The Woman I Want to Be

Ciao my loves! You may or may not have noticed a really special photo on my Instagram last week. . .

https://www.instagram.com/p/BVlREBNFGUt/?taken-by=azaxdeh

I’m SO honored to have been invited to a really special event hosted by DVF and the girls at LastFirst (read about them here and here!) at DVF’s studio last week. If you’ve seen her interviews or TV shows before, you know Diane is full of life and nearly every sentence she speaks is peppered with wit and wisdom. She gave us lucky invitees an intimate talk all about dating and love and opened with her iconic quote, “I never knew what I wanted to do, but I knew the kind of woman I wanted to be.” I was nearly in tears for a lot of what she was saying because I related to it SO MUCH! Being a true fan of Diane’s work, I was already familiar with her story, but hearing her share everything so openly with us was an entirely different experience. She’s a true feminist, icon, and pioneer in the fashion world, and a HUGE humanitarian. All the #Goals on #Goals.

She shared SO many great dating tidbits I’m going to share my five favorites with you here!

The first step is financial freedom. Diane told us how she always wanted to be in charge of her life and never waited for a man to pay her bills. I related SO SO SO SO SO SO MUCH to this! This is exactly what I’m always focusing on and unfortunately I have a lot of girl friends who don’t understand it. I LOVE spoiling myself and I would rather struggle working my way to the top than relying on someone else to do it for me. On the other hand, having someone who also has ambition and goals and wants to build an empire alongside me would be a bonus. Where you at future CEO bae?!
Before you find a relationship, the most important to have is with yourself. Diane shared anecdotes of wild dating in the 70s and a hilarious story of her Italian boyfriend who worked in the garment factory. How her mom bought her plane ticket to be courted by her aristocrat and she saw an opportunity to use the factory and create a sample line. She knew herself and went with her gut, seizing the opportunities as they came along. She told us that once you establish a relationship with yourself, a relationship with a partner “is not a must, but a plus.”
Know your strength. When she took questions I didn’t hold back and asked her, “What’s your advice for dating in today’s day and age when guys are intimidated by women who choose to be independent.” She very promptly responded that if any guy is intimidated by an woman who knows what she wants then TOO BAD! (Lol! True! His loss!) She said She emphasized that I should have my identity outside of the home (blogger, entrepreneur) and when I (or you!) meet someone we will know and will be looking in the same direction. So DO NOT SETTLE!
Wear heels. Wear heels on your first date (and all the time!). Clothes allow us women to project who and what we want to be. And then she added we should consider how we will look the morning after, haha!!!
Nothing is less attractive than being needy. This was my favorite quip of all. Take note lurks. :*

After her talk we got an exclusive runway presentation showcasing some of DVF’s hot, new summer pieces and then an even more exclusive shopping event. She allowed us lucky guests to join her in her private showroom and and helped us find the perfect pieces, fitting us herself! I briefly spoke to her and thanked her for all the ways she’s inspired me. The best part of the night was leaving with an autographed copy of her book that I’m about to start now. 🙂

I have my ups and downs when it comes to “having it all.” As you know (if you follow my blog), I hustle HARD to grow my brand and I have the most unfortunate and nonexistent dating life ever. But I don’t let it keep me down because I REFUSE to settle. After hearing DVF’s words in person, I’m more determined than ever to be the type of woman I’ve always wanted to be: independent. I worked hard on my education and now I’m building up my career, my brand, and my empire. I’m definitely not one of those annoying, agreeable girls who goes along with everything someone else suggests is right or wrong. I’m strong in my beliefs, but I don’t project them on others. I’m just doing me, y’all! So whenever someone decides that doesn’t intimidate them, I’ll let you know. 😉

Love always,