New Friends
My 6 year old, Jakey, started Kindergarten two weeks ago. I watched him line up with a class of all new kids. He held my hand tightly as he watched the door open, his new teacher step out and this new room full of new experiences awaiting him. He was scared and excited—fidgeting nervously and peering over his shoulder to check out his new surroundings. I watched him be so brave and courageous—vulnerable and open to this new chapter of his life. He stepped in.
Fall in the store feels the same way. The season has changed. We are busy, the store is gorgeously colored with the coolness of the season and a feeling of winter not too far behind. I feel similar to my 6 year old, as I watch new brands enter the store. I have taken time to welcome these new friends in—to make space for them because I feel strongly that they belong here. I feel a sense of wonder of of how they will be received and an excitement of a new relationship blooming. These new friends are Mara Hoffman, a well respected NYC designer known for her commitment to sustainability and avant garde style. Anine Bing joins us from Los Angeles, where she marries an edgy urban style with a classic cool while telling her own story of being a mother and fashion designer through her clothing line. NUNUNU, the kids line based on black, edgy and comfortable clothing designed by two Israelis is here. We have a brand new selection of VEJAS in and we have cleared room for a friendly men’s section full of cozy, comfortable, California styles we can now dress the men in our lives.
Like all new friends, they come with time and patience, with a genuine connection—a trust in a process that we will find the people, the companies, the products that fit perfectly into our lives and our closets. Those are the keepers, the ones we grow together with, the ones we clear space for.
When I picked Jakey up the other day after a week of no new friends, he came running to me and in a burst of excitement, he gleefully shouted, “Mama, I made a friend!” Music to my ears. I smiled, we laughed and we talked about his new friend.
In friendship.
Jen