after a 3 week road trip across the country to visit family and attend a graduation it's back to business. the trip, of course, included a few stops to search out some perfect items for my current and future collections. walking into a shop or a home and discovering something unique and ideal has become a not-so-secret thrill for me; on many an occasion i've had relatives, friends, or shop owners bear witness to my squeals of delight upon finding, for example, a vintage oscar de la renta scarf, hand-tooled leather bag or brooks brothers blouse. i envision in my mind how each piece will fit into a collection, i listen to how it speaks to me, i imagine building future collections around something totally unique and irresistible. there's so much satisfaction in creating a business around something you love, and something which innately drives you. from the films to the fashion, i feel compelled to not just collect but to immerse myself--to revel in the beauty, the mastery, and the eclecticism inherent to each piece.
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for as long as i can remember, i’ve been somewhere left of center; an organic flux of feminine mystique and “otherness”. in spite of knowing with clarity that i was different, i’ve always had an intuitive finger on the pulse of those things fundamental and beautiful in the stylistic world.
i’m compelled by the creative spirit within myself and others—in writing, in art, performance, music, film, design—each of these has informed and shaped my own personal aesthetic—an aesthetic that transcends time and place, an aesthetic that’s not easily placed into a box because of its ultimate and fundamental eclecticism. i am attracted toward the best examples of so many things: i love the girly kick of glamour and bejewelment; but also the simplicity of clean lines. i love flowing, easy, stand-out knits. i love shit-kicker boots and tomboy jeans. i love refinement and elegance. i love statement hats and handbags. i love glitter.
i’m a maker, a collector, an appreciator of the beauty of the past and most especially in how it merges and mixes with the present. i’m rarely satisfied or compelled by things mass produced or found on a rack at the local mall. i understand the necessity of the basics, but also that for a woman such as myself and for those with whom i feel a kinship, the basics never define. Done right, style is an art form in and of itself.
it is my mission, as i believe it is every woman’s, to be somehow beyond the ordinary. i have always related to the female cult film protagonist, the “outsider”, though understand that she, ironically, at her core and in her journey, is an everywoman, albeit a stylistically elevated one--more colorful, ethereal or fierce, more memorable and outstanding. it is in the intermix of the fashion inherent to societal fringes: punk rock, glam, club kid, over-the-top romanticism, androgyny, classic basics with a funky twist, statement pieces, period pieces and more—which creates, to me, a rare style that i personally feel compelled to piece beautifully, to assimilate and recreate.
i love the thrill of the hunt, and the search for fantastic, unique clothing makes my pulse race that much faster. the thought of sharing these fantastic finds with like-minded, strong, eclectic women excites me even further. Bright Lights Big Pretty is the dream platform which allows me to share all of these wonderful items, and spread their one-of-a-kind beauty a little further throughout the often ho-hum fashion conformity of the norm.
piecing together the bones of an online business sounds like a dream and it is, albeit a time-intensive, labor-heavy and sometimes mind-wracking dream. i'm a writer by nature but have never felt the compulsion to publish, and so this little e-commerce site, Bright Lights Big Pretty, this welcome and unexpected brainchild which marries so many of my interests--film, narrative, fashion, vintage, and more--is my first foray into public scrutiny and acceptance. it's terrifying, and i love the way the thought of all of it makes my heart race.
so please--look around, come often, check out my linked media sites and enjoy. you're always welcome.
marie