The Rise of the Crash?

So chicas? How are you? Ophelia, I miss you! How is Paris holding up over there? Is it still bitter cold? And Rose...you lucky thing over there on the West Coast...I bet you're already working on your 'spring' tan... ah la la...

I'm back to the grind of things here in NY...Things are very busy and promisingly it seems as though business is picking up again a little bit.

See, like so many industries, the luxury industry was incredibly hit by the recession...I remember so very well the day Lehman Brother's went down. I was sitting at my desk at the corner of 57th and 5th, and it seemed as though the world was slowly crumbling... everyone was tuned into CNBC... anything anyone could talk about was the 'crash'... and some (in my industry...in my office space actually....) compared this recession to the trenches of WWI (a little [very]strong I find...a comment very much out of place in my opinion...but it just proves to show the impact all of this had on some people....).

We were definitely hard hit. Business went down instantaneously... People that had been with the company 30 years, were let go from one minute to the next... Budgets were dramatically cut... Hiring freezes were set... everyone suffered... and yes... even the little intern...

A usually incredibly busy intern quickly saw her workload diminish... Over time hours (this Eternal Intern's source for bountiful extra cash) were cut... Stipends were cut by 50%... The atmosphere was sour... And it was quickly understood that any dreams of Eternal Employment, post-Eternal Internship, were hopeless...

Times were tough, and times are still tough... But this week, post-Paris frenzy, with loads of new dossiers on my desk, chitter chatter around the office on rising numbers and last week's announcement that the jobless rate was holding steady here in the US, it almost feels as though we can start to see a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel!

I know...this may be a little optimistic so early in the game, but I'm starting the feel as though, little by little, things are starting to pick up again... perhaps the hiring freezes could sometime 'unfreeze'...soon? please? lol!

Anyhow...just a little thought I wanted to throw out to you girls! I miss you dearly!!!!!!! Write back soon!

Flora xoxo