National Post s Retail Therapy Pt.3 | Loose Theory of Shoe Design
Canadian fashion icon, John Fluevog, guest blogs about his day-to-day business which is more than just developing new footwear for his shoe fans.John Fluevog for National Post s Retail Therapy
Recently I spoke at a Public Salon event in Vancouver I was one of 10 speakers. Each of us was given seven minutes. Our Vancouver ex-mayor Sam Sullivan hosted it. I learned that not only does Sam speak French, he also speaks Mandarin. I have heard the Governor General s job is up for grabs & could be a fit? I love that Michaëlle Jean she is so capable (and way cute). She s a hard act to follow.
I did ask myself what a shoe designer was doing speaking at a civic event. Seems that, like it or not, my job description is being expanded.
I spoke about how business can form and shape community and sometimes even create it. Seven minutes?! All that in seven minutes? I really enjoyed the other speakers all variety of subjects, but the overriding theme was our actions matter. We need to take personal responsibility.
Now it s off to New York City for a week. I need to chill and think about shoes. I feel the pressure building.
I just finished working on the foundations for spring 2011. I now need to cast my mind to fall 2011. Cast indeed! Way out there. I feel ideas floating around in my mind but it s getting them to the surface and assembling them. Ideas don t always come out at the appropriate time. Experience has shown me that I need time to let it all go and they pop out. That s the loose theory. The customers get to vote in the end, but that s over a year away.
So why worry now? But I do.
I can t hang too loose or nothing gets done. Balance. Have I not read that in a book somewhere?
I like my job. It s changing, but I still like it.
