One of my true joys in life is keeping an eye on fashion – both the stylish trends of the industry itself and the full history of where style took residence in people’s lives simply by creating their own take on what they felt would work best with their bodies and spirits. I love watching Turner Classic Movies for this one reason (even though I typically lament it’s the solid story-telling and the emotional connections you get to the characters!), as a beautiful arc backwards into how fashion and the clothes people wore not only defined who they were as individuals but how clothes defined entire generations.

When I set down to write the questions for this interview, I kept it in mind to ask pertinent questions about the industry at large but also, to take the conversation to a personal side of reflection and insight that my readers would welcome seeing by today’s guest Marilyn R. Wilson who has started to write a serial collection of stories garnished out of her experiences and interviews with the people who have inspired her the most.

Real Stories about Real People to Entertain, Inspire and Challenge You.

Get inspired to step out of your box and into a world full of potential. From the corporate world, to the arts, to working with the disenfranchised – the message is clear. There is no such thing as a normal way to live your life and no one right solution to any problem. Selected from amongst over 100 interviews, the stories shared here open a window on the journeys of seven women and three men who have charted their own path, including Ruthie Davis – top U.S. luxury shoe designer and the winner of the 2014 AAFA Footwear Designer of the Year award – and Geir Ness whose perfume is a staple in Nordstrom, Disney World and on Disney Cruise Lines. Enjoy a glimpse behind the scenes into the unique ways these individuals chose to deal with life’s challenges and how they define success in their careers.

I can directly relate to ‘owning your own truth’ as far as your artistic light shining out of your soul via your choices in fashion. Clothes are intricately attached to the artistic fire of our spirit because clothes help define our spirit in an outward method of communicating a piece of who we are on the inside. I love how you previously conveyed in an interview (via Vancouver Fashion Week) about ‘defining your story in clothes’ as clothes can paint a story in a way words cannot. What do you hope your clothes are saying if if you were write a synopsis for their story?

Wilson responds: I think this one of the most interesting questions I’ve ever been asked. My hope is that my clothing would define my story as unique and that my decision to wear things that I loved regardless of what was dictated as currently “IN” by the fashion world would be an example of how I embrace life and success in a way that is meaningful to me alone. As my favorite garments are ones with their own story – I know or have interviewed the designer, the concept was truly inspiring, etc. – I hope they would also share how I choose to live my life the same way, by drawing in experiences that support my decision to embrace a life and definition of success that makes my heart sing. Read More