So yes I know it’s way past January 1st. And no I don’t care- because well it wouldn’t be real if I wasn’t fashionably late with this blog post right? In my defense, I’ve spent the last few days recuperating from a hell of an awesome NYE and not to mention my amazingly cute little mother in law just left from visiting so needless to say the last 4 days have been a blur. But I just had to stop and welcome you all into 2019 and share some awesomeness. Ok so for those who may have read this on FB aka Facebook already- oh well…..go with it….you know you want to. (It was the Cliff’s Notes version anyway)
So go with me on this. Yes it’s long. 2018 was a challenge both professionally and personally. My health- physical and mental was in a tailspin and I was doing my best to keep it all together DAILY and I mean DAILY. But I have always said “I have bad days NOT a bad life“. On NYE, the final night of 2018- Carlos and I decided to travel to our FAVORITE yea I said FAVORITE city of Dallas to have a good ole Dallas time and more importantly reunite with some close friends. I mean Dallas during Christmas time, especially downtown is pure magic.
He bought tickets for The Art of Celebration party and when we pulled up- the venue was so familiar. Turns out it was FIG (Fashion Industry Gallery). Which by the way was the BEST NEW YEAR’S I HAVE EVVVVVER HAD. Did I mention I am still recuperating? I mean there were people dressed to the nines and even some to the tens- all of us with a common goal of ringing and bringing in 2019 with a BANG. Now a little background- this is a building that I used to host temporary pop up shops at when working at Dallas Market Center. Walking into the venue gave me a strong sense of nostalgia and I was over come with happiness and maybe a thug tear or two or maybe it was the rum. Possibly both.
Nonetheless, as we walked around, I showed Carlos and my niece the area I used to work in and we even stumbled upon my old temp showroom. I was overcome with emotion because I began to think to myself about how throughout the year I struggled with my confidence. Now don’t get me wrong I think I’m awesome, but I have my days when I just don’t feel as great. You know those days when you get inside your own head or life throws a challenge at you that you just knew you were prepared for and it kicks your ass. Yeah those kinds of days were plentiful this year.
See in 2018, I found myself entering my 2nd year of not only living overseas but also marriage and attempting to navigate international employment in the UAE while trying to grow our small business-Bridges to Borders and gain ground with Devereaux- my own design label. Much of this seemed impossible, but I wanted it, so I set out to really give it all that I had. And it was hard AF. I mean emotionally and physically- I was struggling. Combined with the fact I hadn’t seen my family in almost a whole year.
See let me give a little back story- when I first moved to Dallas years ago I said I wanted to get my Masters, work for a showroom in the capacity of merchandising and in-house design and then post graduation take what I learned and go into business for myself in addition to teaching at the college level as an interim professor. Most of that happened but not without some serious detours along the way. I mean at one point I had it all and I lost it all in more ways than one.
Long story LONG- NOTHING and I mean NOTHING really worth it comes easy. See y’all to be standing in front of this showroom was a full circle moment. To go from once working for other designers and trying to get buyers to see the beauty in their designs to finally having the confidence and creativity and NOW opportunity to bring my own to life is a HUGE deal. BIGLY. HUGE. To be standing in a place where I once said “One day I am gonna have my own” and then to finally free like it could be a reality was very emotional.
To be standing in a place where I had many 12+ hour days dedicated to making someone else’s designer dreams come true and to finally be able to say I can now put those SAME hours to use for my own dreams- is unreal. It took a long time to get here and now Devereaux is FINALLY happening and I hope you all can dig it. In the coming months, I plan to convert the blog you’re reading now, into a fully functioning e-commerce site. I hope you all can support it and that you can believe in it as much as I do. And those who have ALWAYS believed- thank you from the bottom of my heart.
To those who believed in and attended the Soiree when my kookoo bird a** thought it was cool to throw together a market filled with amazing women in a month and a half- fresh off a plane- thank you. Thanks for the pep talks. Thank you for the kicks in the a**. Thank you for lending a helping hand. Thank you for asking “how are you” AND MEANING IT. To my weirdo loving husband (I shine only because I am blessed with a man who has never tried to dim my light) and family and friends. Thank you for listening to all my crazy ideas and for allowing me to be weird.
Weirdos need love too. We are the dreamers and makers and creators and we need believers. I am going into 2019 thankful for all of the good bad and very ugly of 2018 with a new mindset, a new sense of confidence in who I am and what I am capable of and refusing to allow self-doubt to defeat or depress me. I am capable. I am determined and I am ready. This is the only beginning.
Now in closing- it wouldn’t be me if I didn’t include a little fashion. I got tons of inquiries about my NYE look and I loved it as much as you all did. This was such a hi-lo moment for me with a variety of price points and it literally came together in the ninth and I do mean the ninth hour. So let’s get into it. My sequin suit is actually not a suit at all. They are separates with the “blazer” from in the infamous Fashion Nova and the skirt from Forever 21.
Keep in mind, I have never and I mean NEVER been a fan of Fashion Nova, however my niece mentioned that they weren’t as “basic” as I thought so I thought I would give them a try. In addition the blazer was bought on “Cyber Monday” so it was on uber sale for only $40. But might I also add that the blazer, actually wasn’t a blazer at all, but a dress gone bad. It didn’t fit, but I must’nt quit, so I turned it into a jacket.
And then for the footwear and accessories. My shoes were a gorgeous black velvet and champagne metallic heeled sandal by Betsey Johnson and thrifted from Buffalo Exchange for only $21 and I wore two bags for the evening. I opted for a vintage silver sequin clutch that was once owned by my late and stylish grandmother as well as a metallic pewter quilted chain link crossbody by Steve Madden– also thrifted for only $9 at Plato’s Closet.
I paired all of this with a vintage Chanel set including brooch, earrings and necklace that Carlos bought for me during out first Christmas together in Bali.But the pie de resistance was my blouse. Why was it the pie de resistance? Well, I literally ran to Zara at 5pm along with everyone else trying to find NYE options. Did I mention the mall closed at 6pm? So we went in with a plan of attack. My niece took one side of the store and I took the other as we scoured the sale racks in search for the perfect accent to my already awesomely busy suit. I tried on a total of 13 different tops and I opted for a sleeveless white number with black neck tie accent and ruffled yoke from Zara for only $28. The look gave me everything I was going for as I felt fun but also chic and stylish and my hubby agreed.
And he looked as equally dapper in his dreamy bespoke velvet emerald green blazer, printed dress shirt and trousers with lapel pin and pocket square.
As you can tell, I am a sucker for details and so this year for 2019, I intend on bringing more of the 411 on the looks I wear and how to find them as well as the evolution of the Devereaux brand-so please stay tuned.
I want to leave you with my resolution for 2019 and that is to have NO resolution as 2018 has taught me that intention does not always lead to definite decision and that being “resolute” or satisfied with a decision can also appear as settling and I have no intention on doing any of that. So instead- I will use PLAN for 2019 and if life doesn’t go as “planned”- I won’t allow myself to feel defeated but more determined to make better choices in the moments to come. So PLAN to come on back and see what Devereaux has to show for 2019 in all my confident bald headed- pret a porter glory.
Bonne Annee (That’s fancy French for Happy New Year),
DeVeReaux