I have been spending much of the last couple of days doing research in the morning and going out wandering in the afternoon. I gave myself the pleasure of only focusing on Accidental Icon this week. There are some things I need to learn and do to make the evolution happen. In my wanderings I have also been visiting various sample and summer sales and enjoying the pleasure of just being around, and touching, beautiful garments. My favorite store, Dover Street Market, is having all the spring and summer lines on sale at 50% off and shortly will go to 70%. Today I bought a companion piece to this apron and can’t wait to style the two pieces together.

I have written about this store, actually it is more like an experience, but what I have not talked about are all the talented people that work there. Many of them now know me and I them. Young designers, painters, photographers, fashion merchandizers, and stylists they all have interesting stories to tell and I can easily end up spending hours there as I did today. The conversations usually start by me admiring something they are wearing or they compliment me on my style or a particular garment I am wearing. Today a young painter asked to take a photo of my Ann Demeulemeester skirt as it was the exact combination of pink, purple and grey tones creating a lovely pastel that he was looking to re-create. He is also currently designing a fashion line with his brother. As the conversation unfolds it turns out he also uses performance art to engage people in difficult conversations and works with not-for-profits to do so. So we had a wonderful discussion of fashion, art, social welfare and justice. We made a date to have tea and continue the conversation. Our conversation revealed multiple intersections.

Let’s just say this was an exercise in connecting all our dots. It was the kind of far ranging conversation I would expect to have in my university and don’t often have in this era of specialization. What might it say about the nature of things that I am having the conversations of my academic dreams in Rei Kawakubo’s “temple of fashion”, Dover Street Market?

Accidental Icon Wears:

White Oversized Lawn Shirt: Haider Ackermann, Polka Dot Apron: CDG, Black Trousers: Eileen Fisher, Black Leather Sandals: Elie Tahari.

For assistance with connecting your dots, see my Pinterest Board: Accidental Icon Loves Connecting the Dots