Owning My Resume
Sometimes, we women need to take minute and celebrate ourselves…
We all have that group of girlfriends who are our trusted circle of advisors, our consiglieres in times of crisis. The ones we turn to for that bare truth, raw and exposed. It is through them that we get that wake up call. It is one of the greatest blessings of womanhood, this circle.
Recently, my circle made it known to me that I never own my resume. They constantly praise my accomplishments, while I blushingly ask them to stop. I'm usually reacting with self-deprecating jokes so as to cut down the shimmer of my achievements. But why? I HAVE accomplished a lot. Why don't I want to make it known?
I think a lot of it is I don't want to come across arrogant or some sort of boorish braggart. It makes me self-conscious when I notice someone is impressed with me, no matter how mildly. Perhaps it is because I want my work to be appreciated and lauded, over me as a person. I failed to see that me and my work are one and the same.
I have spent the last couple of years just quietly working in the corner hoping for people to notice me. But while quietly working, I haven't even bothered to share how qualified I am, how good I am, and how I am not like everyone else out here in the styling game.
Even now, I inner cringe saying the above sentence. But this is what I have to change because we as women tend to be shrink away from the attention. But then we get upset when we see someone else excel over us simply because they had the audacity to fight for themselves. I have to own my worth: my motto for the next decade of my life. My thirties will be about making sure ya'll know who I am and what I've done.
Case in point this spread with Harper's Bazaar India. I really doubted my abilities to do this again. Styling is like a muscle, without exercise, it atrophies. I've been in the world of elections, policies, and legislative grants. I was in styling before the gram, so people don't really know about me like that. But once I got this spread published, I knew, without a shadow of a doubt: I STILL GOT IT.
All this talk of resume, lemme actually tell you guys what I've done:
First major job in Fashion was for the former Creative Director of Gucci, Frida Gianni. Worked my way up from third assistant to styling team member. She taught me everything from to fit, to cut, to fabrics. Styled runway shows, ad campaigns, and editorials
Worked at Chanel in Haute Couture. Watched the master Karl Lagerfeld (not the most honorable man but one of immense talent) drape silk on fit models and learned the ways of the finest craftsmanship
Worked on the styling team of Vogue, under Grace Coddington. Learned the ropes of research based shoots, where preparedness is highest priority. Learned how to really discern trends, style, how to truly dress women in the way they desire.
Worked on the Editorial team of Vanity Fair under Annie Leibowitz. Learned truly what detail-oriented meant, the significance of lighting, the importance of the right crew, and so many more valuable lessons.
Segued into personal shopping in order to finish paying for school at Harvard (yea, I went there). Spent 6 plus years dressing women of all shapes and sizes and backgrounds. It made me truly learn how to read women and understand their needs instantaneously.
Started building my own company alongside another boss female, WESTxEAST. Our aim is make the ability to own custom wardrobes more democratic, allowing women to tell us what they want to wear, versus us dictating the trends. It seeks to give everyone the feeling of going into a couture house, without that price tag. It is also a toll for those of us with dual identities and wardrobes.
So this my resume ya'll. This is what created Ammachic, helped me hone my eye, make me one of the best at what I do. This business of dressing women is a tricky one, but hey I'm up for the challenge, because I am owning my worth, and boy, am I worth it.