Welcome back! Today we continue our look at the Moynihan Report as we dive into Chapter 1: The Negro American Revolution. For those just joining us, take a look back at the introductory post to get caught up on Daniel P. Moynihan, who he is, how I found out about him, and the background on his report The Negro Family: The Case for National Action.

Chapter 1: the Negro American Revolution, as I interpret it, is a recap of how Moynihan sees the state of Negro life in general and his suggestions on creating an amicable and equitable environment for the race. It is split into three sections, The End of the Beginning, The Demand for Equality, and The Prospect for Equality.

Below are select passages from this chapter that stood out to me, whether it be for its connection to the state of the Black America today, or the controversial nature of the language, I encourage you to go and read the chapter in whole for yourself.

Intro: 

"The course of world events will be profoundly affected by the success or failure of the Negro American Revolution seeking peaceful assimilations of the races of the US"

When I read this I was immediately taken to the time magazine on the right. I feel as if any hope of assimilation has now been resigned, and that at this point a mutual existence is what is desired. Back at the time of the writing of this report segregation was just ending so "assimilation" would have been a reasonable desire for the Black community at the time.

The End of the Beginning: 

Photo Source

This portion of the chapter is where the past and present began to parallel embodying the magazine cover above. Moynihan writes of the major events that onsets the Negro Revolution coming in three forms Political, Administrative, and Legal. In the past 3-5 years we have seen all three of these take form.

• Political: Moynihan writes "The Negros themselves organized as a mass movement" - Black Lives Matter is a modern-day embodiment of this notion. 
• Administrative: Moynihan mentions the Economic Opportunity Act and Civil Rights Act, both of 1964 as examples of the administrative events. During the Obama presidency the administrative events that I have identified as relevant to this post are as follows: 
• White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans (Links: Executive Order, Twitter (which I personally enjoy), Events Page)
• My Brother's Keeper (Links: A Day of Action National Summit with complete livestream)

•  Legal: At the time Brown v Board of Education (1954) was a major legal event for the Black community in desegregating schools. In present day, it is the investigations of cities and their police departments that have become the major legal events of the movement. See the Department of Justice reports for the cities of Ferguson, MO and Baltimore, MD following the killings of Mike Brown and Freddie Gray respectively.

The Demand for Equality: 

"Liberty and Equality are the twin ideals of American democracy. But they are not the same thing. Nor most importantly, are they equally attractive to all groups at any given time nor yet are they always compatible, with one another.

Many person who would gladly die for liberty are appalled by equality. Many who are devoted to equality are puzzled and even troubled by liberty. Much of the political history of the American nation can be seen as competition between these two ideals, as for example, the unending troubles between capital and labor" 

"American democracy has not always been successful in maintaining a balance between these two ideals, and notably so where the Negro American is concerned. 'Lincoln freed the slaves' but they were given liberty, not equality. It was therefore possible in the century that followed to deprive their descendants of much of their liberty as well." 

The Prospect for Equality: 
Here Moynihan wraps up the first chapter with the conclusion that not enough data was available to present a clear conclusion on how the future will pan out for the Negro people with any particular recommended course of action. However, he does start his conclusion with the sentence:

"The time, therefore, is at hand for an unflinching look at the present potential of Negro Americans to move from where they now are to where they want and ought to be"

 This reminded me of a video David Banner posted after the 2016 Presidential Election concluded with a call to action for Black people to galvanize and not look to one specific leader to heal the hurting community. 

Again, my goal is to spark conversation, and just to inform you that this report even exists. As we delve into the other chapters we will see more examples of how Moynihan's words were relevant to the current times. The next post will be on Chapter 2: The Negro American Family.

Post 1: Intro

Every once in a while I will hear something that makes my ears perk and mind race, and in this case it was the mention of Benign Neglect in an episode of Netflix's Luke Cage. It was a very quick mention at the start of an episode by a nonessential character and easy to miss. So quick was the mention that I had to pause, rewind, and pause again to hit Google and do some research. If you know me then you know that I am very easily drawn into a rabbit hole of research when interested in a subject, and this time was no different. I tip my had to the writers of Luke Cage for hiding this little gem within the context of community organization and management because without it I would have never discovered Daniel P. Moynihan and his many musings on both the poor and what I will call the Negro Condition in the 1960's.

(Side Note: Though this post is not about the notion of benign neglect, I would like to take a moment to acknowledge its subliminal reference in Netflix's The Get Down. Netflix is in no way sponsoring this post, but there was something that struck me by two of its original shows giving nod to this man and his musings on the state of the Black community. Do your research, watch the shows and then come back here and let's start a convo! I might do a separate post on the idea of Benign Neglect in a Post-Obama era, but that will take a while to gather my thoughts on.) 

In 1968 Moynihan published what he titled The Negro Family: The Case for National Action (commonly referred to as "The Moynihan Report"). Written to President Nixon and now housed on the Department of Labor's website, the 5-chapter report is a call to action to revive, realize, and support a stronger Black community. It is arguably one of the most controversial writings this century on the Black condition and has received much analysis, praise, and its fair share of criticism. (Supporting Articles and Studies: Link 1, Link 2, Link 3, Link 4) My purpose for writing on it was for nothing other than to let you know it exists. Though I may throw my two cents in from time to time, for the most part I will be providing excerpts from the report that I most found interesting, and will break the posts up by chapters. Today we will start with the intro.

When reading Moynihan's words for the umpteenth time, I still feel as if they could be said today with just as much emphasis and concern. Moynihan opens the report with:

The United States is approaching a new crisis in race relations.
In the decade that began with the school desegregation decision of the Supreme Court, and ended with the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the demand of Negro Americans for full recognition of their civil rights was finally met.

The effort, no matter how savage and brutal, of some State and local governments to thwart the exercise of those rights is doomed. The nation will not put up with it — least of all the Negroes. The present moment will pass. In the meantime, a new period is beginning.

In this new period the expectations of the Negro Americans will go beyond civil rights. Being Americans, they will now expect that in the near future equal opportunities for them as a group will produce roughly equal results, as compared with other groups. This is not going to happen. Nor will it happen for generations to come unless a new and special effort is made.

There are two reasons. First, the racist virus in the American blood stream still afflicts us: Negroes will encounter serious personal prejudice for at least another generation. Second, three centuries of sometimes unimaginable mistreatment have taken their toll on the Negro people. The harsh fact is that as a group, at the present time, in terms of ability to win out in the competitions of American life, they are not equal to most of those groups with which they will be competing. Individually, Negro Americans reach the highest peaks of achievement. But collectively, in the spectrum of American ethnic and religious and regional groups, where some get plenty and some get none, where some send eighty percent of their children to college and others pull them out of school at the 8th grade, Negroes are among the weakest.

Finish the rest of the introduction here. I would like to make note that we are that "second generation" that Moynihan spoke of. For many of us, our parents are the children referenced in this report whose future's where premonitioned by the statistics gathered from the study of the social patterns and financial statuses of our grand and great-grand parents. When we look at it this way, the Civil Rights Movement doesn't feel so far away, and yet the responsibility to the next generation feels much too close.Until next time where we will take a look at Chapter 1: The Negro American Revolution.

Happy Wednesday Travelers!

I hope your Christmases were awesome! I am spending it with my mother and as we speak, she and I should be on our way to Disneyland for the first time for both of us. (I am pre-writing this post so I will have to come back to confirm this)

Now, we all know that since I am in B-School I am obsessed with fashion and business (well, I have been more than normal anyway), and I have come across the article that was written on fashion magazine Marie Claire's Executive Presence panel they had a few months ago. You can read on it: Here. I have only read through it once so I will need to go back over some of the advice again, but I really do think that this is great for young women who are looking to get into the business world, not necessarily fashion but still if you have executive suite dreams then this is a good place to start taking notes on bad habits to chuck, styling tips, and success stories to start you off on the right foot!

Happy Reading and Happy Holidays!!
photo source

Hola Travelers!

Along the course of the semester I don't have the time to really sit and write a blog post on every article that I read so here are a few articles that I came across along the way that I hope that you enjoy. The blog Business of Fashion does this all the time called the Daily Digest, I love that idea! So here is a "digest" of some articles collected throughout the semester.

From Forbes:

• 3 Ways to Repair Your Damaged Reputation

• Dealing with a Problem Employee? 3 Questions to Ask Yourself
•  The Student Loan Debt Crisis Is A Women's Issue: Here's Why

From Financial Times:

• Amazon Wiggles it's Way Into Fashion Week? 

From Maria Shriver's Blog:

• Soul Force and the New Feminism

Happy Reading!

 Happy Friday Travelers!

This week has been filled with lots of articles and talks of names and their purpose and importance. On Sunday my pastor spoke of the importance of ones name and how it can subconsciously determine their future, there have been many twitter discussions on how blatantly ethnic names can hinder one from getting a job or moving up in their career, and lastly three fashion articles regarding Jil Sander, Yves Saint Laurent, and Doo Ri have surfaced which makes me ask the question..Comment vous appellez-vous?

It's no secret that I am a branding junkie and love to read and analyze about how  a company brands itself and its product, and there is nothing bigger in a brand than the very thing that creates the first impression. Before I started working in the fashion industry it never occurred to me that one could lose ownership of their name. In my world if say, Calvin Klein left, then the brand Calvin Klein was over, bye bye Gaultier, doors closed....so not the case. When I first realized that I was incorrect in my assumptions I got a bit angry, partially due to the fact that I am the only Mei-Li that I know (I am sure there are others, Asian, find me a black Mei-Li and I promise she is under 6yrs old), and no matter where one goes like Beyonce not one person can say her name and they go...the singer or...same with me, I'm an original and worked hard at being the authentic me and for someone to tell me they are going to carry on Mei-Li with out the Mei and the Li, well I'm not okay with that. So what's hind the scenes of all that to make a person walk away, or in Sander's case, come back to their name? What is that contract process? I recently heard a horror story about a well known and super talented designer who has an awesome fashion brand in her name that no longer belongs to her but is making millions. She was shafted by a former partner who has got to be living a serious yacht lifestyle off what her parents gave her in love...her name.

We now live in the age of sign and sue where contracts and court cases are as common as top knots and peep toes, and I don't understand any of it. I am glad that I am exposed to it in some frame though. As I await to hear if I have been accepted into graduate school for my MBA in Management Consulting I am seeing all the needs of the industry. Though I don't deal with indie brands directly I have a heart for them. There are some great brands out there with amazing product that don't get the recognition they need or close their doors too early due to lack of funding for things like decent PR or low sales. Thankfully social media helps the tech savvy work their way around that, but I would love to see more brands follow the Dries Van Noten route and not sell to larger companies no matter how much they promise autonomy.

I'll end this post there, there is so much more for me to learn and understand before I can get in a deep enough post/conversation/debate about this subject, but it was on my mind and I really am interested in how my degree in Management Consulting can help me help small companies keep their name, flourish, and run efficiently. There ends my thoughts Travelers! Until next time!!

"One Step Forward, Just Glance Back. No Fear, Just DIVA!" 

Recently I have seen a shift in my career and though I am not a fan of the financial reform this change is about to place me in, I am excited to see what is ahead of me. I won't sit here and bash my work situation or any of the players involved in my recent shift, but I will say that I think it to be wise to not believe that leaving one unpleasant situation to a new unknown one, that the grass is greener at your new destination. Point C may not be sweeter than Point B.

In transitioning on your freeway I recommend looking at both the fixed and the variable components to your situation:

Fixed - That's you. No matter what situation your are in, work, friendship, or finance, YOU are the only thing that stays the same. So when evaluating what went or is going wrong in the above it is time to take a self examination. Moving from one job to the next new co-worker situation doesn't matter if you come in with a sense of entitlement and not humility. Having a girlfriend problem? Are all their reasons for leaving the friendship/relationship similar? Maybe it's not them maybe it's you. Finances, doesn't matter if you make $800 a month or a day, keep seeing overdrafts in your account that means YOU have a need to learn money management.

Make sense? In the time of a change, especially from an unpleasant situation to a new one, look at several past situations and the similarities in the unpleasantness.

Variable - The situation. sometimes it really isn't us, it's them. But it takes that self examination of the fixed in multiple of variable situations to know if that's truth and not self righteousness.

A sincere willingness to examine both the fixed and the variable will truly fuel your freeway. Once it has been identified then clear communication is what is necessary to properly navigate from Point B to new Point C.

Does any of this makes sense? lol

If you find yourself in the position of leadership, or are striving to be a leader then I think that this article I came across in Inc.com is an essential read. I really think that this article deserves a separate post of its own, but while composing I found myself finger pointing more than learning/self-assessing, and that is where this post came from.

So in conclusion, sometimes that change is a blessing and moving from a challenging situation to a new one can be great, but examine all the factors. In order for the grass to be greener on the other side, you are going to have to water it.

Happy Travels!

"One Step Forward, Just Glance Back. No Fear, Just DIVA!"

This article caught my eye because I have been contemplating getting a tattoo (or 3) for sometime now and I have to admit I’m a bit nervous about it. Luckily I am not in the financial standing to purchase three personalized tatts and this is giving me much time to think about this. Going to school for business gave me every piece of conservative pie a girl could consume and the message that tattoos were a no no especially visible ones was loud and clear. Did I listen? No I have 2, but not in any visible area. The three I want now will be, with the exception of the one I want behind my ear that would not show unless my hair was up (I specifically waited until my hair grew a certain length).

I do agree with the article that says more employers are ore lenient concerning tattoo policies in their offices within reason, however I say check out the rest of the staff and see if there are any visible tattoos and if so of what size and location. Is there a butterfly on the Admin’s instep, or a sleeve on the right arm of the accounting exec who likes to roll his shirts up when he works? There is a big difference between the two.

One of the great things about working in the fashion industry is that it’s all about expression of self through wardrobe, part of that can be your tattoos and piercings, but that is not every company! There is a big diff between Hot Topic vs Oscar de la Renta’s work environment I’m sure!

So what are your thoughts Travelers? Do you have visible tatts? What’s your jobs policy on them? Leave a Diva Stamp and lets talk about it!

Happy Travels [source]

"One Step Forward, Just Glance Back. No Fear, Just DIVA!"

Afternoon Travelers! Over the course of a year I have accumulated a few articles that I wanted to blog about but never had the time to do. Well...now I do and I am ready to share my opinions on how they can be relevant to your journey. So stay tuned!

Happy Travels

Yesterday on Twitter I came across this article in the New York Times originally tweeted by Urban Interns. The article discusses how students, more like their parents, are paying very large amounts of money for consideration of an internship for "a more competitive entry level resume". Many are hiring services used to search and land coveted unpaid positions.

Two of the top companies listed were Internships.com and University of Dreams, the latter of which I had actually considered applying to myself after reading about it in an interview with a fashion PR intern on PR Couture.

When I first read the article I was really frustrated and felt it to be profusely inaccurate thinking that one does not need rich parents to help them land a seat on the front of the bus, but a true sense of Purpose and a clear vision of their Point B. I truly believe that motivation and proper networking can get you most anywhere for almost free. I say almost cause I had to pay for my business cards.

I don't know about you travelers but I don't have rich parents who have frat brothers in high places (well not in the fashion industry --that I know of anyway). All the connections all the breaks all the internships that I have experienced while here at FIDM has everything to do with me not being afraid to say what I want and meeting the people who can help get me there. Screw a big bank account just open your mouth and make sure your butt can cash that verbal check!

However there is one thing I will agree with in that article and that is somehow (due to the dirty E word) an unpaid internship has become the new post grad position. This is my reality and I am trying to find monetary ways around it. I'm currently weighing my options and though I'm not ready to reveal them just yet I will say that what I am learning at my internship is immeasurable and I'm sure the same as an entry level, except without pay.

I don't know Travelers the dirty E has us rethinking how we do graduation and if you are financing your own Freeway then I say No Fear, Just DIVA to ya! Just go for it. You're already broke what do you have to lose?

Happy Travels!

"One Step Forward, Just Glance Back. No Fear, Just DIVA!"

With the growth of my blog I have been exposed to a lot of social networks, some of which I have joined in order to network with industry professionals as well as grow and strengthen my personal brand; the others are strictly personal. But the problem is knowing when to make which what. What?? Exactly so here is my break down:

I know right! I am reading another book! But what can I say? The eternal book worm, I need to read something for enhancement all times and I ran across this book in the library Wednesday. Perfect timing!

Most of you know that besides this blog I write for AndSpeakingOfPink and Style-ology Magazine; both have a very different target audience and require very different writing styles. Then we have NFJD - me along my Freeway. Only here is a ramble acceptable. Or is it? Just recently my Chief made a good point to her writers that our writing must be "exceptional" not just good: we the writers represent her the business so I had to turn it to language I understand. BRANDING!

We are the face of her brand and the quality of our writing affects her Brand Equity. Our current target audience is known for short attention spans and no second chances so a positive Brand Association is important. LOL I am trying to relate it to my classes. If I am totally off base please feel free to correct me. This is the only way I will learn.

Anywhoo, saying all that to say I understand the sentiment and that has been something that I have thought about with my blog too. This blog is the face of MY brand. This brands essence is my essence. Fearless, Fashionable, Vision. Kimora Lee Simmons says "I am turning my brand into a lifestyle" and that is what I want, so what is it that I can do as a blogger to make sure that this blog reflects that while still being the outlet I need along my Freeway?

My main goal for creating this blog was to chart my journey while helping others discover theirs and hear the stories of those who made it to their Point B. I also wanted to add in any cool articles that I come across along the way. Lastly I wanted this to be a place to go to look for jobs and internships in the industry. Sometimes its tiring to go to so many different sites at one time so I wanted my blog to also bee the one stop shop for posted jobs and internships. Am I providing that? Kinda....Not to the standards I would like honestly.

So I'm working on being that .06% and weeding out the noise post by post. I am excited to see where this blog takes me...thank you for coming along my journey and I can't wait to hear about yours!

"To get to where you want to go in your chosen field, be prepared to use all the tricks in your bag: a willingness to work harder than anyone else in the room; an openness to chance and unexpected opportunity; the ability to seize that opportunity when it presents itself. Most of all, never forget the fundamental art of being friendly, because you never know when someone you've met in an elevator, reception room, or at a movie screening will give you an essential tip or key recommendation - or appear on the other side of the desk in a job interview."

I read this article in WWD* giving very sound advice on how to keep your business afloat during this recession the US had found itself in. I know that a good number of my readers are business owners and are still building their brand so I recommend reading this article in its entirety. It is 11 pages but it is totally worth it. I am not going to recap all 10 of their Business Health Plan points, but some of the highlights of the article are listed below for Business Owners and Job Seekers/Employees.

While Reading an article on WWD.com, for which I will soon be posting, this book was mentioned:

The title caught my attention so I looked it up on Amazon. One of the best features on Amazon is the "Search Inside" where you can read excerpts of the book and that is how the hook baited the fish:

You know those maps in shopping malls that say 'You Are Here'? They exist to orient you in unfamiliar territory, to tell you where you are, where you want to go, and how to get there.

Now is that not what No Fear, Just DIVA is all about!?

The preview allows 7 - 8 pages of reading and it is enough for me to invest in the book when I get back home. Time to dust off the ole library card.

I know that school will soon be in session so the thought of reading another book is just overwhelming with everything else on our social, economic, and academic plates, but if you are not seeing the results that you would like in the building and growth of your career I say pick up this book sooner rather than unemployed/lackluster career later.

So have you ever been driving on a long road trip and go....hmmm that sign looks cool, let's stop here. Well that is what I have been doing on the internet lately. I have been openly overindulging on fashion sites and blogs, and while I have found some pretty great ones none have really stuck out to me until.......

I am in love with this picture provided by Fashionation. Very little sites actually make me want to subscribe and get updates but while browsing my staple PR Couture (link on the side) they highlighted this site. So if they think it's cool worth a click right? RIGHT!


Next stop was this article about BAPE from a business aspect. You know that I am all about Business + Fashion so when The Business Of Fashion announced two new team members, and that one wrote his Master's thesis on this brand I had to read it!

IMHO I don't think it's just enough to know about WHO is wearing it, but also the story behind the company/brand that's being worn.

Many times we think that because so and so is wearing it or endorsing it in their songs (Kanye-Stronger "In my Pastelle or my BAPE sh---), that a brand is a success. But this is the total opposite for this company. As the author of the article puts it,

"...while one would be hard-pressed to write off the current state of Bape as a 'failure,' the brand value at least appears to have struggled in the last 5 years in Japan."

It kinda reminds me of "Mommy got a new promotion that makes way more money but she's no longer coming to my ballet recitals." Mommy's gained value in the office but lost it at home.

I want to work in Branding and BAPE's story is as interesting to me as luxury brands. In my post about luxury brands I talk about the Advertising to Market Share ratio being something worth studying and the article about the Japanese street brand raises the question of Revenue vs. Loyalty. Staying true to home. Is success a double edge sword?

Remember on Sex and the City when Samantha reassured Smith that this ad was a success:

and she told him "First the Gays, then the Girls, then the Industry?" Well Bape's story reminds me of that. Once you're brand is counterfeited by China...YOU'VE MADE IT! But at what cost to your Brand Integrity?

Side Note: I will now be researching and calling up the powers that branding be and get back to you with a post about Brand Integrity and Brand Loyalty

This article started all kinds of questions in my head. So read the article come back and leave a Stamp. Let's talk about this!

Last stop on my Freeway today was a special on On Style Network about shoes and they went inside Salvatore Ferragamo to see the shoes being made!

Just like in the picture the shoes are 100% hand made. I was so impressed. When you buy these shoes you are getting something special for sure. Talk about Brand Integrity! With all the craziness about sweatshops, outsourcing, and going green Ferragamo has stayed true to it's founder's vision and has given a quality product that is made of natural materials and assembled with a vegetable base glue! "Get into this Love Muffins" as B. Scott would say.

So let's talking about marketing shall we? How smart was it of Ferragamo to show their workshop to viewers, fans, and stilettoholics? How many of us out there who cannot realistically afford a pair of these beautiful works of art decide that one pair is now more necessary than a Toyota Prius?

So here ends my journey for today...hope you enjoyed the ride, leave a stamp and let's get this conversation going.
Image provided by: source

Time to get out on the road and start your Fashion Freeway:


Fashion and PR Agency Jack + Bill are looking for one (1):

• Model
• Women's Apparel Designer
• Jewelery Designer
• Fashion Stylist
  

Those chosen will receive three (3) months of complimentary representation from the agency!

Date: July 15-16
Time: 3-9 pm
Location: NYC - Sandbox Studios, 250 Hudson Street 11th floor
RSVP: casting[at]jackandbillpr[dot]com


WWD and W Magazine are looking for Fall Interns. Check out this post from The Fashion Bomb for more details.

*Also don't forget to check to the right for more jobs posted DAILY here on No Fear, Just DIVA

Good Luck!

"One Step Forward, Just Glance Back! No Fear, Just DIVA"

Karl Lagerfeld, John Galliano, Tom Ford, Yves Saint Laurent, and Valentino have more in common than just being the masterminds of the top luxury fashion brands in the world, they are also all men. This also stands true for luxury brands outside of fashion. For a long time luxury brands have been run and masterminded by men, but after reading this article by Luxury Briefing entitled Women Power
I am learning that women are making more of a presence in boardrooms rather than billboards.

I have said before that I would like to work in Brand Management and luxury brands work by a totally different set of rules. If ever there was a place to study the strangest Market Share to Advertising ratio it's with luxury brands. In college I don't really remember talking too much about luxury branding and marketing, and now I am wondering why.

Now while reading the article I came across a lot of information that I didn't know or was unfamiliar to me such as the terms "Womenomics" made popular by the Economist and "Feminocracy" which I am not all that too thrilled about. Still some great info from the article:

• Companies with more women in senior management have a higher return on equity
• Center for Economic Business Research predicts that by 2020 53% of millionaires will be women
  

I think that is great to hear for all the women who are hoping to be on the business side of fashion like myself. This information reads (to me) more job and internship opportunities to women. It also means to me a shift in advertising and female portrayal in said advertisements. I may be getting a little ahead of myself but let's look at television recently as well with women power players in shows like Sex and the City, Lipstick Jungle, and Cashmere Mafia.

I could go on and on about the moves women are making in all types of areas but the focus of this post is the luxury brand arena. So if you are like me and want to be a power player behind the scenes my recommendation, as it will always be is to fill in the cracks for yourself. One of the major reasons I started this blog is because I honestly don't know how to go about obtaining a successful career in the fashion industry other than putting myself out there and figuring it out for myself and asking others how they figured it out for themselves. You gotta get out there fill your own cracks and build your own bridges to get there. So here's a start, pick up a book. For example:

It's pretty obvious I got this image form Amazon and I have only read the preview that is provided by the site but it was enough to make me want to share it with my readers. If you have other books or resources that you use please send the info my way.

Disclaimer:
I came across all this because I have a particular interest in luxury brands and how they work. It is also here that I would like to note that I am still learning about branding and all that it entails not just luxury but all brands, so please do not take my word for the final word and if you are working in luxury right now or branding in general please leave a DIVA Stamp I would love to dialogue with you.