ALONG COMES MARY

All this week, I have the honor of reporting about everything Oscars through my involvement as an Influencer with Vanity Fair’s Social Club. What that means is, Vanity Fair has chosen some of the top social media influencers to come join them for a week-long of fun at the WeWork space on Hollywood Boulevard where bloggers & those in the Journalism/Social Media world can connect with an abundance of those in the industry as we all await the big night: The Academy Awards, this Sunday!

Yesterday, I had a wonderful afternoon mingling with some of my peers as we enjoyed espresso designed to perfection by Vittolia Coffee, drank away the time with a bit of champagne & got to sit in on a fascinating interview with 3 time Academy Award winner (& 11 times nominated) Costume Designer, Colleen Atwood. Having worked on countless films, some of Atwood’s most memorable work can be seen in nearly all films by household favorite (our house, anyways!), Tim Burton, & of course, Into the Woods, for which she is up for this week at the Oscars. Atwood had so much great insight & advice that we can use in our lives, no matter what our chosen field is, that I wanted to share some of her words of wisdom with you.

“If 8 million people can survive in New York, chances are you can, too.” When Colleen spoke of her early days in the city, someone asked her for advice as she was also a Costume Design major, & was a bit nervous about the future. Colleen not only is living proof you CAN survive, & succeed, yet she also showed such a sign of excitement, telling this young designer that it’s easily the most exciting time in her life.

“I wanted to get out of my small town. I knew I wanted to do something in the arts.” I got the opportunity to ask Colleen a question, & I was interested to know what inspired her to go into Costume Design; she explained that she was from a small town in Washington, & knew she had to get out. Knowing she wanted to do something artistic, she knew painting & some arts were not for her, she somehow fell into Costume Design, & the film industry is so blessed that she did!

“I call it going back to ‘real life’ when I am not working” When she was asked what she does to unwind & not get drained from her work, that was, in part, her reply. She told us about her family, she’s both a Mom & Grandma, & loves to spend times with her family. She’ll also take advantage of days off to rejuvenate; opting not to talk to anyone, just go for walks, be on her own to re-discover.

It was also awesome to hear what she had to say about some of our favorite stars she gets to work with! On Into the Woods, she mentioned how Johnny Depp is all about trusting her & won’t even look in a mirror. With Meryl Streep, she enjoys being apart of the process & helping create the character.

Atwood’s newest creative outlet is her new handbag line, which we got a sneak peek at & they’re to-die-for gorgeous. Currently available online & soon coming to more stores internationally, they range from small, classic clutches to larger bags you can also convert into a backpack. That was music to my ears as I am all about backpacks for long days!

I’m so thrilled I got to be apart of this interview, & I hope you will join me in rooting Colleen Atwood on for Best Costume Designer this week during The Academy Awards! xo