton in Awkward turning to a blog to sort out what is going on in my life. I just started my senior year of college, yesterday was my first day of classes and I have been confronted with the fact that my graduation day is right around the corner. This summer has been nothing but eye opening and thought provoking for me and I feel that my possibilities for the future are endless...a little too endless if you ask me.
Yesterday, I met with my advisor to discuss my current schedule as a Design & Merchandising student with a minor in Communications. She made me all too aware that I could actually graduate a term earlier than expected. After leaving her office, I began to think, "What now?" I have explored the possibilities of moving cross country or even across the world to either continue my studies or pursue a career in fashion, but I am not so sure that anything has been decided just yet. I know that I love fashion and that is really where my head and my heart are at, but I just don't know what I am supposed to do. After talking to some friends, I have realized that I am trying to get a lot of questions answered that can really only be answered by time and experiences but being the Aries that I am, I want to know now.