It's one thing to envision mingling with the moguls whose designs permeate the industry, but when New York co-working company WeWork asked me to come up with a designer dream team to work in one of their state of the art locations, I was floored.
Not only was I presented with the prospect (albeit hypothetical) of choosing who I'd love to see collaborate on what would be the collection of the century, but it was also immensely difficult to choose the WeWork location where all the magic would happen. With workspaces in the coolest spots across the U.S and beyond including Amsterdam, London and Israel, what is wonderful about WeWork is that they provide people with a vision to thrive in spaces that are expedient, inspiring and to be frank, pretty thrifty for new entrepreneurs.
For my designer dream team, I thought it only appropriate to familiar territory and go with New York as a location. To be more specific? The WeWork building in the Meatpacking district. Not only is it a place held dearly to the wise and glamourous Diane Von Furstenberg who once said, "I design for the woman who loves being a woman," but it's also one of the most thriving areas for aspiring fashion designers. Apart from that, the WeWork offices design at Meatpacking is totally eclectic - which is kind of fitting given this post.
So, who would I hire on board for my designer dream team?
Nicolas Ghesquière
I feel as though if you can take on a house like Balenciaga at the age of 25 and transform it into a commercial powerhouse like Ghesquière did, then you have the perfect, unprecedented balance of talent and drive, the motivating force behind any project.
Miuccia Prada
This is a purely selfish choice, because I adore Miuccia Prada. I love the intelligence and the poignancy of a Prada collection and I enjoy the playfulness of Miu Miu. I think she is both a dreamer and a maverick in equal measure. When collaborating on a collection I think she'd be an infinite source of inspiration.
Tom Ford
Tom Ford understands the American fashion crowd down to the finest details. Contrary to the idea that Americans are ostentatious in the way that they often present themselves, his designs are often classic, elegant yet modernised. Whenever I see a Tom Ford runway show I get the feeling he has a penchant for 60s fashion and design and so do I. I also think he is very much aware of the power of a strong narrative - something which I think executes an unforgettable collection.
It may seem a little farfetched but WeWork is home to some of the most fashion forward businesses currently making waves in the market. emPOWERED provide style and necessity with their chic range of leather bags that double as a phone charger (actually so genius that I'm kicking myself I didn't think of this first).
The WeWork Meatpacking offices offer endless amenities such as free coffee, beer (yes, you heard me right), high-speed internet and event space - room enough for my designer dream time to host their highly coveted collection to an exclusive audience of buyers. Needless to say, the location is a dream in itself.
