What Happened to Kendall Jenner’s Hair at the Met Gala? We Have Some Theories
2014 May 6. | Szerző: shannon
A funny thing happened on the way to the Met Gala… in Kendall Jenner’s case, a hair catastrophe. Jenner has had quite an absurd few months in terms of her fashionable endeavors, from her couture modeling debut at Marc Jacobs to a once-in-a-lifetime walk at the Chanel supermarket. In addition, her questionable choices at Coachella landed her firmly on the fashion infamy list. The young member of the Kardashian clan posted a gorgeous Instagram selfie earlier this evening, depicting the model wearing a streamlined strapless gown and a lightly waved coif. It appeared the the world was in for a shockingly chic Kendall Jenner fashion moment. But somewhere between her hotel suite and the Met Gala red carpet, her hair went from fabulous to frightening. Though the hairstyle looked voluminous in Jenner’s selfie, by her Met Ball entrance, it looked windblown and messy in the worst possible way. What possibly could have created such a disastrous change? Here are our theories.
1. Dad Bruce decided that Kendall’s ‘do wasn’t quite right and attacked her hair with a brush as she ran out the door.
2. Kendall got into a tussle with Kim over her gown, as everyone knows Mrs. Kanye West must be the fairest of them all.
3. Anna Wintour discovered that Kendall had somehow procured an invitation to the event and ordered security to prevent her from entering.
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4. As the little Kardashian clan member was exiting the limo, paparazzi clambering for a photo somehow tripped the bewildered reality star.
5. A wayward bird noticed Kendall’s gravity-defying ‘do and mistook it for a nest.
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7. A fervent fashionista who was offended by Kendall’s Coachella style flub attempted to ruffle Jenner’s feathers…so to speak.
We may never know what happened to Kendall or why her hair looks so mussed, but we certainly hope she has a serious chat with her hairstylist after the Ball.
Fashion: The world wakes up to globetrotter glam
2014 May 2. | Szerző: shannon
It’s always worth paying attention to Chanel shows. Nobody has their antenna attuned to the moment quite like creative designer Karl Lagerfeld.
Take the brand’s spring 2014 show: recognising the prominence of art fairs such as Frieze and Basel, Lagerfeld transformed Paris’s Grand Palais into an art installation, displaying fashion as an art form in its own right.
The brand’s AW14 show was just as suggestive. A giant globe was erected in the middle of the venue, covered with flags showing where Chanel has stores. But rather than simply demonstrating the label’s reach, the set also reflected a wider movement in fashion.
With emerging economies in South America and Africa, combined with the continued rise of Asia, designers are looking to all corners of the world for inspiration. And, thankfully, the global traveller aesthetic has come a long way since the days of simple khaki jackets, stereotypical African prints and the styles you’ll only dig out on holiday.
Dior set the new mood with its AW13 couture show. The world of couture is inextricably linked with Paris but designer Raf Simons made it his mission to show just how global it is.
The line-up ran like the parade at an Olympics opening ceremony. We had Russian-style embroidered dresses, striking Masai jewellery, sari-type dresses, bold colours and draping that spoke of Africa and a hint of American sportswear thrown in for good measure.
Even proudly Italian label Missoni got swept up in the new mood for spring, with an Africa-by-way-of-Mexico feel. Givenchy’s Riccardo Tisci departed from the fun Disney characters and fantastical motifs of seasons past in favour of a more ethnic aesthetic with dusty desert tones on über-wearable African draping and Kimono-style tuxedos.
But jumping on board doesn’t mean going OTT. Donna Karan’s spring show demonstrated how easy the trend can look. Since the 2010 earthquake, Haiti has been a firm fixture in her collections and her spring line is brimming with nomadic pieces such as languid scarf dresses, chunky low-slung leather belts and woodwork accessories, all in earthy tones.
Ottoman Hands is the perfect way to go, jewellery-wise. The brand, which is now available in Topshop, ranges from rustic arm cuffs to bold rings, all in a similar colour palette. Contemporary label Baukjen offers a more subtle take on the trend. The transformed label has draped dresses and separates that are also classic enough to last into next season.
California-based designer Raquel Allegra has long mastered the global traveller look. Her spring collection manages to make tie-dye sophisticated rather than gap-year chic.
For more of a statement, take styling cues from Valentino, which, unsurprisingly, is a decorative affair full of long black lace gowns embellished with brightly coloured details and dramatic heavily embroidered fringed capes.
Even Peter Dundas went to town with exotic bold-coloured embroidery, giving Pucci’s signature minis a new lease of life with intricate, bold-coloured embroidery.
On the high street, Zara’s beaded crop top is a good bet and Asos Africa’s Nigeria-inspired collection is full of statement prints that are ideal for dressing up basics. The charm of embracing this end of the spectrum is that you’re not faced with the ‘what do I wear with this?’ question because the trick is to keep everything else simple.
This Innovative Nail Wand Could Improve Your At-Home Manicure Skillz
2014 April 29. | Szerző: shannon
Nail polish has come a long way over the last several years, with brands introducing countless new finishes, scents, bottle shapes and methods of application. But one thing that’s rarely fiddled with is the actual brush, or wand, itself.
Well, polish brand Julep decided it was time to change that by releasing the “Plié Wand,” a magnetic, swiveling attachment that connects easily to any Julep nail color cap. The idea is that the flexible handle makes it easier to control while giving yourself an at-home manicure — particularly when using your non-dominant hand.
It’s definitely an interesting concept, and one I was eager to test out. I connected the cap, tilted the top at an angle, and began a-brushing. So did it help me perfect my stroke? Here’s my review:
Using the Plié Wand with my right hand (the dominant one, though something about that just sounds icky) was a lot less awkward that I expected. I guess I ended up gripping it more like a pen than a normal brush, and it didn’t feel weird at all — though I was a bit tempted to grip the bottom like I normally would.
When it came to using the wand with my left hand, I didn’t necessarily find that the different angle option was beneficial. Painting with your opposite hand is just hard. There’s no real way around that. Plus, I paint my nails fairly frequently, so I kind of have the technique down. But for a less experienced manicurist, I imagine the wand would make polish application easier. (Lauren, who doesn’t paint her nails often, held the wand like a chop stick when she tried it, and said it made her non-dominant hand less shaky when applying the polish.)
The one major detriment I noticed with the Plié Wand is that, when you’re not actively painting, the wand itself (which is quite a bit longer and therefore, heavier than your average wand) makes the bottle top-heavy and more prone to falling over. But as long as you make sure to screw the cap on securely between coats, that shouldn’t really be an issue.
In short, I think the people over there at Julep are onto something. This product could appeal to those who don’t feel confident enough in their skills to paint their own nails with a regular wand. But whether it’ll catch on with the notoriously fickle — and capable — #nailart community is left to be seen.
How to Shop for Vintage Fashion Like a Pro: Arden Wohl Shares Tips from NYC
2014 April 25. | Szerző: shannon
There’s no shortage of well-dressed women in the world, but the ones who continuously catch our eye seem to have mastered the art of mixing vintage and secondhand pieces with current high street and designer labels. Each day this week, we’ll ask one of them to share her tips and tricks—from where to find the best Thai silk fisherman pants to how to avoid looking like a period actor. Today, Arden Wohl, the New York–based designer and filmmaker, shares her love of dresses and loud prints.
What are your favorite vintage stores or flea markets?
Of course Resurrection Vintage in Nolita and Southpaw Vintage in Midtown. I also love the Manhattan Vintage Clothing Show held at the Metropolitan Pavilion every year. My friend Rachel Zabar always has a fantastic stand there and I once bought an amazing Todd Oldham dress from his first collection!
What’s your favorite vintage find?
A polka dot Marimekko dress I bought at Sasparilla Vintage in Miami.
Do you have any strategies when it comes to vintage shopping?
I look for color and anything vintage Moschino! For me, it’s all about print.
Do you collect anything?
I am always looking for dresses–that is my main goal when vintage shopping. There’s so much energy in a dress. I love imagining where it’s been worn, who’s worn it, and what kind of person they were.
How do you avoid looking like you’re wearing a costume?
I always look costume-y and I think that’s fashion. I believe that I wear the dress and find the dress that I can overpower rather than the other way around.
What label or era are you constantly hunting for?
I am a seventies and eighties and early nineties girl. I do also love a lot of earlier stuff but I find that they tend to be very delicate and hard to wear. I do love Geminola and all of the amazing older fabrics that Lorraine Kirke works with there.
What are you willing to splurge on?
Moschino, Jean Paul Gaultier, Ossie Clark, and Vivienne Westwood!
What’s on your current vintage wish list?
A wild, long Halston disco gown from the seventies!
La Fressange brings Paris chic to Japanese label
2014 April 22. | Szerző: shannon
Paris fashion has been on the back foot recently with Tom Ford championing British eccentricity in London and Saint Laurent’s Hedi Slimane leading a style renaissance in Los Angeles.
Cue ex-supermodel Ines de La Fressange with a collection restating the case for her own personal brand of classic Parisian chic.
The one-time muse of Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld whose book on how to dress like a real Parisian was a best-seller has just completed a collaboration with Japanese fashion retailer Uniqlo that had shoppers queuing in the rain in Tokyo.
Belted shirt and wrap dresses, versatile shirts and narrow trousers accessorised with caps and spotted scarves for spring/summer 2014 were snapped up in minutes when they went on sale in the Japanese capital last month with some items already sold out online.
De La Fressange and Uniqlo creative director Naoki Takizawa said they knew each other only by reputation before they embarked on their collaboration but quickly discovered they shared very similar tastes.
Since taking the helm at Uniqlo in 2012, Takizawa, a protege and long-time collaborator of Japanese designer Issey Miyake, has overseen a transformation of the utilitarian brand with an injection of luxurious but simple fashion with mass appeal.
“It was fun because after ten minutes we were friends and wanted to work together,” said De La Fressange, 56, a firm enthusiast of mixing and matching high-fashion with low-cost basics, in an interview in Paris.
“We both came from the luxury and creative world and we wanted more or less the same kind of things. I had the impression that he was showing me the fabrics and things I wanted to have before I even said it,” she said.
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They shared an admiration not just for Miyake but also other Japanese designers such Yohji Yamamoto and Rei Kawakubo, which made working together “very easy”, she said.
De La Fressange famously set out her personal style philosophy in her 2010 book La Parisienne.
‘Everything is possible’
The daughter of a French aristocrat and Argentinian model, the 1980s Chanel couture model advised readers to mix styles, experiment with new labels and men’s clothing and invest in a good trenchcoat, blazer and little black dress.
Her “don’ts” included steering clear of bling, coordinating shoes and bags, and fur for anyone over 50 wanting to avoid the “wrinkled trophy wife” look.
Translated into at least 17 languages and with the English title Parisian Chic, the book has sold over a million copies worldwide.
Uniqlo global marketing chief Jorgen Andersson said De La Fressange, who is a brand ambassador for L’Oreal and recently returned to her eponymous label, was an inspiration for his brand’s customers.
“She has a great sense of taste. She has that magic that every woman wants,” he said.
“How do you put pieces together? Because that’s really what fashion is all about, not buying everything from one brand but picking up things and mixing it with what you already have in your wardrobe to create an appealing look.”
Little known outside Japan only a decade ago, the Uniqlo brand created by Tadashi Yanai, one of Japan’s richest men, has in recent years pursued an aggressive international expansion strategy.
As well as stores all over Asia, it now has outlets worldwide in cities such as New York, Paris, London and Moscow.
In another highly publicity-conscious collaboration this year, it has teamed up with US musician Pharrell Williams to produce a range of T-shirts and caps due to go on sale from mid-April.
De La Fressange and Takizawa, meanwhile, have also completed a second collection for autumn/winter 2014/15 and no one is ruling out a third.
“Everything is possible,” she said.
When Bravo Comes to Charleston
2014 April 19. | Szerző: shannon
For the last few years Charleston has been getting the sort of high praise it has not seen since before Reconstruction.
Travel & Leisure and Condé Nast Traveler have named it the best city in the United States. Bon Appétit has declared Husk, the pride of its trailblazing food scene, the third-most important restaurant in the country. Its Spoleto music festival has been called by The Wall Street Journal “a world-class event in a first-class setting.”
Finally, it seemed, Charleston was getting its long-deserved due as an international capital of refined culture and distinctive taste after shaking the degradations of the Civil War, Hurricane Hugo and Borat — the “Da Ali G Show” character who blew through the society circuit here with an indelible display of lasciviousness several years ago.
Then, Bravo came to town.
More specifically, its reality show “Southern Charm.” The network billed it as a peek into the “notoriously closed society of Charleston” starring “a group of the city’s most charismatic gentlemen and their Southern belle equals.”
The actual show, which made its debut in March and has its finale Monday night, with an average audience of roughly 1.1 million viewers, has drawn a different description locally.
“A pop culture smear on the Holy City,” Charles W. Waring III, the publisher of the small and civic-minded newspaper The Charleston Mercury, called it in an interview, channeling the prevailing view of many longtime Charlestonians.
The series, a showcase for a higher-end display of “Jersey Shore”-style debauchery, is so reviled in certain quarters that it has spawned Hate Watch sessions here and wherever displaced Charlestonians gather. Some, including Charleston’s longtime mayor, Joseph P. Riley Jr., refuse to watch it altogether, though he says he receives reports. Friends and relatives of would-be cast members have virtually threatened to disown them — that is, when not haranguing them with that most basic question, “Why?”
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Bravo does not get what all the fuss is about. “Everyone in this cast loves Charleston,” said Kathleen French, the Bravo senior vice president for current production. “They love their town.” But it is not their love of the city that is being questioned; it is what they do on national television in their beloved city that is.
Try: The 51-year-old former state treasurer Thomas Ravenel (who was forced from office in 2007 after a cocaine-related felony conviction) drunkenly beds a woman 29 years his junior in a one-night stand that turns into something more only after a pregnancy scare (the 21-year-old — a Calhoun, no less — proceeds to sleep with another cast member and have an apparent intimate encounter with yet a third); a 45-year-old bachelor, Whitney Sudler-Smith, informs his mother he may soon depart the large, historic house he shares with her for his own “stabbin’ cabin,” better suited to his amorous adventures. This happens only after mom mildly complains about the late night “trail of women” he brings through (“Just as long as they walk upright I’d be happy,” she explains). In one precious moment, the cast member Jenna King likens a string hanging from a pair of jeans shorts she is trying on to that of a certain feminine hygiene product.
Throughout, the cast members relay that this is just how people are in this town. At times they curse so much that the television bleeps like a car alarm.
“It is not at all what we expect of our children,” said Martha Whaley Adams Cornwell, a local artist and civic leader whose Charleston roots date to well before the Revolutionary War. She was sitting in the garden her mother made famous in the memoir “Mrs. Whaley and her Charleston Garden.” Her mother, now deceased, also started the junior Cotillion dancing school, a social fixture where even now “girls wear gloves” and “are taught to look into an adult’s eyes” along with their male dance partners, she said.
Whatever behavior the “Southern Charm” cast members may advertise, “the schools here are developing character as well as teaching,” Ms. Cornwell said. She agreed to an interview at the request of Mayor Riley, who correctly predicted she would second his testimony that Charleston’s reputation for gentility will survive even this perceived affront by Bravo.
The carefully polished images of many great American cities have had to endure the muddy footprints of reality-show exhibitionistas (“The Real Housewives of Atlanta,” “The Real Housewives of Miami” and the Kardashians, wherever they may clack about in their strappy black heels). But not every metropolis has the reputation to uphold that Charleston does. It has held the “Most Mannerly City in America,” designation for nearly two decades.
Mr. Riley said his primary concern was that the program was showcasing “the polar opposite” of the civic spirit driving the renaissance here. “Decadence didn’t build Rome; it destroyed it,” Mr. Riley declared during an interview in his grand City Hall office. “You build a great city and a robust economy by having people who wake up early in the morning with a clear head and a clear conscience and get to work and try to help each other.”
The show was the conception of Mr. Sudler-Smith, 45. A Virginia native living in Los Angeles, he came to know Charleston after his mother, Patricia Altschul, bought an estate here. Fresh off his ambivalently received 2010 documentary “Ultrasuede: In Search of Halston,” about the fashion designer, he immediately saw his opening for a show that would “deconstruct the myths of the old South but do it in a very funny assertive way.” His inspiration was Mr. Ravenel — an outrageous sort who says one should have the right to do cocaine in the privacy of his own home even as he professes to be running for the Senate. Mr. Ravenel is precisely the kind of unrestrained character a reality show needs to thrive.
Negative local buzz began building long before the show made its premier, starting when Mr. Ravenel and Mr. Sudler-Smith invaded the sanctity of the Carolina Yacht Club with a camera last year. Mr. Ravenel, a member, said they were there only for a drink. Nonetheless, an argument ensued and, Mr. Ravenel confirmed in an interview, he was briefly suspended.
“It is particularly egregious the idea that some believe it might be somehow acceptable to expose your friends and neighbors to potential global ridicule,” Mr. Waring wrote at the time in The Mercury. “The Borat sting still smarts from several years ago.”
(“Borat,” the lewd Kazak journalist played by the comedian Sacha Baron Cohen, came to Charleston in 2002, ostensibly to learn Southern etiquette. Upon securing an invitation to the exclusive St. Andrew’s Society, he proceeded to scandalize his unwitting hosts with talk of his sex life and his sister’s talents as a prostitute.)
Casting “Southern Charm” became a challenge. When a test reel of the show leaked on the website FitsNews, the family of at least one potential participant of true Charleston provenance, Thomas R. Bennett, successfully pressured him to drop out.
“My sister screamed at me,” said Mr. Bennett, a real estate agent whose family has been here since the 1690s. “She just said, ‘You’d have to leave town.’ ”
In an interview by phone —Bravo would not have it otherwise — Mr. Ravenel said his family also pressured him to drop out. The Ravenels are one of the city’s oldest families. His father, the former congressman Arthur Ravenel Jr., is so beloved that a major bridge here is named after him. “There are those mostly from old families — of which I’m a part — that, you know, the whole idea that someone would air their dirty laundry in public is unacceptable,” he said. “There will always be those types of people.”
He compared his critics with the “Gone With the Wind” character Ashley Wilkes, an equivocating Confederate officer whose Old World sense of etiquette becomes a broken compass after the war. “I’m not going to sit around and listen to what Ashley and his ilk are saying about me.”
The show has produced at least one positive outcome — a baby, from the coupling of Mr. Ravenel and his now 22-year-old paramour, Kathryn Calhoun Dennis. No wedding date has been announced.
Lady Gaga’s Versace Ads Without Photoshop, Revealed
2014 April 17. | Szerző: shannon
The war on Photoshop is officially… not over. Even the leader of Little Monsters everywhere and pop culture queen herself Lady Gaga is subject to being airbrushed into perfection: leaked, unretouched photos from Gaga’s ad campaign for Versace for Spring 2014 have surfaced online. And there’s a big difference between the ad campaign — which was praised when first released a few months ago — and the images that have cropped up.
As Jezebel points out, there are several differences between the final images and the unretouched originals, including color correction and increased contrast. But that’s the least of Versace’s problems. What’s more shocking is Gaga’s slimmer arms, lighter hair, and more perfectly glossed skin (we’ll forgive the removal of the bruises on her knees, even though leaving them really would have upped the Versace edge factor). The brand also appears to have digitally added makeup, and a few Jezebel commenters suggest that Gaga’s raw, natural appearance pre-Photoshop made it easier for this to happen.
This is not the first time Gaga has been in the middle of photo-retouching controversy. Back in 2012, there was speculation over her Vogue cover after the release of a sneak-peek video from the September photo shoot. She has also previously spoken out against Photoshop in one of the most bold ways possible: in her acceptance speech at the Glamour Woman of the Year awards, she used the opportunity to blast the glossy for over-airbrushing her cover. She said, “I felt my skin looked too perfect. I felt my hair looked too soft … I do not look like this when I wake up in the morning.” Later, she added “When the covers change, that’s when the culture changes.”
Although the Versace ads may not be cover photos, they are certainly further examples of the modern misrepresentation of women’s bodies. From Old Navy and Target’s thigh gap disasters to movie poster mishaps, the controversy surrounding digitally altering images is becoming all too ubiquitous.
Pakistani fashion gala finale pays ode to women empowerment
2014 April 14. | Szerző: shannon
In a country where women are still finding it tough to enjoy full freedom in the way they dress up, showcasing at PFDC Sunsilk Fashion Week 2014 a collection that pays an ode to “women empowerment” was a bold step. Designer Hassan Sheheryar Yasin feels that it is a step to give back to the country that has nurtured him and given him so much.
In the spirit of his 20th year motto, Hassan Sheheryar Yasin showcased a collection titled “Sher” under his label HSY which was in homage to and in support of, women empowerment.
As part of the initiative, Team HSY collaborated with the Anjuman-e-Khuddam-e-Rasul Allah (AKRA), a renowned voluntary organisation in Shergarh, Okara district, which is working towards improving education and poverty alleviation.
There are nearly 4,000 students in AKRA’s 30 schools in and around Shergarh, more than half of whom are girls. AKRA also runs a teacher training centre in Shergarh and employs most of the graduates in its schools.
HSY draws from the strength of AKRA, with a project called “Sher”, named in homage to the village Shergarh itself.
“The initiative looks at giving back to the country that nurtured me. It also seeks to empower specifically the women of the village Shergarh, through employment opportunities and highlighting the work of their female artisans through the embroideries, embellishments and detailing found on HSY’s collection at the fashion gala,” said the designer.
“The initiative’s focus is not on charitable donations alone but on giving long term and sustainable working and educational opportunities to underprivileged women by empowering them with the skill and resources to earn independently,” he added.
HSY is best known for combining contemporary silhouettes with the traditional techniques of old and this is what one witnessed at the show’s finale. The designs were not only wearable but also very modern and elegant in approach.
The collection featured both men’s wear and women’s wear in luxurious fabrics including pure chiffons, silks, and georgettes paired with indigenous embroideries fashioned by the female artisans of the village Shergarh.
Diverse colour palette inspired by earthy colours naturally observed in the rural environment, particularly in Shergarh, dominated the line. The colour of wood, water, pure indigo, beige, chilli red and turmeric yellow were prominently featured in the collection.
Some of the key trends that were highlighted with the brand’s collection included looser silhouettes, varying options of short and long hemlines, indigenous embroideries and summer jackets.
All in all it was a finale that was the mix of contemporary meets class with some cause involved in it.
Cleanse your way to clearer skin with products suited to you
2014 April 10. | Szerző: shannon
If I had my way they would be banned from every bathroom.
Wipes may have revolutionised the beauty industry (sales have trebled over the last few years and, yes, they come in handy when you’re on the go or after a very late night) but they cannot and should not replace a proper cleansing routine.
For starters many wipes contain potent ingredients such as high levels of alcohol, which can strip the complexion of its natural oils and cause excessive dryness. Others may contain MI (methylisothiazolinone), a preservative, which has been proven to cause rashes and allergies.
Moist cloths packed on top of each other can be a breeding ground for bacteria so for this reason many contain high levels of preservatives. Finally, when using them, the majority of women are far too heavy handed, rubbing them vigorously all over the face and tugging at the delicate skin around the eyes which can accelerate the ageing process and even cause more wrinkles and bags. So what should you use instead?
Invest in a good cleanser
Why splash out on expensive moisturisers and masks but then skimp on the most important part of any skin-transforming routine – a cleanser?
A high-performance cleanser will penetrate deeply and will often moisturise and tone the skin too. Cleansing with the right products will make a real difference to the quality and health of your skin. It will revive your complexion at the beginning as well as at the end of a long day, ridding it of all make-up, pollutants and impurities and ultimately allowing it to breathe.
It will also hydrate, soothe and invigorate skin cells.
More importantly it will prepare the skin to absorb a moisturiser or serum much more effectively.
If you are still wedded to your wipes then at least read the ingredients’ list and opt for a paraben-free option. Look for packs that are labelled with words such as “gentle”, “safe”, “hypoallergenic”, “dermatologist tested” and “fragrance-free”.
Then double cleanse by using a cleanser.
MY TOP CLEANSING TIPS
If you’re using a cream or balm use your fingertips and cleanse using circular movements for at least 30 seconds then let the cleanser sit for at least one or two minutes.
Do not be too harsh with your skin, even if it’s oily. Always wash cleanser off with tepid water and a flannel or sponge. This way you get rid of surface dead skin cells as it’s like a mild exfoliation.
Gentle steams once a week can really help to deep clean but don’t do this if you have broken capillaries or sensitive skin.
It is especially important to cleanse at night. Morning washing will wake you up but if you don’t clean your skin well at night, the time when your body is making repairs, it will not be able to detoxify.
This Woman Quit Her Corporate Job To Fulfill Her Lifelong Passion For Cakes
2014 May 8. | Szerző: shannon
Late last year, baker Nikki Lee of the Sydney, Australia cake shop Unbirthday took a leap of faith and left her corporate sales job in order to pursue her passion for sweets full-time.
It wasn’t that she was unhappy at her previous job. In fact, Lee worked for a great company, respected her managers and valued the integrity of the work. But she wasn’t wholly satisfied.
“Although I was happy in my job and doing all the things that ticked ‘success’ boxes, I knew I would always be settling for the easy path if I didn’t choose to bake,” she told The Huffington Post in an email. “I would have these beautiful, styled pictures of cakes and desserts cut out from magazines and pinned to my cubicle walls at work, reminding me that what I was ultimately working towards was having the time and space to be able to get into my baking.”
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In April, Lee’s fiancé Thomas posted a photo of one of her confections to Reddit, writing, “Fiancé who quit her job to follow her dream just completed her first wedding cake commission.” The photo of the wedding cake (see right) garnered more than 2,500 upvotes on the site, and one commenter called it “the prettiest cake I’ve seen.”
How’s that for validation? Lee opened up to HuffPost Weddings recently about her life-changing decision.
What was the moment that you finally decided to quit your job and start Unbirthday? Was there one specific event that pushed you over the edge?
I have always been a big believer in pursuing personal passions, whether it be in your career or as a hobby. You could say “The Moment” came when I did my yearly evaluation of my life, something that I do in September around my birthday every year. I give themes to each year — for example, my 30th year was the “Year of Full Engagement”. Thirty-one was the “Year of Learning and Practice”.
I decided my 32nd year would be the “Year of Wholeheartedness.” I took the time to question what this meant for me, and what it would look like if I was living my life “wholeheartedly”. I decided it was important to immerse myself in doing things that I truly loved. Cake-creating was one of those things that I knew I had to do if I was really honest with myself. I also felt strongly that I was at a crossroads in my life — that I could stick to corporate work and climb the ladder, or I could let that idea of myself go and explore my creative side. I also saw this year as a small window of time where I had no major financial obligations in the form of a mortgage or any children that were relying on me, so I could afford to focus my energies on this process.
How long had you been dreaming of pursuing baking full-time?
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Since I was a kid! Unbirthday is me as an adult fulfilling what I wanted to do as a child. I remember not wanting dolls or dresses for Christmas, but would dream of the day I would own my own cake mixer.
What role did your fiancé play in your decision? Was he supportive?
Thomas just proposed last week! He was a true supporter of me and still is to this day. He posted my photos on Reddit as a surprise. He keeps me grounded every day, but still pushes me to fly. He continually checks in with me to see how everything is going, always encouraging me forward. He’s happy to be my taste tester for new creations, and actually volunteers to clean up the kitchen while I work. A girl couldn’t ask for more in a partner!
How did other people in your life (friends, family) react when you told them that you quit your job?
They were supportive and are also used to me making these kinds of life-changing decisions. I dropped out of university when I was 19 to start my own graphic design business. My parents freaked out, and in hindsight, I understand why! I was young and overly confident, thinking I was invincible in my twenties. But that was the time in my life to do some invaluable learning and pick up some fantastic life skills that I wouldn’t have learned if I went down a more conventional path.
What was your biggest fear about going out on your own?
The most difficult thing was sharing something that was quite personal to me with others. This surprised me a lot, as my last role required me to make cold calls to prospective clients and sell them things. I know a lot of people would rather die than do that, but I loved it and found it easy. With Unbirthday, yes, I am selling cakes, but it is also a form of personal and creative expression which I initially felt quite self-conscious about showing others.
The other hard part was letting go of how I identified myself professionally. I went from being a corporate business development manager to a baker. It made me realize how much we identify and judge people based on what is written on their business cards. Shedding my old identity was hard, but it kept me true to my intentions.
I believe everyone has got their own version of “Unbirthday” somewhere, bubbling away under the surface. I just wanted to make sure that I was able to tell myself that I had given my dreams a real chance, regardless of what the outcome would be. One of my favorite sayings is, “Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” This is my mantra for life and Unbirthday.
What does your typical day look like since you started Unbirthday?
I wake up early when I can, and do a round of tai chi training with my father (both my parents are tai chi instructors). Then, I’ll either be fulfilling orders or experimenting with new ideas for cakes. I work from my kitchen at home, so it’s quite relaxing with very little pressure.
Was leaving your other job worth the risk?
Yes, without a doubt. It’s one of those things that I can check off my life’s to-do list — nothing more satisfying than that!
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