I fell in love at the tender age of eight. I took in all the colours, shades, shapes. I studied every detail and as my heart quickened and my knees went weak, I knew I was sold, absolutely besotted with my new found love. From then on, it was all hearts and butterflies. I was literally floating on love bubbles.
As I grew older, I watched friendships shatter, marriages break up, people lose trust. I watched the inconsistency of relationships in the world. So inconsistent, that the only consistent factor, was just that; inconsistency. It was puzzling how people seemed to fall out of love, twice as fast as they fell in. I observed these things in wonder. Wonder because I was still in love. Did I have a problem? Or was my love just more loving than everybody else’s? When I was cold, my love warmed me right up. I was always covered, always safe, always at ease with my love. I felt my most beautiful only when my love was around. So why was it just me? What was wrong with the rest of the people in the world that somehow made them think love was a sham? I thought about it long and hard and came to the conclusion, that the difference between myself and the rest of the world was ‘my love’.
You see, at the tender age of eight, with my eyes on the runway, I fell totally and completely in love with fashion. It had been an amazing year and as it came to an end, I sat at a show watching the likes of Indigo, Zizi Cardow and Mon Ami display the most amazing collections. I took in the colours, the shades, the shapes. They had me completely. It may seem a bit absurd that I compare my love for fashion to that of a newlywed couple, but is it really?
Is love not when you find comfort in the one you love? The sort of comfort I find just knowing that if all else fails, my pretty Ankara dress will look great whatever the occasion. Does love not sweep you right off your feet? The way my six inch Jimmy choo’s have me reaching for the skies. Does love not make you feel confident, beautiful, happy? The way I imagine my diamond-studded white wedding dress will make me feel when I twirl oh-so-joyfully in it. Love should be the closest thing to your heart and let me tell you, it doesn’t get much closer than my skin tight little black dress. By now, you must have begun to understand my complete fascination with my love. I would never give up my make-up by Zaron, never trade in my beautiful Aso-okeclutches or my ever reliable Oleku for the entire world.
I can imagine that by now, you are green with envy, as you should be. In the crazy world we live in, love and comfort are so hard to find. Yet here I am, sitting pretty, oh-so-comfortable in my very new, very snug fitting denim jeans. I raise my glass to love. I fell in love with fashion. The closest friend I have ever had. Literally!
