Cloud Nine

Ombre fur bomber coats, flared knit pants, with a touch of Pucci inspired waves, there was nothing I disliked about Marc Jacobs Fall 2014 collection. Prior to the show, my imagination was running wild thinking about how each piece was going to come together as a whole. The day before the show felt slightly like a blur. A large part of my day was spent carrying over fifty samples through the subway, hoping they would get there safely and on time (I swear my muscles have grown since fashion week). By nighttime, everyone was working to finalize and perfect each piece. The lack of sleep added an element of excitement and reality to this experience. It was hard to wrap my head around the fact that the show was just a day away. By 11 PM, the whole floor celebrated with cake and we were each given a Marc Jacobs bag filled with gifts. The energy in the office was surprisingly high for such little sleep.

The following day was hectic, but not as chaotic as I had anticipated. Everything seemed to be under control and running smoothly. By 6 PM, we were dismissed to go home allowing me enough time to put myself together before the show. Before walking out the door, my boss handed me a gold heart (the invitation) and a wristband for the after party. At this point it finally hit me that everything we have been working for was just two hours away.

Image from the New York Mag

The walk to the Armory was quite a challenge. I was forced to trek through a maze of puddles in an effort to avoid getting wet. In the midst of this process, Bill Cunningham was taking pictures of me. When I realized he was capturing me in my prime (sense the sarcasm?) I tried to be as graceful as possible. I somehow managed to arrive at the door in one piece. As I pulled out my invitation, Anna Wintour stepped in front of me and casually walked up the steps. I followed suit, and couldn't help but feel a little flabbergasted that I was walking directly behind the fashion queen herself. When I arrived inside, I was amazed with the largeness of the runway and the overall set design. The ceiling was filled with white clouds, creating a fantasy like environment. As for the seating, everyone sat front row. The runway was designed to display the clothing as best as possible, leaving less of a focus on the guests. My vision of the show was finally starting to come together more. The show kicked off with Jessica Lange’s haunting voice, reciting a poetic piece about happy days ahead.

Happy days are here again,

The skies above are clear again,

Let us sing the song of cheer again,

Happy days are here again.

So long, sad times,

Go long, bad times, we are rid you at last.

Howdy, gay times.

Cloudy gray times,

You are now a thing of the past.

All together,

Shout it now


There’s no one who can doubt it now,

We will tell the world about it now


Happy days are here again

Your cares and troubles are gone, 


There’ll be no more from now on,

Happy days are here again,

The skies above are clear again,


Let us sing the song of cheer again,


Happy days are here again.

The entire show gave me chills. I could not help but feel emotional and thrilled to be standing before such a beautiful evolving process. I felt honored to be able to experience the design progression, and then witness the final collection before my very eyes. This opportunity validated my love for this industry and I felt that indeed, happy days are here again.