I recently read the following advice from portrait painter Chuck Close. He was talking about art, but it applies to a lot of life situations where we wait and wait and wait till the “right moment” to fulfill our dreams. “The advice I like to give young artists, or really anybody who’ll listen to me,…
Words of Wisdom
Microsoft’s Satya Nadella Speaks But Doesn’t Know
Sixth-century B.C. Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu — the father of Taoism — said, “He who knows does not speak; he who speaks does not know.” In a “you’re going to regret this for a loooooong time” moment, Satya Nadella, the chief executive of Microsoft, spoke without knowing at the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in…
Words of Wisdom From Gianni Versace and Liu Qianping
I posted an eye-catching vintage dress by Versace’s diffusion label, Versus, earlier this month. Gorgeous designer/blogger/stylist/neighbor/BFF Stacy Lomman took notice and paid me a visit with a big Versace book in hand. She thought she spotted the Versace season that was then re-interpreted by Versus. While I flipped through the book admiring the photos of…
Career Stories: Gene Weingarten and Skylar Grey
I generally don’t covet anyone else’s exact career path. You have to take the bad with the good, and I wind up thinking that one or more aspects of that other person’s experience wouldn’t be ideal for me. Like having to be Donald Trump’s daughter, for instance. But I’ve finally found my fantasy job and…
Words of Wisdom From Wayne Gretzky
I’m not much of a sports fan, but there are a few athletes who impress me. One is basketball Hall-of-Famer Walt “Clyde” Frazier, who is one of my official style icons. Now I’ve added hockey great Wayne Gretzky to my list of people who give good advice. I was struck by one of his classic…
Romantic Advice From a Jewelry Designer
While texting with a lovelorn friend yesterday, I realized that designing jewelry has taught me three things that straight women need to know about bad relationships. I preserved my texts for your amusement/edification. They’re below along with my elaborations. 1. Even precious things are replaceable. Okay, that was a little bit of textual exaggeration. Not…
What to Say When You Didn’t Get the Memo
If you find yourself wildly out of step with the dress code, remember what Noël Coward said upon arriving at a party wearing an ordinary suit, only to discover all the other men wearing white tie and tails: “Please, I don’t want anyone to apologize for overdressing.” You’re welcome, Hillary Clinton!
The Truth About Success
I got a kick out of this illustration that gorgeous blogger Jennine of The Coveted sent me. (I’ve seen this, uncredited, all over the Internets. If it’s yours or you know where it originated, let me know so I can credit it.) It’s reassuring to see that some experiences are universal. The saying, “It takes…
Career Advice for Young Wimmins: Don’t Borrow Trouble
The New York Times ran a story today about commencement speeches and included an excerpt from Sheryl Sandberg, the chief operating officer of Facebook, who spoke at Barnard College. Her words are worth repeating: “Women almost never make one decision to leave the work force. It doesn’t happen that way. They make small little decisions…
The Bitchtastic Guide to Business™: Fame Doesn’t Equal Fortune
Recently, I met with gorgeous blogger Kate of The Styley. Kate launched The Styley in March and was looking for some blogging tips. Like a lot of other new bloggers, she wondered if it made sense to start a blog now, when there are so many big bloggers already out there. In our discussion, I…