Abercrombie Dress, Charlotte Olympia Pumps, Escada Handbag
10 years ago I pressed Publish on the very first blog post of Centre Street Style. I remember every detail leading up to the moment like it was yesterday. I recall jumping the fence to the golf course with the photographer of my blog, my big brother, to get that very first fashion shot. I remember whipping up a batch of cookies and setting the table as a preview to what sorts of things would be featured on my site. Over the years there has been fashion inspiration, beauty tips, recipes shared and entertaining, my goodness was there entertaining. The beginning was chaotic, eventually I followed an editorial calendar and we had an amazing system for the fashion photos. There was nothing better than pressing Publish for the newest post to go live.
Starting the blog gave me a sense of purpose and the authenticity of what I put out there resonated with many of you. The dreams I had of starting a boutique upon returning to Calgary from Vancouver slipped away, and contributing in some small way to the fashion realm online really filled a void. I started off strong, posting 4-5 days a week, attending blogging conferences in New York and LA, growing my readership, securing partnerships, and then life happened. Divorce, pregnancy, babies, postpartum, financial loss, loss of my support system, and marriage again. Much of the past few years has been lived in anxiety and survival mode, which doesn’t grant time for creativity. It was always hard to know what to share publicly and what to keep private, and as a private person, I’ve kept the struggle to myself.
I could have never started this without the true talent, who came along for the ride, was always up for the shoot, who put in hours and hours and hours of unpaid work into the photos for the blog, 4-5 days a week in the beginning. He was a huge sounding board for ideas, locations for shooting, and even as his life became more full, he was always willing to take some shots. Thank you doesn’t cut it, and I’ll be eternally grateful to my big brother, for without him, Centre Street would have been but a fleeting dream.
To my new photographer, who has allowed me to slowly get back into posting these past three years, her talent and friendship has been such a gift. I can’t wait to see what we come up with moving forward, the sky is truly the limit.
I truly believe the best is yet to come. I don’t know why I’ve held onto this space on the internet all these years, questioning each time the renewal was sent out. I’ve spent quite a bit of time perusing over the last ten years of work on Centre Street, and one thing remains true. I love fashion, love it. I love hosting my friends and family and creating experiences they’ll remember. I love sharing my make up tips and tricks with others, and I love the cathartic nature of baking, and eating it, obviously. So I journey on, in my most authentic, messy, human, perfectly imperfect way, I carry on. And I hope you’ll come along with me.
Photos by Kiera Schussler
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