To start: two
things to mention a belated Happy New Year, in truth I can’t believe it is February
already) and secondly my fullest apologizes for the lack of blog posts in 2016.
I spent quite a lot of the year travelling and working on a new design range
and as the saying goes “Time flies when you are having fun”.
In several
cultures the New Year starts in February rather that January, I much prefer
this concept. January always seems like the end of a year rather than the start
of one. The weather is terrible, shops are full of the stock no-one wanted and
decorated with awful red sales signs, you have no money to spend having been
overindulgent during the Christmas period and spring and summer seem a long way
off.
Quite
depressing and a good excuse to stay in bed really…… However, on a more
positive note this is also a good idea to re-organize, throw out anything you
don’t use or need and in general have a really good think about what you want
to achieve in the New Year.
I found a
wonderful little book in the library called L’art de la Simplicite (How to live
more with less) by French essayist Dominique Loreau. Having lived in Japan,
Dominique advises to simplify your home, empty your wardrobe, abandon
compulsive purchases and buy less and only better quality items that you love.
This wonderful mix of Japanese Zen and French style was an inspirational read
and did make me re-think my clutter and the deeper meaning behind having lots
of things I don’t use or even need.
I think that
returning to buying fewer items and concentrating on buying hand-made/crafted
unique items rather than high street items is essential to the survival of
galleries, crafters and design makers. Having had a fairly ruthless spring
clean, I have realized how many cheap buys I have never worn or worn once and
the fit was wrong or the quality was poor and fell apart after one wash. Also,
I don’t think we can ignore the implications of cheap clothing and how these
items are manufactured by paying low wages and even using child labour (which
should have no place in the modern world).
If you do get
a chance to read this book I thing you will enjoy it. I am not too sure about only wearing Black,
White or Beige clothing as a little bit of colour in life can be very uplifting
particularly during the grey days of British wintertime, but overall the suggestions are
practical, helpful and easy to achieve.
Good bye for
now.
Sara x
