Sarah our Head of Branding and Styling and Traci our Head of Design and I (Creative Director, Founder) reside, generally speaking, on different place on the Creative Pragmatist Scale. For those of you unfamiliar, I created this “word” to define my style. Years ago, after runway shows, I would be asked by editors and department stores what category of design I resided - am I boehmian? a classicist? modernist or a minimalist? and my responses were laced with frustration: “I’m a little of that, some of this, definitely a touch of that.” They would respond “let us know when you figure out who you are.” Shit. I knew who I was, there just wasn’t a tidy industry box to put it in. People are many things, all at once and that doesn’t make us all over the place… right? Maybe we just “are.” But I figured out, once you give something a name, say it out loud, you’re able to get your arms around it. I’m someone who craves balance, demands to not be defined narrowly, some days I’m highly creative and others pragmatism takes center stage. It’s a scale I slide along, I’m grounded but not shackled.
In my book The Creative Pragmatist: An Intelligent Conversation About Personal Style I illustrate the scale to better drive the point home:
Sarah leans highly creative, you should see her some days in the office - chic but definitely registering a bit lower on pragmatism, I’ve no idea how she navigated the subway sometimes but that’s her feistiness full and present. Traci’s always strolling in like a cucumber, very cool in her eased out put tailored looks that have a twist that dares anyone to be foolish enough to define her in one word. And me, most days I’m skating right in the middle, veering to the left and the right as the day, place or time demands.
The CP Scale becomes most present in our bi-annual Fundamentals collection. Because they are the core ingredients one uses to make great things that reflect their personality. If we were cooking, these would be akin to Olive oil, sugar and salt. On this episode, Sarah, Traci and myself style Sacha our model - so you can see the lens through which we interpret pieces that serve as a basic but refused to be defined as such.
We each had 5 pieces to work with: a tropical wool skirt, pale pink denim, our lantern skirt, the twill trouser, and camouflage. There’s a clear thruline between us all - each look Traci and Sarah put together I hadn’t considered, but absolutely would. I was inspired because it was a convo between people who “get” each other.
Sarah paired it with the Black Nylon Liam and the Perfect tee in layers. I added my favorite ribbed knit that’s on sale from spring, and wanted the accent of the cardigan in that good ring 3. Traci killed her look with the resort belted tank on sale, so bonus.
Sarah paired it with the sheer silk voile top on sale from spring and clean black flip flops. I put it with a bodysuit we did from 2022, and my NEW FAVE Jacket here in the most goodest ever ring 3 color and my brick red toe ring sandals. Traci styled heres with charcoal grey and the pink toe ring with worked SO chic!
Sarah paired hers with the red twill shirt; I styled mine as I’m packing for summer with the brown tube top and an easy sweater at my waist and olive slides; traci topped hers with the voile top on sale and our favorite sandal.
And then the red pant in the trouser and in the pleated. Sarah put hers with the simple cashmere hoodie and the brick version of best sandal ever. I am headed out west here so wanted it with denim and traci layered it up in a neutral top and tank - both of which are on sale so yay for you.
Let me know in the comments who you think won the challenge. I’m deeply curious.
