The Year of Reimagining…
Living through 2020, has given us all pause to think about our personal and professional lives in new and more discerning ways…
Does this still work? Am I fulfilled? Am I of service? Do I support my home, my community, and my profession? It’s a great breeding ground for creativity and reimagining our lives… and while it’s painful, it’s much needed…
In business, I see similarities in the way we think about work and our relationship with work… The fashion industry is on the brink of stepping more fully into 3D technology, which, in many ways, is very positive and sustainable for our planet… Yet, I sense hesitation to release old ways of thinking and doing business…
Some of my colleagues, with long careers in fashion, see 3D technology as a diminishing of the craft of creating clothing… There is an intangible quality that is captured in the creation of really beautiful clothing… It’s “in the hand” so to speak… They wonder if this quality will be lost as we begin visualizing our work through a computer screen…
Others, who are just starting out in the business, have no means of comparison for the new versus the old ways of creating clothing… For them, the technology is not difficult at all… They grew up interacting with the screen… They are unhindered by the loss of the old ways and see 3D as just another tool enhancing their creativity….
Finally, for those of us in the middle, we stand at a crossroads, deciding whether to “lean in” to what’s new or “ride out” the tide of the old…
I see our choice as very pertinent to the changing landscape of the fashion industry… We are charged with bridging the gap between the Discerning Eye of the masters, with the Fresh Perspective of the up and coming generation… We are the “bridge” that seamlessly sews one generation into the next…
I’ve personally lived through this situation with the birth of CAD pattern making in the 90s… So many of the skilled masters I worked with were fearful for their jobs and uncertain of how to retrain their eyes for the CAD work…
I’ve seen first hand how the bridge concept is so powerful… at that time, I was the Fresh Perspective… In order to make these Master pattern makers feel comfortable enough to learn… I became both the student and the teacher… it was a win/win for both of us… I was able to neutralize their fear of change, by learning their prized experience and skill… This transfer of knowledge served me so well throughout my career and even into today…
My challenge for our industry is to embrace the partnership between Master and the Fresh Perspective… To reimagine an environment of change that inspires and respects all involved… I think our industry will be better for it…
Seeing these new professional partnerships as extensions for our new personal vision is equally important… Where can we bridge and partner in our personal lives to create more meaning, contribution, and fulfillment? Reimagining 2021 for me feels like a seamless integration of both…
How can can you reimagine your 2021 for the better? I’d love to hear your perspective…
