Issue 4 - HOPE IS NEVER LOST; IT ALWAYS FINDS ITS WAY BACK. 

I forgot a bit about this issue, because life was living; filled with projects, trips and work. But because this platform is a way of putting my thoughts to paper and to share more about the life behind Soif de Liberté: what we do, what keeps our minds awake in the night, who inspires us and how we evolve. But one thing was blinking out, a thing I hadn’t felt in a while. It was the first time in a long time, I saw Audrey and myself grow in self believe and confidence, in the process of creating and building. But with this specific topic we needed a long breath and a lot of patience; hope.

And I don’t mean hope was what we were waiting for, no, but for a sign of what hope can create. We kept falling back on hope for finding the right fit for producing the first collection of Soif de Liberté. It didn’t happen overnight to be honest. It took months of emailing, while being rejected, ignored and left unread. Until Audrey received an answer of two woman, who were open to have an online meeting and talk about what he needs and what they could offer. And within 30 minutes of talking, they both knew this was a match. Working together is more than doing business; it is a relationship built on trust and vision.

Audrey kept on saying one thing while working on the collection, that he wanted to see the factory and meet with the woman in real life. So, when he and Arina (the best designer who works with Audrey) were coming to the end of the first samples, after a lot of trials and errors, we decided to plan a trip to Istanbul. Me personally for the food and the city, but also to be there for Audrey in this first serious decision and step for Soif de Liberté. I feel like that online and in the world, we see a lot of end results, but not the process. Not that I mean we need to share all the ugly and truth (but also, why not?) all the time, but one the reasons I accepted the offer of writing issues for Soif de Liberté, was to write and talk about whatever came up and played a part in my life, which is a process, an unending development of myself and the world around me.  

 In the beginning of this year, I visited Seoul with my two brothers. I hadn’t been in a city so extremely fascinating and inspirational as Seoul, but it also showed me how different they approached creativity and craftmanship. I saw so many shops that were focused on just one craftmanship, where the designer was still working in the shop, like it was their atelier as well. This I saw too on the streets of Istanbul. The beauty of practice for the unknown eye, to be invited into this creative space and be a spectator. It always attracts my eye when I see people working, fully focused on whatever they are doing. After visiting both cities, I miss this form of expressions on our streets, I miss seeing the process and focus and creating something out of a piece of silver, cloth or leather. Don’t you think creating with the hands and finishing it too, is the most peaceful and satisfying thing? Okay, drifting off the subject I wanted to write this issue about.

Hope. Hope is a diverse word and feeling. We hope to fall in love, we hope to achieve our dreams, we hope our parents stay healthy, we hope today will be a good day. Hope is untouchable. Hope we gave and receive. Hope we talk into someone but talk it out of our owns minds. Because hope has no grasping, has no ground to stand on, no brick to build on. It is based on the bigger picture we see of ourselves and others. When we were walking and talking on the streets of Istanbul, we knew hope was what brought us here. And a lot of patience, time, money, discussions, getting out of comfort zones, trust, love and believe. A year went by and now it feels we have finally arrived at the point of no going back on it, of dreams becoming reality. Feeling and seeing where the collection will be made, by whom and how makes it surreal and oh so real at the same time. It gave Arina and Audrey a confidence boosts no one could have given them the months before. They know they have someone good, worthy of pursuing, because they see it now, the bigger picture, the hard work that pays of, the process of being so focused on the smallest detail you think no one will notice and now someone does. Someone does and will and the unknown eyes will grow to see and admire you and your creations, just like I do every day.

Ps: if you are working on your first collection and struggling to know what the next step is, please feel free to ask us. We aren’t brought to this earth to be gatekeepers and we do want everyone to succeed – if you are willing to do the work.

Levine Louise