“Don't give up until you drink from the silver cup. You never know until you try.”
- Lonely People by America

A new year is upon us, oh yeah. I am always a bit flabbergasted by the new year, because my birthday is the 4th of January, so I believe the impact of “new” in “new year” is very pointed and a bit personal. I turned 44 this year, and on the plane back from Christmas at my sister’s, in upstate NY, I finished Julia Child’s book “My Life in France,” which is so great!!! Did you know she didn’t start cooking until she was in her very late thirties? Thirty-seven, to be exact. How fantastic is that?! I was forty when we started the initial process of creating J Brand. So here it is, early 2008, and the issue of time is on my mind, or to be more specific, the passing of time. When we work here in the design department, we work six months ahead. So, for example, we just finalized our Fall 2008 line, and we haven’t even shipped Spring 2008 yet, so we’re always thinking ahead…far, far ahead. I have a point to all this, really…this year, I am committed to embracing the passing of time…the utter unstoppable naturalness of it. Embracing the simple fact that my dog, Brahma, is eight years old and choose to focus on how he is funny and how long we have been kickin’ it vs. “Oh, Jeez, big dogs don’t live long” and checking to make sure he is breathing every time he is in a deep sleep. I will also fall in love with the visible signs of time that show up in the little lines around my eyes and choose not to stick a needle in them to puff them up, because I earned those lines. Just like I have earned my place in life by the steps I have taken to get here. Sometimes those steps were not pretty, fun, or glamorous, but, they were my steps and my choices and no matter what I did I took it on full force. I was the best waitress I could be, the best stylist I could be, the best girl who worked in an antique store I could be. Having taken that on I can take full responsibility for where I am and where I came from and appreciate the time it took.

So…what does this have to do with you, and, furthermore what does this have to do with fashion? Quite simply, I am saying, don’t believe the hype…whatever YOUR HYPE is: that you are “too young” or “too old” or “not qualified” or “that type of person,” “not thin enough,” “not pretty enough.” This is your time do with it what you will…so go on now and do it.

Same rules apply for style…anything goes…wear what you want…wear what works for you, wear what makes you feel fantastic…knock yourself out. And not just in your wardrobe choices…in your life...knock yourself out.

I knocked myself out with this company and this challenge that I took on…never having owned a business, never having gone to design school, not knowing a lick about manufacturing…I just said, “I am going to give this everything I have got.” Turned out pretty well, and I can honestly say that if it hadn’t turned out well, at the very least, I have put myself out there.

The greatest thing about time is that it passes, and, with that, our memories fade, thankfully, so…really…what have you got to lose…really?

Susie Crippen
Creative Director and Founding Partner