Page 43 of Say It Isn't So

“Good, getting content as usual. If we ever get in.”

Chuckling, I nodded.

Charmaine was a wildly popular content creator, making her an influencer, but she was still very green when it came to these events. But, for designers, it was paramount to have influencers post about their designs. Which was why in recent years we’d seen more and more of them at fashion weeks.

Then she asked, “Why are the lines so long in London?”

“That’s the way it is at LFW,” I said, shifting my weight to my other leg. Meanwhile, the group behind me had decided to sit on the ground—not a bad idea. “At least it’s not a chaotic mess like at NYFW.” In New York, lines were never really respected and often people just slipped in, even without an invite.

“Hey, are you going to Stefan Becker’s catwalk?” she asked, switching gears on me. Before I could answer, though, she slapped her head and added, “Never mind, you’re with the magazine. Of course you’re going.”

“Yes, I am going,” I confirmed. Not to sound too obnoxious, but you didn’t host a catwalk and not invite us. I already knew I’d be sitting front row with the other top fashion magazines. “You?” I returned.

Shaking her head, she pouted. “No. How I wish I were, though. I tried to get myself an invite, but that team doesn’t mess around. They said they already had extended all their influencer invites by the time I reached out.”

“Maybe next time, then, now that they know about you.” Sadly, what she said was true—until you became known to them, they didn’t give you a second thought. It appeared that was the case with Charmaine, although I couldn’t imagine who they did invite, if not her. Knowing her name now, her social handle came to me, and I remembered she was a downright sensation on social media.

“Maybe,” she repeated, then pointed a finger and spun to face the front again. “Hey, look, things are moving.”

Karoline Atelier “Stolen Moments” Collection

Known for their intricate lace detailing, Karoline Atelier unveils this season’s showstoppers inspired by Karoline’s start in fashion, designing lingerie. Karoline Atelier “Stolen Moments” Spring/Summer collection is daring and intimate. It evokes comfort and sex appeal, bringing the bedroom to the outside world.

Picture off-the-shoulder necklines that accentuate the collarbone and shoulders in such a way that highlights the allure and grace of the human form. Each design has a touch of ethereal beauty, featuring delicate lace appliqués, printed silks, shimmering sequins, and relaxed silhouettes that welcome the wearer to fancy them at any time of day.

With its effortless sophistication, this collection packs a punch with its versatility and reminder that a Karoline Atelier wearer doesn’t need to meet expectations; they need to shatter them.

* * *

“Karoline!” I greeted, going in for a hug after a magnificent presentation.

You see, to the world, she was Karoline Jerrard, fashion designer, inspiration to women everywhere, and untouchable. To me, though, she was just Karoline, close family friend who’d known me since I was in diapers.

She gave me a quick kiss on the cheek before the hug ended. “Bianca, dear, I’m so ecstatic you could make it.”

Karoline was always one of the most elegant and sophisticated women I knew. Honestly, I looked up to women like her. She had a fierceness about her that made me want to be her and a sweetness to her that made me want to be around her. You know the mother in the movie where the twin sisters went to camp together only to find out they were, in fact, twins? Well, Karoline looked like her.She had dirty blonde hair and bangs that fell just above her eyebrows. Her eyes were blue, although between you and me, they were brown. Thank you, colored contact lenses. And at seventy years young, she didn’t look a day over fifty.

I smiled and placed my clutch beneath my arm. “I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.” I gestured with my hands as I spoke. “This, Karoline, was absolutely beautiful. Exquisite, really. Your collection spoke to me.”

She clicked her tongue on the roof of her mouth as she shook her head and brushed off my comment.

“Mom always did say you never took well to compliments.”

She gave me a sympathetic look before frowning. “She was right, I don’t. Although, she always did tell me to get over that because, as I remember her putting it, ‘the bigger you get, the more people are going to compliment you, and you’re just going to need to get over that.’”

I chuckled and crossed my arms, the bangles on my wrists hitting one another and jingling. “She wasn’t wrong.”

“Not that I don’t love chatting with you, but this is fashion week”—she gestured around us—“and you’re here on official business.”

I nodded. The good news was that Karoline wasn’t new to this. She knew what publications were after and offering—paid press opportunities. Some designers were more than happy to discuss it with you, while others cared more about what you could do for them at no cost. Those went down the roundup road, whereas Karoline was too big a designer to settle for being lumped into a trends report along with a slew of other designers. To boot, there was no guarantee the designer would wind up on the top or the bottom of the list, which meant less exposure for the brand. That was the last thing Karoline deserved.

“You’re right,” I acknowledged and admitted, “I do have a proposal for you.”

“And what’s that?”

“One of our upcoming issues is putting the focus on vintage-inspired looks. Your lace detailing is exactly what that calls for. We’d like our female model to wear one of your designs on the cover.”

Nodding, she was sure of herself as she said, “Done.”

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