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MICHAEL LAFAVE / CHIEF CREATIVE OFFICER
OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS, I’VE USED THIS PAGE TO PONTIFICATE about brands, style, business, change, and new directions. The past few months have seen me complete the plan I revealed last fall — to move my family to the country, while maintaining a work presence in the city. It was not easy. It involved a lot of time and work, some stress, and more than a couple of leaps of faith. Will it be worth it? Only time will tell, but early indicators point to yes. With all the change, I’ve been thinking about the things I’ve planned in life, the things I didn’t, and how they intersect with what I’m planning now.
In general, I have a renewed, revived, and reinvigorated interest and energy to push my ambitions and goals further. The stereotype of mid-life being a time of early bucket-list exploits and flights of fancy
isn’t lost on me and, while I may take some liberties, my primary interest is firmly set on the evolution of what we do. If nearly two decades of SHARP have revealed anything, it’s that there’s tremendous opportunity to do great work in this exciting space, and that opportunity is as boundless as the desire to pursue it.
While the prospect of the new — new home, new pad, new initiatives, new projects — is reinvigorating, I’ve also found that I can discover something new in something old. Sometimes, it is something owned for a long time that earns new appreciation through different and novel interactions. Or with work: seemingly the same in many respects, but constantly evolving in new and un- expected directions. Or perhaps it is a decade-long colleague who evolves into a partner and friend. In any case, I’ve found there’s always the opportunity to discover something new.
Sometimes this is accomplished through returning to previous habits intermittently forgotten, or adopting a new approach, or simply inviting the opportunity to learn, discover, and engage in new ways with those near to us and the world around us.
Naturally, it’s all about mindset, and mine has changed significantly. Not only do I see new opportunities in existing relationships and pursuits, but a tremendous opportunity in venturing out to forge new ones. What we do presents a nearly limitless opportunity to meet people at all levels of both our partnered brands and our professional peers in the multiple industries we intersect with. I intend to explore these relationships to the maximum degree over the coming years, just as I did when we started this endeavour.
What we do is about you, dear reader, and the brands you love, want to learn about, discover, and interact with. To do that we need to push. I need to push. To be frank, I’m happy about it, excited by it. Our brands are built on a synonymity with style, intelligence, refinement, sophistication, and pursuit of enjoyment and they will grow and flourish by expanding that renown and the reach it represents with the world’s most discerning audiences.
Something Old, Something New
24 BFM / FW24 LETTER
PHOTO BY MATT BARNES