Call me a mean girl, but I was whole heartedly turned off by this article from the Times Picayune in New Orleans - “Fast on her Feet”. Long story short - Louisiana native decides to create footwear line to rival Louboutins. Granted, the shoes are G-G-Gorgeous, obviously there is talent there - and I would definitely drool over them did I not know the back story, or rather I will still drool but silently condemn them and hold a grudge anyway - but I can’t help but be turned off coming from FIT knowing so many talented, penniless peers.

That being said - I live for meritocracy. And yeah, perhaps I’m not in the industry where that is best utilized, but I still have a huge respect for people who aren’t born with a silver spoon in their mouth and still manage to beat out all of those who were. So, the line, “When her law firm salary wouldn’t cover the three- and four-figure accessories at the store, she relied on her parents’ generosity”. We are talking Marni & Giuseppe Zanotti. Let’s just call a spade a spade and recognize that a working adult was given a shopping allowance. I also can’t get over how this is viewed as normal, commonplace, even commendable by the writer. I could go on about how said generous parents were generous in other ways contributing to the growth of her business, but I think you get the picture.

Sometimes I wonder, does one have to win the genetic lottery in order to REALLY thrive in fashion?

Signed,

Easily offended in Austin - Times Picayune “Fast on her Feet”