the so-called life of a shoe designer on the road
Today was a partial SaturYay. I had to get up early and schlep it to the office in Santa Monica for a weekend powwow with my bosses. I was regaled with stories of how amazing the line looked, and how extremely well buyers reacted (aka order$$$). They were even telling me stories of how spies from big-name competitors snuck in the showroom to sniff out the new line because of all the buzz. I'm glad. I did my job, everyone is happy, and I'm happy. However, the last part of the meeting was about forthcoming travel. They brought up China. In a 45-day time frame I've traveled twice to China, 14 day stays each, a total of about 30,000 air miles. I'm a little excited, a little sad.
Let me get real here: working overseas is really life disrupted. You miss family and friends, and being away for long stretches makes it difficult to nurture relationships (*painful*). Wandering around airports make me feel like an orphaned nomad. There's time difference, and dealing with jet lag. Sleepless nights even after working 12/13/14 hour days. Hotel living, living out of a suitcase, strange food, spending long hours with agents and at the factories...despite the busy schedule and accomplishments that can only be made by being close to working with product, I can tell you first hand that it can get really, oppressingly lonely. Everything I wrote here is not a complaint, but an honest assessment. Maybe my next post can be about how travel to China can be fun (despite all of the loneliness), and I can be honest about that too.
Footwear designer Camilla Skovgaard puts the experience in good perspective:
"My toiletry bag is never unpacked — it’s the kit I function out of even when ‘home.’ So I live mostly in hotels, and very rarely cook. ...the most permanent things in my life have been my laptop, travel printer, and office toolbox with pencil case, papers, stapler, puncher, and paper clips and work files...I set up an office wherever I am and go for a run in hotel gyms. It’s only when I am alone at night that I tend to get my own work done...the moment I am at factories, with agents...all days fly by with the teams there."Â
<<Images: UK Vogue. Skovgaard quote source: fullfrontalfashion.com>>
Note: I still haven't unpacked my toiletry bag. I've had the same one since 2006.
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