While there is intention behind each collection — colors, designs, outfits — I don't always get to plan ahead about the meaning behind each collection and when it’ll be launched. In this case, the styles we had planned to come out in August faced some delays with the factory and shipping too. And we’re launching it much later than expected. So the alignment of this collection's drop with this week's lunar eclipse is interesting, and it's given me a moment to pause and observe a bit more.
This collection was initially meant to be a sort of palette cleanser—going back to basics, less color, more intentional about outfit pairing and styling, plus a couple of new designs. I wanted the silhouettes to speak for themselves, especially with two new pieces launching: a new top, Rebecca, and a new pant, Rowan. And I went out on a limb with this collection and pushed to launch a darker charcoal fabric (which in the past never really did well, so my team pushed back on it during planning meetings), but I insisted, because it was personally something I wanted in my closet, and something I thought could be so sophisticated for all of us to wear.
In moments like that, where I feel pulled to stand my ground, I usually try to be “reasonable” and “give in.” Because I don’t like being an unreasonable person and all the past analytics told us this color is a “bad idea.” But something pulled me . . . and this feeling of being pulled, I now realize, is my intuition.
And this eclipse season has spotlighted my conditioning to be the “good girl,” to go along with the group, the overall reasoning, being rational. Most people would say it’s the smart thing to do - list to the group, to the data . . . so it feels uncomfortable for me to push back against the things that my mind categorizes as reasonable.
I’ve been working with something called Human Design - it’s basically astrology on steroids, and it has recently helped me start to own my true self over my conditioned self. And the reason I bring up Human Design is that I’m a Manifestor and my authority is Splenic (basically being ruled by my intuition). Even though I’ve known for a while that my authority is my intuition, only recently have I given myself the “permission” to live in this way. This decision to choose the Dark Heather Charcoal fabric was one of the small but powerful decisions I’ve recently made to own my authority.
I realize running a business means I need to listen to analytics, my team of experts, and my customers - but this eclipse season is also asking me to not just listen to my intuition, but to act on it, to be pulled by it. This collection is one of the first where I went with something that felt uncomfortable, a little unreasonable and even now, as we launch it, I still stand firm in my decision to choose these colors, these fabrics, these designs. I think the point of life is to listen to that inner voice and have the courage to see where it leads you.
I'm calling this collection The August Reset — because that's what this really is. Not just new styles, but a reset closer to my true self, the one underneath all the conditioning to be reasonable, to go along with the group. After our last two collections Into the Garden and Infinite Bloom, this one is asking me to root before I can bloom again. Grounded in what I actually wanted — I hope it gives you permission to reset toward whatever feels true for you too.
-Allison
