Oh, to have a patron
On muses, loneliness and the house of Dior
When I was twenty-one and working a job I didn't care about, I dreamt of being a writer with a patron. I was uncertain if having a patron would improve my writing, but knew that I would at least feel more confident about my work if I was dressed head-to-toe in Dior.
You have to understand - it was 2018, and Maria Grazia Chiuri was still actively trying within her role as Creative Director, still operating under the beautiful shadow of her work at Valentino. It was a thrilling time, so much so that I spent my first-ever paycheck from my office job on a pair of Dior pumps and then the second on a Dior scarf. I bought nothing with my third because I realised that spending up to 35% of my monthly salary on designer fashion was not sustainable.
All this is to say, Dior was selling a tulle skirt for £3,100 that I coveted but had no desire or ability to pay for. Should it not, therefore, have fallen to a benevolent older man or woman to buy it for me in return for my words?
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