Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Linda Radlett

Growing up, my crushes were always fiction based. My very first was Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice (prior to the steamy Colin Firth). My crush was based on his personality and a sketch of him that came in the version of the book my parents had.

I've always sort of lived in fantasy land. I am not realistic, I am optimistic. My husband is a realist. He lives a much more even keel existence.

I can't sleep right now because I am up all night dreaming of Fall/Winter 2010 and Linda Radlett. Linda Radlett is the main character in Nancy Mitford's novel The Pursuit of Love. She is eternally optimistic, refuses reality and lives a short, doomed life. I loved her character from the minute I met her 15 years ago. She understands that she is part of the Lost Generation, feels the undercurrent of a looming war and a forever changed way of life, yet she pushes it down and instead focuses on finding true love.

I feel like we are living like Linda Radlett right now. As politics and the environment come closer together in a looming global crisis, we are ignoring the aftermath of bailouts and global warming as we renovate our houses, buy our lattes and obsess over Lindsay Lohan.

A pretty gloomy start but here is the thing - I think we need the optimists and the realists. The realists will move us forward and the optimists will lift us up.

For the House of Groves, Fall/Winter 2010 is inspired by Linda Radlett, light, gorgeous, optimistic with an undercurrent of realism.

If you haven't read The Pursuit of Love, it is a lovely read.

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