Hey Guys,
Wow! It has been so so long since I’ve shared anything from my heart here…
I’m really sorry for this hiatus. Some of you might have garnered from my social media that I’ve been in Europe for quite a few months and I missed NYFW (among many other things). I’ve had some VISA hiccups, which I can’t detail, but it’s quite a common tribulation for any person in my industry, so I don’t really have a leg to stand on when it comes to complaining - it’s really just about the process.
I’ve been travelling and staying from place to place - I think I’ve probably lived in more than 15 different homes and hotels, and it’s not ideal for me - especially for my own struggles with anxiety, depression, and ADD. I want to broach these topics in a much longer post to come… I’m not the biggest advocate of sharing every detail of my life, but I’m going deeper in hopes of helping some of you who might be going through similar things. ADD is a big part of who I am, and it’s a blessing and curse - it’s makes me incredibly creative and resourceful but very disorganised and inconsistent. The non-stop moving around doesn’t help me! I can’t wait to be settled again and get my damn ‘ducks in a row’.
The biggest challenge in my line of work is the ability to communicate every day through social media - which almost feels impossible for me to share when everything isn’t sunshine and macarons. If you’re ever wondering why an influencer has disappeared, or seems to be less engaged in sharing, then stress is probably a big part of it. We all go through tough times. There’s also WAY too much noise on social media these days, so sharing for the sake of sharing drives audiences to tune out. Better to post nothing. I love using Snapchat and Insta-stories, but the inane everyday things aren’t providing any value.
I can’t say if my workload is more than anyone else in a similar position, but it feels like a mountain - yet I’m so so grateful for everything I have and the opportunities that I’m lent. The most exciting development has been my role as Creative Director of Azalle. We’re looking to launch later in the year. Azalle is on online learning platform whereby courses are taught by some of the best and brightest in our industry - outstanding entrepreneurs who have engaged an audience numbered in the millions - sharing their personal stories on an innovative and brand new platform. It’s been a ton of work, but we are talking about the culmination of everything that has changed the way people communicate online in this modern era. I’ll rant about this a whole whack more in coming posts… Watch this space.
My team means the world to me - and it’s really what makes all of this continue turning while I’m figuring shit out. My love and business partner Gustav is leading the charge on Azalle, he’s a constant source of inspiration to me and the reason to get up and keep giving all I can everyday. Susan is the Head of Content on Zanita Studio and she’s the glue for of all this - she’s tenacious and everything I’m not when it comes to consistency. She’s also making stunning beauty content and getting better at it everyday! Loved finding her in my life.
I’m in Amsterdam right now, spending time with my two besties Rebecca and Andy - they are the light of my days while I’m away. While I’ve had challenges of late, I’ve also had some of the most fun and laughed the hardest. Tomorrow, I’m leaving them for London where I have the esteemed pleasure of being a judge at the H&M Design Awards. I plan on sharing it on Insta-stories and Snapchat so please tune in! And if you wanna talk to me directly (I do my best to talk to everyone on Snapchat), please reach out! It might seem that I’m out of touch, but I really feel like I’m closer than ever thanks to this new medium of communication. Look forward to talking to you! And no dick pics please (you would be amazed at the sheer number of these… sick freaks.)
Love all you so much! And thanks for your patience with me!! - Z
Tommy Hilfiger pics by Ralph Van Vugt
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