TWD Darling: Kelly Cutrone

"I happen to believe the world will change only when we change ourselves. And that starts with finding ourselves. And that starts with listening to ourselves: learning to quiet the clamor in our minds and the voices of everyone around us and move toward what feels right - toward the things we know, for reasons we can't explain, that we're meant to do, the things that make us feel alive."



- Kelly Cutrone 



You know the expression "when the student is ready, the teacher will appear"? Well, I think that might be the most accurate way to describe how I came to read (thrice) Kelly Cutrone's "If You Have to Cry, Go Outside: And Other Things Your Mother Never Told You". Cutrone is a wildly successful PR maven who is known for her no holds barred attitude and honest approach to business. But above all else, she is a woman who lives in her truth. For this reason alone, I felt compelled to read her book, paint her portrait, and become closely engrossed in the world of Kelly Cutrone.



When I initially started the TWD Darling portion of my blog, I had always hoped to draw (both literally and figuratively) attention to truly inspiring individuals. I never imagined, however, that I would be moved this profoundly by another person's written words. The truth is I found myself again by finding Kelly. For the past year and a half I had felt so lost and confused at times trying to navigate my career in New York. So much so that I stopped hearing my own voice and replacing it with the deafening noise of doubt and fear.



Can I make it? What if I fail? Is this ever going to happen for me? were the mantras that played on rotation in my mind.



And then I opened the book of Cutrone, and was reminded why I began the journey to New York, why I started this blog, why I've made decisions to pass on certain opportunities and not others. I was reminded to always be my most authentic self because "ultimately, if you're doing what you're meant to do - if you're in your truth - doors will open for you." And that "even when your wallet or your need to be on a VIP list is calling you, stand strong and remember what your brand is about." I was reminded of what I've known all along, to stay true to me.



I could write pages on the amazing pearls of wisdom overflowing in this book but rather I will advise you just to read it on your own. It isn't just for the young NYC fashion hopefuls, but for anyone venturing through life with a quest for the truth. Ultimately, your life comes down to you, what you want, what you hope and dream for. You are the foundation of your own world and you manifest your own destiny. Start with you and the rest will follow. Kelly, if you ever read this, thank you for being so brave and sharing your truth with this book. You helped me to find mine again too.



Much love,

Meag xx 

Armani: Through the Eyes of Illustrators

Armani SS13

Happy, Happy New Year Everyone!!



I hope you had the most spectacular holiday season with your loved ones. I can't believe it's been almost a month since I last posted here. The final month leading up to Christmas was quite hellish for me. My life sort of came crashing down and I was really forced to reevaluate things. In any case, here I am, back and recharged; perhaps still thinking things through but much stronger than I was before.



Best of all, my first post of 2013 is a celebratory one. I have been dying to share here, since late October, that I had been contacted by ARMANI's Digital Communication Worldwide and asked to contribute an original illustration to their facebook album Armani: Through the Eyes of Illustrators. I was so unbelievably honored and excited that I nearly burst at the seams.



My final piece has been added to the beautifully curated album alongside several other EXTREMELY talented illustrators worldwide. Be sure to check it out here and stay tuned for many more TWD posts to come. Lastly, but certainly not least, thank you to all my amazing followers (new and old) for keeping me so inspired and motivated every step of the way. I love you all.



Much love, many hugs, and so many kisses!!

Meag xx

On The Fringe

Coco Rocha VOGUE Mexico

I have a small confession to make friends. I'm on the fringe.



In fact, my whole life I've been on the fringe.



I was never popular in school. For better or worse, I've always marched to the beat of my own drum.


It dawned on me recently, as I inch ever more closely to my five year mark in New York, that I still very much exist on the fringe.



Before I moved here I imagined my life looking very differently. I believed so naively that New York would embrace me like a coveted gem. I would be invited to all the "in" parties. I would make an impression, do things differently, really be a "somebody". Truth be told, that couldn't be further from reality.



Somehow after three and a half years here, I still exist on the fringe. I still peer from the sidelines, hoping, praying for my big break. I wonder if my affinity for integrity, for sincerity, has somehow relegated me to no man's land in the business world. If only I could schmooze better, have a little more edge, maybe, just maybe, I could get ahead.



But by the same token I wonder if being on the inside is really anymore fun?! Perhaps being on the fringe is really where the exciting stuff happens. When you aren't looking over your shoulder all the time, wondering who is watching you, whether you look the right way, or are associating with the right people, maybe you actually just get to be...



Not long ago I listened to the remarkable David Downton speak at FIT. He said that he never wanted to be "in" fashion because that meant you eventually had to be "out". So perhaps, after all is said and done, being on the fringe is really where I ought to be...



Meag xx

Hard Rock

Jason Wu - KARLIE BOX CLUTCH

Hello My Lovelies!!



I've missed you oh so much. I finally had the opportunity to paint just for me this weekend and it felt incredible. A big weight was lifted from my shoulders a few days ago and I feel like, for the first time in possibly three years, I can really think clearly about what and where my life is going. Since obtaining my work visa in the United States I had really lost sight of why I even came to New York in the first place - to be a fashion illustrator. Sometimes the universe smacks you right in the face in order to steer you right back on track.



So how does this GORGEOUS Jason Wu clutch fit into all of this?! Firstly, and quite simply, because I loved the giant gem/crystal trend that happened this fall (ahem Prada). Secondly, because I had just done an interview with FASHIONISMYWAY and talked about how New York requires a little a lot of armor in your wardrobe. It's such a hard knock city, not for the faint of heart, and something about this clutch felt very metaphoric of how I feel most of the time here; shiny, vibrant, and polished on the outside - vulnerable and delicate on the inside.



Anyway, I'm feeling some big changes coming in my life and I couldn't be happier. Sometimes when everything is falling apart it is actually falling into place.



Much love,

Meag xx

Postcard from Paris

I arrived in Paris on a beautiful Saturday morning in the 18th arrondissement.

I found my way haphazardly to my girlfriend Julia's flat using broken French and my smile!

I opened the gate to paradise...

and documented myself in the mirror to make sure this was all real.

I rode the metro from Chateau Rouge to Palais Royal to find my Paris daydream.

I found it!

I took my goodies to the Pompidou...

and sat soaking up the sunshine.

I ate the most delicious ham and swiss quiche!

Then devoured it...

I watched the Alexander Calder spinning above me...

and eventually wandered to my single most favorite art piece in Paris.

I strolled to the Tuileries Garden...

and remembered all the things I ever loved about Paris.

I watched the French being French...

and pictured myself riding a golden horse through the streets of Paris.

I found my stride when landing on Rue Saint-Honore...

and saw inspiration in every shop window!

including this one...

I stumbled upon this view...

and finally found the source of my macaron obsession. 

Here I saw life through pastel colored glasses.

Tea for one please!

I said goodbye to my friends at Laduree...

and discovered spoons falling from the sky.

I found the missing obelisk from my trip to Luxor, Egypt this past April.

Then stopped for drinks with a real Frenchie at Hotel Costes

The next morning the train awaited but I left my heart in Paris!

BLACKOUT

Manhattan Skyline Oct 30th, 2012

I'm not really sure where to begin writing here my loves?! Exactly one week ago I sat at my computer describing the eeriness of the impending Hurricane Sandy. I thought foolishly that a day or two off from work would provide me with some much needed rest and time to paint. I had no idea that my forthcoming week would be spent in darkness. I was both literally and figuratively powerless.



Before I continue, I would like to acknowledge that there are thousands of people along the East Coast who continue to suffer much greater losses than I ever could have conceived of. People lost their lives, their homes in Sandy. I know my ignorance in not having lived through massive weather or war related devastation. But I do think that as minor or major as my story may be, it is worth telling.



I have lived in Manhattan, New York now for over three years. I have weathered first hand the isolation, loneliness, defeat, exhaustion, success, competition, extreme entitlement, and extravagance that can only be experienced in a city like New York. To see the center of power without power was...mind-blowing. I woke up Tuesday Oct 30th to find lower Manhattan silenced by Sandy.



My roommate and I walked to the Hudson River and uptown to 27th and 7th to find food and power. This is when things really started to get interesting. The city was literally divided between dark and light; the new neighborhood was coined SoPo for South of Power. Suddenly "too busy to breathe" Manhattanites were forced to interact with one another in a way we are so unaccustomed to.



I had to rely on my friends for showers and power and heat. For the first time in months I communicated with my roommates apart from the cordial "hello" and "have a nice day". We caught up on life, exchanged immense frustration and laughter over candlelight, and one gorgeous bottle of riesling. Friends from across the world reached out to ensure my safety and my office became my safe haven.



On our last night of no light my roommates and I ventured to our local Italian restaurant Grano who had opened its doors and kitchen for a candlelit dinner. We set out onto the streets, flashlights in tow, and shared glass after glass of merlot. We were joined by our neighbor Alex and relished this truly rare occasion; eating in a silenced corner of the city against a pitch black skyline.



Early Saturday morning our power returned and with it my appreciation for everything I've ever had here in New York. Sometimes it takes a hurricane to make you realize just HOW lucky you really are. To be honest, Sandy gave me a new lease on life. I know now what and who matters most in my world. But sadly my heart aches for the thousands of others that continue to suffer in Sandy's wake.



If you would like to help, please visit here for a list of organizations you can contribute to. If you live in New York, do your part, and help those in need. Eat and shop downtown to help those businesses recover from the lost week. But most important of all, recognize in this moment what and who matters most to you. Appreciate everything you have because life, after all, is a blessing.



Sending so much love your way!!

Meag xx

Interview with To Be Continued

Hello Hello Lovers!!



Did you all have a fantastic Halloween weekend?! I know I certainly did. But now Hurricane Sandy looms in NYC and the feeling in the air is especially eerie. I wouldn't mind an extra day home from work to paint, clean, and paint however. Anyway, I wanted to share with you all this awesome interview I did alongside some of my Fashion Art NYC friends for London based To Be Continued Magazine.



I thought fellow illustrators James Skarbek, Elvis Torres, and Mara Louise Cespon did such a fantastic job answering the questions. They each gave such interesting insight into the field of fashion illustration and I felt like I learned so much more about my former peers. I can't wait to see how each of our careers continue to grow. Enough talk; time to read! Head to the interview to see for yourselves.



Much love,

Meag xx