It’s summer and beautiful outside. Amidst it all, don’t forget to stop and just enjoy the day. And the nights. There is beauty to be found.

While I have you here, are you liking the new look of Parker+Muse? ‘Cause I am.

Earlier today I was at the Four Seasons downtown Vancouver doing work for my day job.  And then I got home and worked a little on designs for my new line, NUFAE. Pursuing fashion is a luxury that I can only afford working long hours (right now, it’s six days a week, usually until 8 pm at night) doing something else. That something else is as a bridal consultant/photography editor for a wedding photography company.

Work and “work”

Something that I think about is whether the trying to survive mentality is somehow pulling me back from really going for “it.” I’m sure this is a common experience binding many of us creative types together. I always think, at what point does our hustle and bustle become who we are, as we try to pursue something else? And, when does what we do define who we are? I constantly exercise my imagination, and I find it easy to imagine the possibilities of what I do in the capacity of how I would like to do it. But for now, my skills belong to someone else’s vision. Well, partly. The way I leverage working so much is by spending half my time working on what I want to, and applying the skills I learn from my job to my own work.

Striding the line between vision and pragmatism, the only way I do things is going all out in two directions: one to feed my soul, and another to feed me and my livelihood, period. That usually means after a full day of work, I can spend the same amount of time doing a full day of “work” for myself. And there is no dread in doing that. I love finishing work in the day so that I can get home to do work that excites me.

I think becoming what we want to be is all about our own choices. We have the choice to opt out, to stay and learn, to try to maintain a balance, or to go all out for our dreams. Whatever circumstances we live in are created by ourselves.

That’s because I decided that the only thing pulling me back from pursuing “it” is myself and my choices.

The Two Big Fails

Pursuing fashion was a luxury. A luxury that often goes amiss because creative types don’t have the pragmatism to see that cash flow among other things a day job provides, is more important than being able to design fabulous things. Plus, I have a pretty cool gig, doing some fulfilling creative work that I can readily apply to my own work. On the other hand, many also err in never taking a leap forward when it really is closer than they think. Malcolm Gladwell’s theories on the tipping point come to mind here. Small and seemingly simple choices have a sometimes imperceivable impact on our futures.

The Bottom Line

I’m working hard and having a good time, and I feel like I am moving forward. Being stuck with either no money or no passion is a killer. That’s the bottom line.

The facts: I work a lot, I don’t make a lot, I learn a lot, and I am constantly adding to my repertoire of skills. That’s the gist of it. Beyond the straight goods: through this job (I’ve been working there for about 2 years now) I’ve realized my passion for integrating creative art with technology and storytelling, and that’s something that extends through to my work in fashion.

If there ever is a point where the cost of staying outweighs the risks of not, then I will re-evaluate the economics of pursuing my passion.

Christian Dior.

Chanel.

Elie Saab.

Giorgio Armani Privé.

P.S. I think this guy does the most amazing fashion show videos. ‘Nuff said.

Forum for the Future and Levi Strauss & Co. have come up with an extensive report outlining four different future scenarios for the fashion industry. Exploring different factors that will shape the future we live in in the year 2025, they’ve come up with Patchwork Planet, Slow is Beautiful, Community Couture, and Techno-Chic.

As a designer, I really look forward to seeing a direction start taking form from today. I personally think it’ll be a mix. This is a project on sustainability and strategy, and the fashion industry is a huge part in achieving that in our future world. Since school has ended, I’ve been deprived of my WGSN fix. So this is good, real good.

A full report is available for download here.

The videos:

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What do you think?

Today was the second shoot for the Nufae by Parker+Muse x Ohkuol campaign by Map Group. I’m currently still designing and sampling, so I don’t know if these 2 pieces will make the cut for the final line. For simplicity’s sake, these pieces are pre-collection. After a blip this week in fabric sourcing, I’ve decided to keep the collection small, and fleshed out a little more of what NUFAE stands for. (If you’re curious about the name, an upcoming post will satisfy your curiosity!)

I try not to lose sight of the vision that this line is based out of love and joy, a playful yet wearable collection with a conscious angle not focused on convention for the sake of sales, but connecting the wearer by designing each piece to be wearable, and born out of a vision that I myself have fallen in love with.

This time around, we played with some beautiful pearls and a vintage cameo necklace from Ohkuol. We shot at dusk at Granville Island and False Creek – lovin’ summer nights! Although it is getting a little too hot to bear during the day.

This necklace is gorgeous!

Now I really can’t wait to see the final pics!

For more photos from the set, click here.