Memory triggers are amazing, I cherish them and recognize them constantly, sometimes even closing my eyes as if I were going back in time. The smell of a boy you once loved on an old sweater, the soft, acrylic hair of a Barbie or a My little Pony, Cotton candy on a pier, A new car just like that one your Dad bought, a familiar perfume, a song you listened to on repeat when you were 12, finding an old journal, the smell of Chanel lipstick from when your mother kissed you goodbye, leaving you with a babysitter, your Dad's voice as he is falling asleep on the sofa, cigarettes mixed with beer and coca cola like the pub your sister took you to when you were 12, so many triggers and each and every one of us has them. I like to think about all the people in the world and how we are all the same in so many ways, triggers are one of the commonalities we share that I find so fascinating. I love that somewhere in Bali someone is tasting some candy they had as a child, or in Dublin someone is watching the ocean from a cliffs edge and having memories of their father taking them fishing. I adore that it is different for every one of us, that we all have such extensive memories and thoughts that allow us, essentially, to time travel.
I suppose this is another reason I love fashion so much, the connection it has to memory triggers and how different articles of clothing can represent so many things to different people. For some it is practical memories, uniforms or wellington boots, for others it is a dress they wore to a dance where they got their first kiss, or the hat that you loved that blew off while driving in a convertible. I love when you find old photos of yourself wearing something you had forgotten all about and it makes you smile to see how you have changed, how your style has evolved, or an old Delias catalog with clothes you obsessed over. Clothes are so important and can mean so much to people, they change how you feel about yourself, they can evoke confidence or bring self consciousness. Either way, every garment has it's story, has an owner, in a way it is a mental time machine... isn't that romantic?
The reason I am posting this is because I was thinking it would be fun to do a small month collection based on a memory trigger I have... salty hair, sunsets on the beach and warm knit sweaters.
Maybe Emily and I can each do one!
XOXO