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Style. Substance. Strength.

When I was 17 I loved to read fashion magazines. I loved to look at the photos and imagine my older sophisticated self working in the world and being that glamorous woman in the photos. When I was 40 I loved to read fashion magazines. I loved to look at the photos and imagine myself being 17 and being hip and cool like the girls in the photos. 
Now at 50, as I look back and consider who I've become,  I wonder how fashion evaded me.  How did it change from being a high ideal to being a style that I couldn't fit into?  I'm intrigued. 

When I started Archerie, I committed myself to exploring why fashion has had such a hold on my life.  
I now see the art of creating clothing as my medium; my means of expression and communication.  Designs come through me as a reflection of my feelings and observations about society, relationships, and our connection to the world around us.  As I design, I consider what it means to be a woman.  As women today we have options and the freedom to wear what ever we want and to express our femininity in many ways.  This was not always the case.  And there begins the journey and my quest to understand how we got here and where we might want to go.

Dresses are a truly feminine garment.
In many ways they define the feminine;  They are an article of clothing reserved for women.
Why do we choose to wear or not wear a dress?
Do dresses limit our abilities?  Make us uncomfortable?  Pigeon hole us into an ideal that is no longer relevant?   Or do they inspire us?  Make us feel beautiful?  Give us confidence and strength?

For me it is time to reclaim the dress.
I feel more comfortable in my body, about my shape, in a dress. I feel strong in this commitment to my femininity. I feel connected to the world in my "dress" by bringing a sense of formality and respect to others as I walk down the street or meet people in public spaces.

How about you?  At a time when our society is divided about many issues, it feels imperative to search for ways to understand multiple points of view.  To find ways to communicate that feel inclusive.   What are the issues that bring us together and how does fashion reflect and intersect with our feelings and experiences?

With this magazine I hope to inspire this conversation.
Let's explore together who we are as women today and how style and fashion is relevant, full of inspiration and deeper meaning, and how it can strengthen our resolve to live fully into our potential.

Jillian Kaufman Grano