I was reading Oyster magazine today, and an interview with
Julie Verhoeven and Something Else designer Natalie Wood particular piqued my
interest. Verhoeven noted that she never stops making lists and “would be at a
complete loss without one.” Wood also added that “full completion of my lists
never happens; there is a definite roll-on effect.”
Hopefully this kind of intense list-making always means that
you’re also creative and destined to become rich, because I never have less
than three different lists on the go at any one point. Even just now, I have an
incredibly comprehensive list of what I’m doing over the next month or so, what
I’m wearing for said events, and what I have to bring. This same information is
also in a different format on a list-making website, as well as some other
tasks (it’s not uncommon for me to have 70+ items to complete). I don’t
actually need any form of writing down because my brain’s constantly reminding
me to bring my phone, wallet and some back-up lippy to that friend’s birthday
dinner.
In fact, I probably spend an hour or so a day solely on making
lists. Ironic, considering most of the tasks on these lists could be completed in
the time I take to jot them down multiple times. My organizational skills must
just be too good.
Anyway, being busy doesn’t mean a messy final product. In
the case of Something Else, Wood’s frantic schedule and tendency to be disorganized
doesn’t reflect in the collections. The A/W 12 collection, Metamorphosis, has
me drooling. It’s fresh, modern and minimal but I know that the designers have
gone through hair-tearing moments of stress like me to make it happen.
I think there is a part of everybody that enjoys a list though. I
like to think of myself as Monica from FRIENDS – my military-style cleaning and
desperate planning make me charming... sort of. I mean, who else prepares for the big one-eight
by vacuuming their room?