Four years I have talked about YachtLife, a startup brand of women's accessories that are both functional and beautiful, and people always ask, how did you come up with the name?
The answer is long...long enough for my first blog post. So, here it goes.
MONACO The name Yacht Life was originally inspired on a trip to Monaco. The highlight of this trip was a full day spent at the Oceanagraphique Museum, an institution founded by the great sea explorer Jacque Cousteau. Displayed in this epic museum were artifacts that told a story of the beauty, survival and explorative elements of Cousteau's journeys around the world. Cousteau's life's work sparked a need inside of me to devour the entire series of his documentaries. Then, from Time Life, to vintage GQ, I fell in love with vintage documentation of the original sea exploration technologies, culture and the yachting fashion that followed.
CAPTAINS Looking back, my research started out as a romanticized idea of what a life at sea must be like...I’d imagine rising at dawn, suiting up and diving into the warm mediterranean sea to explore coral reefs, followed by an afternoon docked in Capri, sipping Campari on the rocks and nibbling at an endless plate of anti-pasta. I started to really get to the truth that this was all just a fantasy. That any life, if extraordinary, takes work, focus, dedication and brains. I got that Captains, those leading the way in making adventures happen, must be highly knowledgeable and experienced in their field, adept at survival - protecting themselves and their crew, willing and totally capable of literally weathering any storm. All qualities I aspired towards. My fantasies for a life at sea shifted to admiration for the Captains.
MINI SKIRTS At the height of my obsession with Cousteau, my boyfriend at the time worked at a fashion house and I admittedly reaped the benefits, receiving samples galore. There was something missing from all this gorgeous fashion: The practical. Here’s what happened. I had spent a Saturday afternoon watching Voyage to the Edge of the World (1976). I had plans to go dancing with my friends so I put on a super sexy outfit, a little button down shirt, mini skirt and high heels. I headed outside toward my car. It was dark out, and as I was walking, a thought hit me: How would I be able to run in this outfit if I needed to? Then another thought: The clutch I carried, what if I set it down tonight and it got stolen? How would I call for help, or pay for a ride home? This jewelry, it’s so beautiful, but what good would it be if I got in a situation where I needed to get real about my safety? How on earth would this clothing look out for my needs? Here I had spent the afternoon admiring the qualities of a patriarchal figure, self sufficient and strong and I was considering scenarios about being the victim of perpetration: Scenarios that, as a woman today, are realistically necessary to consider. Then the next thought: DAMN IT! I want to look sexy and feel safe.
There has to be a middle ground. A brand that joins the beauty and the practical. The place where the fantasy of life at sea meets the realities of what a Captain must anticipate. This, is Yacht Life. Beauty, Survival, Exploration.