Clarice and Adrienne
Feb. 15th, 2009 01:42 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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xp_logsTaking a break from the insanity of Fashion Week, Adrienne has a long-delayed meeting with Clarice to discuss the younger woman's interests in a career in fashion design, prompted by interest in Amanda's scarf.
She'd made an appointment with the younger woman, to reinforce the idea that she meant to take Clarice seriously and that there was nothing casual or unprofessional about her intentions, assuming more of Clarice's designs were marketable. Adrienne didn't want to intimidate Clarice in a negative way, however, so she'd asked to meet in her office at the mansion rather than her downtown office. The businesswoman sat casually behind her desk, kicking off her shoes and slapping nyloned heels on the desktop, looking relaxed and in charge as she waited for Clarice to arrive.
Clarice didn't have a portfolio of her work per se. She had some pictures of things and could show her both works in progress and finished pieces though. Knocking quietly, she entered clad in what she thought was her best fashionista-business clothes. Namely, all black. A 3/4 sleeved black sweater, black pleated skirt and over the knee black leather boots. The sweater though had a green brooch pinned to it to give her some colours. She carried a bag with her in one hand with her clothes and things. "Hi," she said, unsure if she should call her Ms. Frost or Adrienne. She hadn't had much contact with the younger of the Frost sisters.
"Hi," Adrienne greeted back, smiling warmly. She'd always tried to set the tone of her interviews with designers as casual and friendly, informal, almost. Which was rather a change from her interviews, on the rare occasion that she was the one actually conducting the interview rather than one of her trusted underlings, with potential models. With the models, Adrienne Frost portrayed herself as an Ice Queen, regal and distant and focused only on business and the bottom line. Very no-nonsense. Although never disrespectful, because they often had something she wanted, Adrienne Frost acted lofty, above them. But designers were treated differently. She thought of herself as entering into more of a partnership with a designer, because fashion design was a world she had never fully immersed herself in, and didn't understand as well as the world of modeling. And Clarice lived at the mansion, as well, which gave Adrienne added incentive to be friendly.
"Come sit down," she beckoned to Clarice, rising from behind her desk to offer the younger woman her hand. "Thank you for meeting with me. Did you care for a glass of water?" She gestured to a pitcher on her desk.
"I'm good," she sat and settled the bag at her feet. While Adrienne might have thought that this was a casual meeting, Clarice was less sure about it and sat ramrod straight. She hadn't had too many interviews in general and this one was...unexpected. Not bad though. "You wanted to see my designs and stuff? I mean...I don't have a formal portfolio, never really thought I'd need one right now..."
Adrienne poured some water for herself and raised an eyebrow at Clarice. "You mean you aren't interested in marketing your designs at all?" Because if she wasn't, the interview would be very short. But why would she have come at all if she wasn't serious about getting her designs taken seriously?
"Well, I am. I just sort of never thought now," Clarice explained hastily, "I've been helping design uniforms for the team and clothes for mutants with physical issues, like Jay and Warren back when he was here. So they can have shirts for their wings? And just fiddling with stuff here and there in general. M and I talked about doing something, but I always thought after college." She was only a junior now. Barely, thanks to losing a semester after being sick.
"Aren't you studying anthropology or something along those lines in college?" Adrienne asked curiously, trying to remember what she'd learned about Clarice while preparing for this interview. "Or is this a roundabout route to a career in fashion design?"
"Biological anthropology," Clarice nodded, "I'm sorta thinking about med school. I don't know...I don't have to apply and take the MCAT just yet at least. It's really cool though, to see human evolution and stuff and then be a part of it," it had nothing to do really with fashion, at least not directly. Oh, there were anthropologists that studied ancient clothing and fashion and things, but clothing, especially ancient clothing, disintegrated so there wasn't a whole lot of ancient clothing around anymore.
"I got into fashion because I like clothes and stuff, but also, I was cooped up in my house before coming to Xavier's. Scary mutant in public, you know. My grandmother taught me how to sew when I was little and I liked it and stuff, but then I just sorta...went to it," and now, years later, it was possibly a career. Pretty neat, "I mostly just modify other peoples clothes. I can make stuff, cut patterns and whatever, but I'm not so great at that."
The psychometrist gave Clarice a knowing smile in response to her comments about seeing human evolution. She could relate in a small way by the fact that her powers allowed her to see history, in a sense. She'd found history and the evolution of different cultures interesting in the context through which she could view them.
Clarice's admission about not being great at making things gave Adrienne pause, however. She could possibly find some use for someone who modified other peoples' designs, but that was a lot trickier than finding someone who enjoyed-and was good at- creating something out of nothing. "Can you tell me about the scarf you made for Amanda?" she asked conversationally. "Why you made it the way that you did, what your motivations were, how long it took, was it modified from something? Things like that?" This was a very unconventional interview, but no matter. Adrienne was interested in the girl, and the scarf.
The scarf? Oh, well that was different, sorta. "Oh. I made a ton of stuff one year, went on a knitting binge. Made something for like, everyone," she shot of waved it away, "we were much smaller then though. Now, I'd have to start like, now to do that! Anyways, I don't know. I mean, I had a book of knit patterns and stuff, but I modified them to fit what I wanted and that one just fit for Amanda. Her personality and such. I try to personalize anything I make. I want it to say 'Clarice made this for ME and only me,'" she smiled nervously, convinced that she was making a complete fool of herself. "Off the rack is lame."
Clarice paused for breath, "As for how long? I can knit a scarf in like, an afternoon. A few hours for something fairly basic, a little longer if there's something more complicated. Scarves are easy. If you want a knit bra and panty though? Or a crocheted one? Those are much harder...takes about the same amount of time for something itty bitty."
Adrienne wondered if Clarice was tanking the meeting on purpose or if she was just nervous and speaking without thinking. On the off chance that it might be the latter, she didn't end things immediately. She just wasn't getting any sense that Clarice really wanted to be a fashion designer, and people who weren't fully committed usually caused trouble. "Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but off the rack is what the label is at the moment," she answered. "Not to say that each piece can't be unique, or that there is no opportunity to take private commissions, but generally the customer is an anonymous chunk of flesh rather than someone my designers would know personally. We want the customer to feel that each accessory or piece of clothing was created specifically for them, but the designer generally doesn't meet each customer individually." Maybe she should have explained to Clarice before they'd begun that her shop was more like Juicy Couture or American Eagle than an A-list celebrity's personal Oscar outfitter. "Is that a problem?"
More and more Clarice was beginning to feel like this was a bad idea, but she was a firm believer in bad ideas sometimes. Sometimes, bad ideas were good things, so this was still perhaps salvageable, "I just...I guess not? I never really thought about it. Most of the stuff I've made has been for a specific person, I've never made anything for someone random without having met them first," Clarice knew everyone at the mansion to varying degrees. She'd met them anyways, if only in passing like Adrienne. "Most of the stuff I do is for friends or people who have clothing problems, like wings."
Adrienne busied herself with pouring another glass of water as she thought of the most graceful way to get out of this meeting. Clarice wasn't giving the impression that she was at all interested in a serious career as a designer. Not that there was anything wrong with designing as a hobby, hobbyists just weren't of much use to Adrienne. "Well, you've said more than once that you haven't really thought about designing seriously right now," she said finally, choosing her words diplomatically, "so at this juncture it seems best to conclude our dealings for the present, Miss Ferguson. I have no desire to coerce people who aren't fully committed to fashion design into my business when they aren't certain it's a good fit for them. But there's no reason we can't pick up negotiations in future if you decide that designing clothing is what you really want to do." The younger Frost did not burn her bridges in matters of business, and she liked Clarice and thought there was potential there if the younger woman would commit herself. She returned her gaze to Clarice and opened her mouth to conclude their meeting, but taking in the purple skin, an idea sparked in the psychometrist's head. "I do wonder, however," she continued, a little more hesitantly, "if you might have any interest in aiding me with a small side project I may be interested in developing. An all-mutant fashion show, possibly a photo shoot and a calendar- to benefit a charity. Using mansion residents and other local mutants." It might be a way to showcase Clarice's talent while still giving her the comfort of designing for people she was more familiar with.
Oh, good! Yeah, Clarice liked designing stuff and fiddling with fabric, but she wasn't sure she wanted it as a career per se. It was a fun hobby. Maybe she was getting older, but between college, the X-Men, and everything else fashion making had sort of dropped by the wayside a bit. "See, now that I could totally get behind," she agreed with a smile, relaxing in her chair and taking a sip of her untouched water. "And much more my speed."
She'd made an appointment with the younger woman, to reinforce the idea that she meant to take Clarice seriously and that there was nothing casual or unprofessional about her intentions, assuming more of Clarice's designs were marketable. Adrienne didn't want to intimidate Clarice in a negative way, however, so she'd asked to meet in her office at the mansion rather than her downtown office. The businesswoman sat casually behind her desk, kicking off her shoes and slapping nyloned heels on the desktop, looking relaxed and in charge as she waited for Clarice to arrive.
Clarice didn't have a portfolio of her work per se. She had some pictures of things and could show her both works in progress and finished pieces though. Knocking quietly, she entered clad in what she thought was her best fashionista-business clothes. Namely, all black. A 3/4 sleeved black sweater, black pleated skirt and over the knee black leather boots. The sweater though had a green brooch pinned to it to give her some colours. She carried a bag with her in one hand with her clothes and things. "Hi," she said, unsure if she should call her Ms. Frost or Adrienne. She hadn't had much contact with the younger of the Frost sisters.
"Hi," Adrienne greeted back, smiling warmly. She'd always tried to set the tone of her interviews with designers as casual and friendly, informal, almost. Which was rather a change from her interviews, on the rare occasion that she was the one actually conducting the interview rather than one of her trusted underlings, with potential models. With the models, Adrienne Frost portrayed herself as an Ice Queen, regal and distant and focused only on business and the bottom line. Very no-nonsense. Although never disrespectful, because they often had something she wanted, Adrienne Frost acted lofty, above them. But designers were treated differently. She thought of herself as entering into more of a partnership with a designer, because fashion design was a world she had never fully immersed herself in, and didn't understand as well as the world of modeling. And Clarice lived at the mansion, as well, which gave Adrienne added incentive to be friendly.
"Come sit down," she beckoned to Clarice, rising from behind her desk to offer the younger woman her hand. "Thank you for meeting with me. Did you care for a glass of water?" She gestured to a pitcher on her desk.
"I'm good," she sat and settled the bag at her feet. While Adrienne might have thought that this was a casual meeting, Clarice was less sure about it and sat ramrod straight. She hadn't had too many interviews in general and this one was...unexpected. Not bad though. "You wanted to see my designs and stuff? I mean...I don't have a formal portfolio, never really thought I'd need one right now..."
Adrienne poured some water for herself and raised an eyebrow at Clarice. "You mean you aren't interested in marketing your designs at all?" Because if she wasn't, the interview would be very short. But why would she have come at all if she wasn't serious about getting her designs taken seriously?
"Well, I am. I just sort of never thought now," Clarice explained hastily, "I've been helping design uniforms for the team and clothes for mutants with physical issues, like Jay and Warren back when he was here. So they can have shirts for their wings? And just fiddling with stuff here and there in general. M and I talked about doing something, but I always thought after college." She was only a junior now. Barely, thanks to losing a semester after being sick.
"Aren't you studying anthropology or something along those lines in college?" Adrienne asked curiously, trying to remember what she'd learned about Clarice while preparing for this interview. "Or is this a roundabout route to a career in fashion design?"
"Biological anthropology," Clarice nodded, "I'm sorta thinking about med school. I don't know...I don't have to apply and take the MCAT just yet at least. It's really cool though, to see human evolution and stuff and then be a part of it," it had nothing to do really with fashion, at least not directly. Oh, there were anthropologists that studied ancient clothing and fashion and things, but clothing, especially ancient clothing, disintegrated so there wasn't a whole lot of ancient clothing around anymore.
"I got into fashion because I like clothes and stuff, but also, I was cooped up in my house before coming to Xavier's. Scary mutant in public, you know. My grandmother taught me how to sew when I was little and I liked it and stuff, but then I just sorta...went to it," and now, years later, it was possibly a career. Pretty neat, "I mostly just modify other peoples clothes. I can make stuff, cut patterns and whatever, but I'm not so great at that."
The psychometrist gave Clarice a knowing smile in response to her comments about seeing human evolution. She could relate in a small way by the fact that her powers allowed her to see history, in a sense. She'd found history and the evolution of different cultures interesting in the context through which she could view them.
Clarice's admission about not being great at making things gave Adrienne pause, however. She could possibly find some use for someone who modified other peoples' designs, but that was a lot trickier than finding someone who enjoyed-and was good at- creating something out of nothing. "Can you tell me about the scarf you made for Amanda?" she asked conversationally. "Why you made it the way that you did, what your motivations were, how long it took, was it modified from something? Things like that?" This was a very unconventional interview, but no matter. Adrienne was interested in the girl, and the scarf.
The scarf? Oh, well that was different, sorta. "Oh. I made a ton of stuff one year, went on a knitting binge. Made something for like, everyone," she shot of waved it away, "we were much smaller then though. Now, I'd have to start like, now to do that! Anyways, I don't know. I mean, I had a book of knit patterns and stuff, but I modified them to fit what I wanted and that one just fit for Amanda. Her personality and such. I try to personalize anything I make. I want it to say 'Clarice made this for ME and only me,'" she smiled nervously, convinced that she was making a complete fool of herself. "Off the rack is lame."
Clarice paused for breath, "As for how long? I can knit a scarf in like, an afternoon. A few hours for something fairly basic, a little longer if there's something more complicated. Scarves are easy. If you want a knit bra and panty though? Or a crocheted one? Those are much harder...takes about the same amount of time for something itty bitty."
Adrienne wondered if Clarice was tanking the meeting on purpose or if she was just nervous and speaking without thinking. On the off chance that it might be the latter, she didn't end things immediately. She just wasn't getting any sense that Clarice really wanted to be a fashion designer, and people who weren't fully committed usually caused trouble. "Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but off the rack is what the label is at the moment," she answered. "Not to say that each piece can't be unique, or that there is no opportunity to take private commissions, but generally the customer is an anonymous chunk of flesh rather than someone my designers would know personally. We want the customer to feel that each accessory or piece of clothing was created specifically for them, but the designer generally doesn't meet each customer individually." Maybe she should have explained to Clarice before they'd begun that her shop was more like Juicy Couture or American Eagle than an A-list celebrity's personal Oscar outfitter. "Is that a problem?"
More and more Clarice was beginning to feel like this was a bad idea, but she was a firm believer in bad ideas sometimes. Sometimes, bad ideas were good things, so this was still perhaps salvageable, "I just...I guess not? I never really thought about it. Most of the stuff I've made has been for a specific person, I've never made anything for someone random without having met them first," Clarice knew everyone at the mansion to varying degrees. She'd met them anyways, if only in passing like Adrienne. "Most of the stuff I do is for friends or people who have clothing problems, like wings."
Adrienne busied herself with pouring another glass of water as she thought of the most graceful way to get out of this meeting. Clarice wasn't giving the impression that she was at all interested in a serious career as a designer. Not that there was anything wrong with designing as a hobby, hobbyists just weren't of much use to Adrienne. "Well, you've said more than once that you haven't really thought about designing seriously right now," she said finally, choosing her words diplomatically, "so at this juncture it seems best to conclude our dealings for the present, Miss Ferguson. I have no desire to coerce people who aren't fully committed to fashion design into my business when they aren't certain it's a good fit for them. But there's no reason we can't pick up negotiations in future if you decide that designing clothing is what you really want to do." The younger Frost did not burn her bridges in matters of business, and she liked Clarice and thought there was potential there if the younger woman would commit herself. She returned her gaze to Clarice and opened her mouth to conclude their meeting, but taking in the purple skin, an idea sparked in the psychometrist's head. "I do wonder, however," she continued, a little more hesitantly, "if you might have any interest in aiding me with a small side project I may be interested in developing. An all-mutant fashion show, possibly a photo shoot and a calendar- to benefit a charity. Using mansion residents and other local mutants." It might be a way to showcase Clarice's talent while still giving her the comfort of designing for people she was more familiar with.
Oh, good! Yeah, Clarice liked designing stuff and fiddling with fabric, but she wasn't sure she wanted it as a career per se. It was a fun hobby. Maybe she was getting older, but between college, the X-Men, and everything else fashion making had sort of dropped by the wayside a bit. "See, now that I could totally get behind," she agreed with a smile, relaxing in her chair and taking a sip of her untouched water. "And much more my speed."
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