How fitting that I would allude to Nietzsche’s Thus Spoke Zarathustra for the beginning of a monumental, new undertaking in my life that simultaneously marks the end of something of equal significance to me. Those who know me from before the birth of Luxomancer will undoubtbly wonder why I am moving on from my former blog and donning a new online identity.

When I became fascinated with fashion five years years ago, bored in high school and seeking a means to pique my interests, I had no expectations of where it might take me. And what an odyssey it has been. I began by downloading the online lecture slides of professors from Parsons and FIT and trying to start an apparel line. Failed as that venture was from a financial standpoint, despite my overzealous joy at being carried in a local boutique and participating in student fashion shows, it was the second most defining moment of my life – and it gave me an incredibly deep appreciation for creativity and art.

The first would be starting a blog. I began blogging also without expectation. In a university overwhelming focused on finance, where a career at Goldman Sachs is the golden bar for achievement (and ill-fitted suiting a hallmark of personal style), I yearned for community. Blogging was my way of finding kindred spirits around the world. It was so easy, I could write about anything and everything or even nothing. I was never serious about fashion or blogging until Alexis and Alexandra of Gilt Groupe, who had read my blog, invited me to dinner. That evening, I had an epiphany, that I could use blogging as a means to break into the industry. That I had joined the ranks of what the press at the time made out to be a pseudo-profession of enfant terribles – the fashion blogger. And what a group of people we are!

It is strange to imagine being friends with someone you have never met in person. But in our digital era, we find ourselves easily attracted to digital representations of others. A blog or twitter presence can be sufficient proxy for the real person. Through my blog, I found myself a fashion family – an odd combination of online and offline friends, mentors, and role models. Blogging is a powerful enabler. Point in case: one of my best friends and mentors, E. Despite his academic pursuit in the field of epidemiology, E is also actively involved in fashion – having worked at Armani and Elle Magazine.  Having stumbled upon my blog, he reached out and offered me his mentorship (and sarcastic sense of humor). I owe him my fashion career. Under him, I was able to attend New York Fashion Week for the first time in my life, and he gave me the connections to finally break into the industry. He must have found me insufferable two years ago when we first met. Back then, I felt like the king of the world, my blog made me an unstoppable force on an inevitable trajectory to fame. It didn’t help reading accounts of rising powerhouses like Tavi, Bryanboy, and Susie Bubble. I am glad that he has taught me the most important lesson in fashion and life – humility. How fitting that last year he was invited to give a TED talk about the power of mentorships.

Despite all my success as a blogger, speaking at the IFB Conference and consulting for brands like BCBGMAXAZRIA, I had never actually worked in fashion. I was always an outsider in this sense, and it gave me the ability to speak freely and critically about matters. My blog was a fashion business intelligence blog, and that editorial freedom was absolutely critical to me. But at the same time, my involvement in fashion had grown, and I was not satisfied simply being an observer. I wanted to be a mover and shape the world of fashion.

I have now been given that chance to make a positive impact in luxury and fashion, and it’s the opportunity of a lifetime. My blog is the reason why I have broken into the world of fashion and made friends in the industry. I never imagined a day when it would be time to part ways. But amazing circumstances call for amazing changes – and my career in luxury is just that. My association with a large luxury group means I can no longer maintain an editorial objectiveness in my prior blog consistent with the level of integrity I would want to maintain in any undertaking of mine.

So it is with heavy heart that I close one chapter in my life to open the next one. But the next step in my digital journey is not the creation of a new blog.  I believe my time as a blogger has ended, though I will always be active in social media. Luxomancer is not a blog, it is a digital log of sorts – a running commentary of prose and visual media about luxury. It is a personal narrative of my experience in luxury. You will not be able to comment on my posts, because this is not a blog. It is a radical shift in thinking as a former blogger, and no doubt be susceptible to claims of retrogressive thinking. You would be right if this were a blog, but once again I do not think of Luxomancer as a blog.

I hope you see the paradox in Nietzsche’s proclamation that this is a journey for “all and none.” The digital friendships I have made as a blogger and the ones I will continue to make as an active participant on Twitter and other social media platforms are still dear and true to my heart. Those of you know knew me before the birth of Luxomancer will also surely wonder about the adoption of an alias. I blame my love of superheros and alter egos, but in truth it gives me an additional layer of anonymity to express my thoughts without compromise. And sometimes we just need a personal space where we can be free to explore. Luxomancer is that new home for me.

Welcome,
The Luxomancer