The Lost Month

While I could start this post by writing about all the ways I have been busy over the past few weeks, highlighting all of the wonderful things that I get to experience, fact is: August was a lost month. It was beautiful, it was sunny and warm. I travelled, I spent a lot of time at home and my inbox was not as busy as usual. However, I also felt a little lost. (Not to mention the fact that I lost – there is that word again – my external hard drive on an airplane. It had more or less my entire life on it.)

For the first time in almost a decade, just the thought of writing a blogpost felt like a heavy weight on my shoulders. The thing I have always loved, always been excited about was something I simply could not get myself to do. It wasn’t for a lack of content that I wanted to share or a lack of time. Actually, the opposite. I had (emphasis on the past tense) a hard drive full of images from travels, looks and beauty trends that I had collected to share on here (at least up until I lost it). But: I simply could not get started.

shop ear candy

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Why? I don’t know.

Behind the scenes, the launch of my new brand has been a lot more challenging than I could have ever imagined. While I am fully aware that all start-ups and young businesses are faced with struggles, harder times and disappointment, it does always sound easier to cope with in theory than it is in reality. Having turned my biggest hobby (aka this blog, that I launched in 2010) into a career, I was used to being a one-woman-show.
As you can imagine, launching a fashion brand is not exactly something you do alone. There are many different parties involved and the more you have to outsource (meaning: I am not the person sewing bathingsuits), the more chances of disappointment come to join the party. Luckily I have amazing business partners and I am incredibly proud of what VIKTORIA LOUISE has become (and will become) but I also want to be honest with you guys. There are days when I question my decision. Days, when I am faced with disappointment and frustration. Yet, I understand that there are a million others out there, working on projects, business and ideas, that deal with the same struggles. I always tell myself “if it was easier, everyone would do it.”

We wanted to launch a hot coral collection in August. It was perfect and I knew everyone was going to love it. We spent so much time picking the right shade of coral, adjusting the styles and fit to perfection. Mike and I flew to Portugal to shoot the pieces with the beach-y backdrop they deserved. Turns out, our production team made a mistake. Mistakes are part of the game. But in this case, it is a mistake that caused a ten-week delay. And it doesn’t take a millennial Einstein to figure out that hot coral swimwear is not something people want or need in November…

I try my best to focus on the things I can change rather than those I can not. There is no point in hanging on to disappointment. Especially when I know there are many more ups than downs ahead. Still, it takes effort to keep a positive mindset. And I guess the effort it took was what I usually put into creating content here on the blog. I know my life may look perfect through the eyes of various platforms and it definitely is in moments. I am blessed in countless ways. However, not everything comes easy to me. Something that ends up as a beautifully packaged item of clothing, wrapped in sparkly tissue paper can take a lot of struggle behind the scenes to get there.

And now? In the past two weeks we launched three new timeless products for VIKTORIA LOUISE that I adore and have been living in. Including this perfect crisp white shirt. Parallel to that, I have been on vacation with my family in a place that used to be our home for many years. My heart is full and I feel like I am back. I feel more inspired to write blogposts again. And, as you can tell, I managed to type my way through some of the thoughts that have been keeping me from getting started. Sometimes, all it takes is a bit of ocean air, sunshine and a heart-felt conversation with a good friend. Or a digital community of good friends!

outfit details: VIKTORIA LOUISE the LASTING Blouse, MANGO Pants, ANNA I.J. Ear Candy