I come from a long line of powerful women. They were lionesses in their ferocity as well as in their grace.
Both my grandmothers founded and ran their own businesses. They each had exquisite taste, and the success of their businesses was built on that.
My paternal grandmother, Granny Hedy, owned a line of high-end children’s clothing, which she launched in the 1940s at her Long Island, New York, kitchen table and eventually sold to boutiques across the United States. During the same era, my maternal grandmother, Omi, brought her flair for design and dressmaking to the gentry of South Africa, where she made and marketed evening gowns inspired by the grand couturiers of Paris. The legacy of these two women prepared me well to flourish in what I now call “the business of aesthetics.”
From Hedy, I learned the value of taste, elegance, and attention to detail. Despite modest circumstances, she insisted on wearing only the most finely sewn undergarments. From Omi, I developed a passion for craftsmanship, creativity, and storytelling. Omi really knew how to convert threads into costumes and inject personality in a simple frock.
As I look back on their influence on me—and on the ideas in this book—I see that these women instinctively knew what we all need to understand, appreciate, and master today. Their businesses may have survived because of hard work and discipline, but they thrived because of their founders’ aesthetic intelligence. Their embrace of “the other AI” live on through me as well as through my mom, Barbara Garris; sister, Leslie Garris; and daughter, Arianna Brown—each a tastemaker in her own special way.
Likewise, I am blessed with a circle of powerful, creative, and chic girlfriends—fellow lionesses—Madi Bjorgvinsson, Cristina Carlino, Anne Devereux, Edda Gudmundsdottir, Gulla Jonsdottir, Donna Karan, Vanessa Kay, Maria Matveeva, Jennifer McCrea, Blair Miller, Lee Prince, Robin Pringle, Lauren Remington Platt, Kay Unger, and Olga Videsheva, just to name a few. These ladies leave special marks on everything they touch. They certainly have left their marks on me.
I also have a number of highly aesthetic men in my life: Rossano Ferretti, Scott Goodson, David Kidder, Eric Motley, Tim Noonon, Armann Ortega, and Sian-Pierre Regis. Each a true friend and nobleman. Each an extraordinary model for my own son, Julian Brown.
These individuals all knew me well before I thought to write a book. Without them, I might not have had the confidence or substance to do so. However, several others—whom I met and befriended in the process of writing this book—have been instrumental in bringing it to life. First, my agent, Gail Ross, who took a big bet on me when all I had to offer was a vague idea, class curriculum, and tangentially related résumé.
Gail introduced me to the extraordinarily talented and lovely writer, Karen Kelly, who—somehow, someway—was able to take all my dispersed and disjointed ideas and turn them into beautiful prose. Karen has been my thought partner, creative collaborator, researcher, and reality checker since the get-go.
Gail also introduced me to the brilliant and glorious Hollis Heimbouch, my editor at HarperCollins and the head of HarperBusiness. Hollis not only has a keen mind for storytelling, ear for language, and nose for trends, but she has great style to boot.
Then there is her world-class team at HarperCollins—the brilliant marketing and publicity trio Brian Perrin, Penny Makras, and Rachel Elinsky; production editor, Nikki Baldauf; production supervisor, Jocelyn Larnick; and book designer, William Ruoto. I also owe a special thanks to the public relations agent Nicole Dewey of Shreve Williams.
Last, but not least, there’s a long list of women who have shaped my own aesthetic aspirations—my personal style icons: Coco Chanel, Zelda Fitzgerald, Dorothy Parker, Ingrid Bergman, Catherine Deneuve, Diana Vreeland, Gloria Steinem, Halle Berry, Cate Blanchett, Daenerys Targaryen, and Solange Knowles. They each occupy a prominent spot on my personal inspiration board.
To all my noble lions and lionesses, throughout this book I hear you roar.