+15 BONUS
Chapter 44: The Power of Women
Cassandra’s POV
Our assistant burst into the meeting room, her arms piled high with bags of sandwiches for lunch. We’d been in the boardroom all morning, brainstorming ideas for our upcoming fashion line with several designers: Maggie, Lisa, and Brin. We had yet to determine the actual action plan for the clothing line, so we’d ordered in lunch to keep working.
“Okay, so we know the theme: “The Power of Women,” Brin said, nwrapping a sandwich. “And we know we want something that really stands out. Something different. But what?”
I unwrapped a chicken salad sandwich and bit into it thoughtfully. We were lucky to have these creative designers here with us to brainstorm. Stella and I had been stuck on this for days. No matter what we came up with, it just didn’t seem right. We had to lean into the theme and come up with something that would reflect it.
“I still think we need something bold,” Lisa mused. “I’m thinking primary colors. Bright. Something that represents resilience. Because that’s what women are. They’re resilient.”
Lisa had suggested this earlier this morning. We’d made a note to discuss it further as a potential design idea.
“I like where you’re going with that,” Stella said, covering her mouth. She was talking with her mouth full. “But I’m not sure bright and bold is representative of all women.”
“I like Maggie’s idea,” Brin piped up. “Simple. Unembellished. Something that can be dressed up or down, depending on the occasion.”
“It’s not a bad idea,” I said. “It plays into the whole ‘women are busy and need versatile clothing. Soccer mom by day, martinis by night. Something like that.”
Stella shook her head. “That’s been done. We need something fresh.”
“What about something soft? Something that captures the unique grace of feminine strength? Unassuming. Elegant?” Brin offered.
“This is impossible,” I chuckled. “Women are so many things. How can one design line possibly capture all the different facets of what it is to be a strong woman?” Then I stopped. An idea was percolating in my head. “What a minute,” I said, reaching for a pencil. I began to scribble down the ideas running through my mind. “Women ARE so many things. That’s it! I mean, we’re doctors and lawyers and teachers and firefighters and so on.”
My mind flashed back to my marriage with Jordyn. I’d been a homemaker after we married. I’d run our house, booked our appointments, organized charity events. Other women did that, too. They spent their days running their kids around to activities, and still managed to get a hot dinner on the table. Those women were just as strong and powerful as career women, in my mind. “Let’s circle back to this idea of strength and power. It’s something all women have in common. No matter their chosen field. Women showcase their strength in different ways.”
I was pretty much just thinking out loud at this point, but everyone was listening intently.
“What if we create a line that’s both practical AND empowering for women in diverse roles? Something that makes our clients feel confident, no matter what they’re doing. Something that’s comfortable, that suits their unique lifestyles, but that still has flair and style?”
“I don’t know if I follow,” Brin said.
“No two women are the same. So our clothing line should reflect that. I think the ultimate goal should be to create a clothing line that’s for EVERY woman, regardless of her personality or profession. Give her choices, you know? So she can find the outfit that suits her best? Whether she’s a yoga instructor, a stay at mom, or a dentist?”
different
Vaist over
I turned my sketch pad around for them to see. I’d scribbled a few designs down as I talked. “Pieces that can be us ways. See?” I pointed at one. “This can be a scarf or shawl to go over a cocktail dress, or it can be wrapped around. a pair of jeans.” I was getting excited by my idea. “And this here?” pointed to another design. “It’s a skirt, but it can be purchased with a belt, like this, to make it fancy, or with a cardigan, like this, to make it more casual.”
7/2
Chapter 44. The Power of Women
+15 BONUS
Everyone stared at the designs. No one said anything. Had I missed the mark? Was this a stupid idea? I sheepishly put down the sketchpad.
“It’s just a thought,” I said, suddenly feeling very unconfident.
“It’s brilliant!” Stella exclaimed.
“I love it,” Brin added.
“We could have some base pieces, and a whole assortment of add–ons to reflect a woman’s individual style. It’s great,” Lisa smiled.
“Really?” I asked.
“YES!” Stella said, slamming her hands down on the desk for emphasis. “This is it! This is what we’ve been looking for. Clothing for powerful women. The power is in the choices!‘
I blushed.
“If you all agree,” I said.
“Stop being so modest,” Stella smirked playfully.
“We ALL helped get here,” I offered. “That’s what brainstorming sessions are. I just built off the ideas we already had.”
Since we were all in agreeance, we immediately set to work delegating tasks. The excitement in the room was palpable. I was really proud of this idea. I honestly felt that women would love it and it would empower them.
We spent the next hour hashing out more ideas and deciding who would take on what. Lisa, Lily, and Brin were bent over a sketchpad when Stella pulled me aside.
“I hate to break this up,” she said, her voice low. “But we have somewhere else to be.”
“We do?” I asked, confused. We’d just come up with the design idea for our clothing line! Where else could we possibly have to be but here, working on it?
“Jordyn,” she said, holding out her phone. “We have a meeting with him in one hour at his company to finalize the details for the collaboration.”
Right. The meeting was today. I’d completely forgotten about it.
“We’re going to have to leave this in your capable hands for now, ladies. Thank you so much for your extraordinary work and ideas,” Stella said, excusing us from the boardroom. “But we have to meet with our collaborator to nail down a venue to debut this amazing clothing line.”
We left the boardroom, fixed up our make–up in the bathroom, gathered our presentation materials, then headed straight over to Jordyn’s company for our meeting.
Chapter 45. The Collaboration Meeting
