Trendsetter (book 2) - H.S

Chapter 31: Wouldn't Mean a Thing.

A/N: El for later on!!!

ELS POV:

    I woke up earlier than normal so I could shower, and walk Bo. I'm doing that now, workout clothes on my body, and the leash attached to Bo's color as we walk down the LA street, that is covered by the sun for the most part. He enjoys it out here, he really does. He seems happy roaming around, smelling everything, his ears perked up, getting even perkier when he hears something out of the ordinary. He's really the sweetest, and though the woman yesterday was right, he wasn't exactly what I had wanted... I see now that he's perfect. Once I walk us back inside, and up the stairs, I let him off of his leash, and toss my drying hair around, knowing it's going to have to be blow dried when I get there. I keep looking at my phone, staying put in my workout clothes. As soon as the clock hits, I say goodbye to Bo, putting him in his kennel for the time being, and head down to get in my car, and go pick up Anthony. I'm trying as hard as I can to keep everything completely on schedule today, keeping it in my control. My phone rings, and I answer, driving to Anthony's apartment.
    "Hello?" I ask, waiting at a red light.
    "Good morning darling... Are you on your way to the shoot?" He asks me, and I smile, remembering our conversation from earlier yesterday.
    "Yes, I'm going to get Anthony now, and then we'll be on our way." I tell him, driving on from the stop light.
    "I just called, and I don't want to freak you out, but.. Well actually Jeff wanted me to warn you of some things, and talk you through some of it." He tells me, and my heart jumps.
    "What kind of things?" I ask, feeling that pit in my stomach.
    "You've never done an interview like this before... They're going to mainly stick to asking you about design, and clothes and such, but when they move to the celebrities you've worked with they're going to ask you about me...  And considering the speculation that's been everywhere everytime we're out in public together there could be some questions about us, not just working with me." He tells me, and I feel my heart start to race, knowing I didn't think about that one bit.
    "What do I say?' I ask, my brain messing with itself as it courses through questions, and answers on its own.
    "You say whatever you feel is right. I'm not going to say it's time for this to go public, and I'm not going to tell you to keep it quiet, just speak with an open heart... No matter what you say about me, or your designs you shouldn't lie, the last thing you want is for them and the rest of the people reading to think that you aren't genuine, because we both know you are... I guess all I wanted was to warn you, and to tell you to remember honesty." He mumbles on, and I listen closely to everything.
    "Okay... I will." I tell him, turning the last street.
    "Don't let that get you all worked up and nervous... Just pretend you're talking to me, or Anthony minus all the cussing. It'll be fine." He tells me, and I think about it in that sense, knowing he's right.
    "Well I'm at Anthony's so I'll call you whenever I can.. I love you." I tell him, parking the car on the street.
    "I love you darling, good luck today.. Remember you're my sunflower."  He beams, and then hangs up, but leaves a warm feeling right in the center of my chest. I send Anthony a text, and he runs outside, joining me in the car, and he looks good.
    "Alright way to show me up before my own cover shoot." I joke, pulling away from his house, and turning my GPS on.
    "I'm going to look like dirt compared to you when they put you in a hot outfit, and do your hair and makeup so don't even test me. I hope they give you full curls, I'm talking full on lion mane." He tells me, and I smile, feeling giddy as I drive.
    "I don't care what they do honestly. I'm just excited all around. Anthony if you told me last year that my career was going to grow this much in such a short amount of time, I know for a fact I would have told you to fuck off." I tell him, and he laughs at the comment.
    "You would have, and then you would've shoved me to the side, and told me to get back to work... El, I'm shocked by everything that's happened to you this year... I'm more proud thoguh, like... that's my best fucking friend." He shakes my shoulder, and I smile wider, just ready to be there at this point. I drive for a bit more, feeling like they could have given me the wrong address until I get there and see all the cars out front, one of the large vans with Vogue printed on it's side. I park further down the street, and get out, heading to the front door of the house, wondering what the hell we're doing here. I knock on the door, and someone answers, someone I don't know.
    "You must be El, and Anthony?" She asks, extending a hand. I shake it, and Anthony as well.
    "Yes ma'am that's us." I smile, and she jumps, opening the door.
    "I almost forgot to say it, I'm Shaina, the one who talked to you on the phone yesterday... I'm so happy you could make it today honestly. We had feared asking people like you and Alessandro, scared the two of you might put the opportunity to the side.
    "I couldn't even think about saying no to this, I'm so ready." I tell her as she walks us into the house.
    "Well we're ready for you, through here is makeup and hair, and as soon as you sit down, and situated we'll start asking you some questions if you're okay with that?" She asks, and I smile.
    "I'm more than okay with that, thank you again." I smile at her, and pull Anthony with me. There's a chair set up in front of a large mirror, and as soon as I'm sat in the chair a dark haired woman comes up to me.
    "Hi, I'm Amy I'll be doing your hair and makeup for the day... We're going to go for something smokey, a little vampy for the makeup, and the hair... Well, we've got a few ideas, we're interested to see what you're thinking." She tells me, and I open my mouth to speak, but quickly get interrupted.
    "Lion mane!! Big curls, she wants biiiiig curls." Anthony interrupts, and Amy looks at me. I shrug my shoulders, giving into Anthony.
    "Whatever you think will look best, you have full creative jurisdiction." I tell her, and she smiles, putting her hands in my hair.
    "Tanya come over here, and get started on her makeup." She mumbles, and another woman comes forward, opening cases, and pulling things out. I've seen this all done about a million times it feels like. I've watched people get hair and makeup done for years now, but I've never been in the chair myself, not even for red carpets. After a little bit of time Shaina comes up, followed by someone else, a blonde girl.
    "Alright El, we're both going to be interviewing you for this. This is Dani! She's just going to write stuff down for me, and add into some of the questions as well." She tells me, and I nod. She sets a tape recorder up, and they both pull up chairs in front of me, Anthony on my side, and the makeup and hair crew moving around me. "So, just this past year you've blown up in the fashion and design industry, it's been incredible to watch." She starts, and I smile.
    "Thank you. It's been an incredible feeling honestly." I tell her.
    "Understandably... We've seen your name everywhere so it's only fair to ask... How did you even get into fashion, and doing what you're doing? We noticed you're from a smaller town in Georgia, I'm guessing there wasn't much influence there." She smiles, and I laugh a bit.
    "Definitely not much influence from my hometown, but my parents, my mom specifically always used to put the stars on the TV, not all of them, but from her small influence I found my own. David Bowie, Stevie Nicks, Michael Jackson, the way they dressed made me feel all giddy inside, and that's how I got into it... Growing up I made clothes for my sister and I just for fun, I learned a lot on my own so it was almost a no brainer when I needed to go to college. I started as a student at FIT in the city, and then after I somehow managed to build a relationship with Jaclyn Collier, she runs the branch of Gucci in New York. Through her I interned alongside my business partner here Anthony, and we scored jobs there as well." I tell her, giving her a short story of a long journey.
    "So you started working, how did Gucci change your outlook on design, and just what you were doing in general?" She asks, and I smile softly.
    "Well moving to the city already changed the designs in my mind. Everything was bigger, and bolder, but when I moved I had actually just... I had just lost my sister to mental health issues, and she was a big factor in why I pursued fashion in the first place. I felt like I always had something to prove to someone when I moved up there, I needed to prove it to everyone back at home that I really could do something I loved, that I could make it outside the small town... So when I got hired by Gucci it all felt so much easier, it felt like I didn't have to prove myself as much through my work which made me feel comfortable in expressing designs fully." I tell her, feeling a grip in my chest, knowing I've hardly talked about Haley to anyone, but now the world will know about her.
    "Prove yourself as much?" She asks, and I nod.
    "I still felt that pressure. I had a job but it wasn't set. I still needed to make sure I kept my name there, and through the years I needed it to continually come up, to be seen by thousands... I was an all work, and no play kind of person. It consumed my life almost, and it all paid off too." I tell her, and she nods while Dani starts writing things down.
    "So do you think to make it in a world as cut throat as the one you live in that you need to have that mindset?" She asks, and I start shaking my head.
    "No... I was dealing with more than just work without realizing it, I filled my life with that work to get around what I really needed to deal with. I skipped out on a lot of relationships, and opportunities from that mindset. I don't regret it, but I know that I did have room to have fun, I just wouldn't let myself." I tell her truthfully, and she continues to nod.
    "What would you say has been the most fun? The best experience with design, and styling?" She asks, and I smile.
    "Well the past year my life has been consumed by all things Harry Styles but I know that you all already know that. The experience of designing with an entire team for a world tour, pulling pieces from other brands, and going on that world tour, designing and trying things out, pushing boundaries with someone who hardly has any boundaries when it comes to fashion. That was stressful, but it's something I'll never forget because of all the growth that was present there. The secret has been out that I design practically everything he wears, and throughout the year I've designed for others like Blake Lively, and Dakota Johnson, but the color schemes, and patterns with Harry is always the most fun. It's always a rush designing for him." I tell her, and she has the smile on her face that tells me I should be scared.
    "We've seen some of those suits you designed for him on that tour... They were incredible. Tell us a little bit about your favorite one, the process you went through designing that." She continues on.
    "Well one of the main things he wanted in our initial design meeting was for us to incorporate some of the culture into the suits, and outfits. I took the task head on along with my team. The suit for Mexico City was all me, all my design, all my ideas, and I couldn't help but fall in love with it. I knew I needed to add the embroidery, and the shape of his body would have fit perfectly with the style in my mind. That one was the quickest out of all of them because I was so ready for it to be done, I was so ready to actually look at it in it's true form. The tassel aspect was probably the best part. Each of the crystals on the tassels was actually hand glued by me, and it was a really meticulous and detailed suit... I remember working for hours, finally looking at the clock and seeing it read three AM because I got so carried away in the work." I go back in my brain pulling out the memories.
    "So what brought you here? You own your own showroom now, but not before working for Alessandro Michele in Milan... What changed? Did you need inspiration, something to motivate you?" She asks, and I think back.
    "When I was on tour with Harry I was asked to join the team in Milan, Alessandro wanted me there, he wanted me to work by his side, and I knew it wouldn't be smart to decline so I said yes, but moving there, working there wasn't good for me. I still designed, and I did some damn good work there, but mentally I felt so separated from the world. I didn't have much motivation or any muses." I tell her, and she's listening a bit more intently.
    "What changed? You seem like you're currently thriving with new designs, and ideas." She tells me, and I get nervous instantly, knowing there's no way of dancing around the topic.
    "Bringing it back, Harry came forward to me, flew to Milan because he wanted me to design for him again after he took a small break. As everyone knows he's co chair of the MET this year, and we started planning for that... It made me realize I wasn't where I needed to be. Alessandro worked things out for me, and now I'm here in the showroom, and I'm almost my own boss at this point which is just what I needed. I feel more inspired when I'm surrounded by people I love." I tell her truthfully, and she raises her eyebrows.
    "So you designed his MET look, and we also have it on good authority that you were seen in Cancun, doing something there with his team. We saw the tour suits, we saw the suit from so long ago on the red carpets... Correct me if I'm wrong but it seems to me like you owe a lot of your success to Mr. Styles..." She pushes, and I smile. "Look at that smile... " She beams, and I start.
    "I can agree with that. He's found my team from some of my other designs, and after the tour, after that relationship was built he's asked me to be his full time designer, and stylist. I'm part of that team indefinitely now which I will never have a problem with... I wouldn't be where I am without him, in more ways than one." I tell her.
    "In more ways than one? Are there some underlying aspects that we don't know?" She asks, and I take a deep breath, hearing his words in my mind. Don't lie, just be honest and open.
    "If you're asking about the relationship between him and I there's been rumor after rumor, but we work in a business relationship along with a relationship outside of that... We just work well together." I tell her simply.
    "Does that create any type of tension, or stress with the design process? Dating a client?" She asks, and the word dating sends shockwaves.
    "No... Honestly. We work creatively. He trusts me in the design process, normally for us it starts with a meeting including all of the team, we throw ideas and I go home and design. He gives some boundaries, specifics , and then the rest is my choice... It makes it easy when you know someone well so you know what they like and they don't like... It's a routine at this point, and that's how I like to design for all of my clients. I like to get to know my clients personally, before I can know them fashionably." I tell her honestly.
    "Well it's safe to say you're rather passionate about what you do... is it safe to say that?" She asks, and I feel warmth.
    "I'd say so... Not only Gucci, but the fashion industry in general has consumed my life, in both healthy and unhealthy ways throughout my entire life. It's an escape for me, but also a way of life which I feel like is the best way to go into design... I always have ideas running through my head, what I can design next, who I can design for, what I think looks good. I have hundreds of sketch books, I kept every single one since I started drawing in them. I always want to see how far I grow with it, how far I come." I tell her. "I just... I never said the words, I never wanted to say them about anything except design.. It's changed now but it's always been easy to say I love design. I love fashion... I love my job because it's who I am." I tell her, and both her and her assistant are smiling.
    "You say it's always been hard for you to say that unless you were talking about design... it's obvious that the industry has changed who you were whether it's through the design itself, or the people you meet through those sketches, and stitches... What does love mean to you now that you've come so far?" She asks, and the question sits on my chest.
    "Wow... um... Loving something to me is devotion... There's times where you can't always be there but it's all about devotion. Whether it's to a person, a job, an activity if you're not ready to give it your all, push boundaries for that thing, do the things that scare you and make you uncomfortable.. Then it's not love in my eyes.. That's how I feel about a lot of things.. Design, Gucci, my family, my friends, Harry himself, all my clients. I devote some much to all of them because I love them, and what I do... So if I had to put it simply love to me is devotion, passion, and a willingness to feel everything you can, a willingness to be authentic." I tell her feeling strong in my answer.
    "Well said... Now last thing, is there anything we can expect with the upcoming year ahead of us? Any new designs, new partnerships?" She asks, looking straight at me.
    "Well without saying too much, there's been a lot of designing for Harry... I think everyone is going to agree in saying the MET gala looks are going to be breathtaking. I've designed some for Kacey Musgraves for the MET, along with Dakota Johnson. Though I can't tell you much about any of it, just know that it's not going to stop, it never does, and that's the best part. Everything within the next year will hopefully blow you all away." I smile at her, and she clicks her tape recorder, signaling the end of the interview.
    "Thank you El... You were so honest, so open... Some people come in here, and they act like they've got something to hide." She tells me, and I smile, thinking of Harry.
    "I have it on good authority that it's not very smart to lie in these types of things." I tell her, and she nods.
    "Completely off the record but... I totally knew you and Harry had a little relationship going... between you and me I hope it all works out in the end, you two are adorable together." She smiles, and I reach forward, opening an arm up to her.
    "Thank you... Between you and me, everything is going great right now. This was incredible, thank you... you have no idea how appreciative I am." I tell her, and she accepts the hug.
    "Well you look incredible.. The photographer should be here shortly, we're going to shoot a bit around the house, and I know you're not too used to it, but a stylist should be here as well to get you dressed." She tells me, and I nod, knowing I normally dress myself, but also trusting the process, knowing they've got a vision for what I'm going to wear. I feel at ease when I sit back in my chair, and Anthony grabs my forearm giving me a soft squeeze.
    "That was badass El... God, I'm so proud of you." He smiles at me, and I look straight to him.
    "You don't think I said too much? You think he's going to-" I start, and he stops me.
    "He's going to be just as proud... Seriously, there wasn't a single thing wrong with what you said. It was open, it was honest, it was real.. You talked about you with splashes of the things that made you who you are.. You also look hot as hell right now, damn. Ladies, are you free to follow her everywhere, and make her look like this all the time?" He asks them, and they laugh.
    "Your bone structure is incredible. I'd be more than happy to do your makeup all the time." Tanya speaks out.
    "And your hair is so healthy.. Call us anytime girl." She tells me, and I don't know how serious they are, but I will be taking their contact information. After a few more minutes of makeup, and hair I'm turned to the mirror and I raise my eyebrows.
    "Holy shit." I mumble. Anthony was right, I look damn good. I've never seen myself this made up, not even for red carpet events. My hair is different too, really different compared to normal. It's big, a lot of volume added, but it's sexy, and I really love it. People are ushered through the room, and I'm dressing in a few different looks before they decide on one. It's a nude corset type top, paired with white jeans. Gold necklaces dangle from my neck along with gold earrings. Everything fits perfectly, and within seconds we're shooting. It's odd moving behind the lense, changing poses, and going from smiling to soft and sexy, but I can't lie in saying that it was so fun.