ArchivedLogs:Ideas

Ideas
Dramatis Personae Isak, Missy	2014-04-15 '
Location <NYC> - Halcyon Designs - Midtown
The headquarters of Halcyon Designs in New York City begins at rather nondescript glass door on the street. Inside is a long, boring well lit hallway tainted off white by years and a few smokers. The office complex has doorways to other businesses before the hallway makes a right angle and ends at another glass door. The door is cheery, clean, and frosted white in long horizontal strips, with refreshing with a hint of natural light on the other side. Etched in the frosted section about waist high is the name, 'Halcyon Designs' - to the right, a door bell. The door opens to a large rectangular room with one corner turned inward unfolds itself. The natural light is piped in from an air shaft, but it natural never the less. It's emphasized with mirrors and soft white walls, varying in egg shell and cream with pristine crowns and footers in the brightest of whites. Exposed I beams reinforce a high ceiling and bisect the room. The floor dark but solid hardwood, each wall bearing different cabinets, work stations and dressforms in various stages of use. There's a conference table on the far left, with an entire corner devoted to a kitchen/breakroom. The only real flashes of color come from electronic displays, the bolts of cloth waiting to be used and the finished outfits hanging on racks in the far right corner. Beyond all the busyness of the main work area and show room, there are three offices on far left wall beyond the conference table. Chrome and frosted glass desks house sleekly designed computers that allow for more of the brass tacks of the business, the filing cabinets filled with invoices and files rather than clothing and design. The white canvas chairs are plush and comfortable, with wheels behind the desks and more stationary models in the front. Isak Blomgren is not a man who is used to struggling to get appointments. His family name has opened doors quite easily in the past. But then, this is the first time that he's tried to get a project going on his own, without the company's sales team and marketing department behind him. He's finding it a bit harder than he anticipated. He sits in the waiting area, clad in one of Blomgren's new spring suits. It's teal and perfectly fitted, with wide lapels with the back flipped up. He wears a gray checked shirt beneath it, with a black stripe down the centre. The arms of the suit are pushed up with the shirt cuffs folded up around it. He's wearing a pair of leather shoes in a darker shade of teal, and a matte orange watch on his left wrist. His hair is styled up into a loose pompadour. As he waits, he flickss away at his phone. At the appointed time, the center office door opens and a young woman steps out. She's not exactly tall on her own, barely hitting five feet five inches, but with her delightful four inch stilettos, she's a commanding sight. Dressed in a nude colored simple frock that hangs about mid thigh, with thick shoulder straps and a single pocket on her right hip, outlined in mint, the CEO of Halcyon Design makes her way around the conference room, reading something on a tablet before handing it over to her assistant and speaking with him briefly. Her blonde hair is captured in a high ponytail that frames the side of her head before curling into gentle rolls around her neck and shoulders. She glances over from the conversation and gives Isak a little smile before she finishes her trek, offering him a strong hand decorated with a charm bracelet that seems to only have one charm, a tiny bird in flight. "Isak Blomgren? A pleasure to meet you. I'm Melissa Thorpe. Feel free to call me Missy. Everyone does." Isak stands when Missy comes towards him. He offers a hand and shakes it with just the right amount of pressure. "Miss Thorpe. Thank you for seeing me." He takes in her appearance with the practiced eye of one in the fashion buisness. He smiles politely. "Shy then, okay." Missy smiles all the brighter and turns, giving him a come along then finger wave as she starts heading back toward her office. "I was surprised to hear that a Blomgren was attempting to offer us a proposal." She speaks loudly enough to be heard, if he's keeping up, her enunciation carrying over the sound of sewing machines. "I have to say I'm tickled to hear what you have to say. And, you're lucky to catch me in NYC. I was supposed to be in Milan, but things come up, you know? I feel George handled it well enough, but I do so miss going to these things myself. How about you? Off to Stockholm soon? It's less than a month away at this point." "I don't think anyone's ever called me shy in my life," says Isak with a slight grin. He does keep pace fairly easy. He's got a pretty long stride. The thunder of sewing machines is a familiar enough sound. His parents used to take him around the factory floor. "I don't travel anymore. I used to represent the company at every major show, but after my father died, my mother wanted me to stay in New York." Which is partially the truth, in any case. "Ah, how the needs of our families affect us." Missy smiles brightly and opens the door, allowing Isak to enter first, then follows, leaving the door open as she asks, "would you like anything?" "A family business, in every sense. Even my second cousins are involved in one way or another." Isak murmurs a thank you as he passes over the threshold. "No, thank you. I'm fine. I'll try not to take up too much of your time." "Okay then." Missy closes the door and moves around to her side of the desk, settling in with well practiced skill, fingers tucking her skirt as she settles, then letting leg wrap over leg completely out of sight. "Please, why don't you tell me why you're here?" Isak suddenly looks a little nervous. He taps the tips of his fingers together and paces for a moment. "A fashion show," he says. Or rather, blurts. "With mutant models. Not just as a token gesture to seem tolerant and liberal, but one with /visible/ mutants. I can't convince my mother to do it with Blomgren, so I've been trying to put together my own show." Missy smiles as she listens. "For profit or for charity?" "I hadn't even thought about the money," says Isak with an odd earnestness. "Charity would be fine. I don't want to do it for the money. It's to make a statement. Besides, the fashion world adds markings and headdresses and wings to the models all the time. Why not showcase the real thing?" Missy lets out a sighs and rests her elbows on the desk, her hands clasped between them. She considers for a moment. "So you ... want me to donate a look or two and a pay for a fitting?" Isak purses his lips a little. "Mhmm. I was hoping for partners - people who would be engaged with the idea and committed to it. I'm not looking for a handout. I'm looking to make a statement." His shoulders drop and he lifts his chin. "I'm sorry for wasting your time." "I take it you've not tried a business venture on your own before," Missy comments, studying him for a moment. "I wasn't offering you a hand out. Anything that leaves this office has our label on it. It was an offer of an investment. If you got a bunch of designers on board, you could make a show like that. You've basically walked into my office with a fledgling idea and no legs underneath it. I had to guess something. Now, you're asking me to be inspired by your idea, but you haven't presented a time frame, an end goal, or a budget. You're going to give any proceeds to 'a charity' and you haven't even considered which one to donate to. And all this just to make a statement? What is the statement? Physically, visible mutants should be on display because they are pretty? The fashion industry as a whole needs to start being more inclusive?" She sits back in her chair, wiggling her shoulders into the padding as she looks across the desk at Isak. "I am sorry I could not help you more." Isak looks a little...crestfallen, perhaps is the word for it. And perhaps a little embarrassed. He flares his nostrils, but in frustration at himself rather than her. "Mutants shouldn't be hidden away. The first step towards acceptance is visibility. The fashion world is in a position to provide that visibility. I can't get my family's brand behind it because too many conservative-minded people wear our suits, and the business is still recovering from my father's death. If someone else who has experience with this sort of thing put it forward, I would help. But I don't see anyone doing it, so I thought I'd try. And no, I don't have the experience. I honestly don't even know how I would begin." He sighs and rubs at his neck, then looks her in the eye. "You're completely right. I jumped the gun. I apologize. Thank you for seeing me. I won't take up any more of your time." He nods once, then turns to let himself out. "How about this: you take some time and work through everything you want to do with this - consider press releases, charities to look into, things that will really give this meaning, and I'll check with the board of the company and the founder and see what they think and how they would like to proceed." Missy reaches into a desk drawer and pulls out one of her business cards, reaching across the table to hand it to him. "You give me a call in a week or so, when you've got your ducks in a row and we'll go out for drinks and hash it out, okay?" Isak turns back from the door. He lifts his eyebrows. Her offer seems to genuinely surprise him. Then a smile appears and he steps forward to receive the card. "Yes, thank you. I will. I'll do some research into reputable charities. And I'll talk to my brother. He has more experience with the logistics side of shows." "I look forward to hearing back from you then." Missy smiles and sinks back into her chair, hands folding in her lap. "It's a good idea. I hope you have good luck getting the ideas flowing and can make it look better on paper." Isak ducks his head and rubs at his lower lip. "Well. Now you see why they had me shaking hands and making clients happy instead of doing any real business. It's not exactly what I'm best at. But I will try." Missy shrugs a little and smiles. "Eh. You'll be just fine. Just dive right in, take lots of notes, and soon enough, you'll find yourself living and breathing this stuff." She takes a deep breath then rises, walking Isak out.