Fashionistas

My name is Bridget and I am not a Vampire. I am an upcoming fashion designer, and I was a student at the Fashion House of Savannah under Lola. To me, this book is far more than a memoir or a biography—it is a love letter to Fashion.

I am talking about the true craft of dressmaking: designing with absolute intent, understanding how to accentuate the architecture of the human body, and respecting the sanctity of quality fabrics and fine finishings. We are currently witnessing the slow death of this art, strangled by the fast-fashion movement. We have started dressing to be "comfortable," to be uniformly monochromatic, to fade into the background rather than to stand out. We have let Fashion down a dying path. Brand names have become the sole definition of luxury, replacing the actual artistry and craftsmanship that used to define the industry.

But this story restores that dignity. It shares glimpses into Maria's ever-changing style and influence, tracing how she adapted to every new advance in apparel technology without ever sacrificing her standards.

I urge you to look closely at the Fashion sketches in the XTNDR sections. These sketches—some rendered by Maria’s own hand—capture outfits from across her timeline. Words can only try to describe the beauty of the art described in the chapters. The sketches reveal the reality: the history of fashion, frozen in time by the garment, but allowed to exist in the present when worn.