Chloe by Design: Measuring Up

by Margaret Gurevich

  Laura leads me to her office, which is surprisingly organized — especially for her. “Check out these designs,” she says, showing me sketches of minidresses that look like they were inspired by the 1960s. “We’re thinking bright and bold.”

  “They’re so fun!” I say, looking at a long-sleeved, above-the-knee dress with big, multicolored strokes in yellow, red, green, and orange.

  “It’s definitely a change from the art deco line you worked on this summer, but I love getting the chance to explore different design elements,” Laura says.

  “Me too!” I agree. “In fact, that’s exactly what I’m trying to do with my portfolio for college applications.” I pull out my portfolio, which I brought with me, and briefly tell Laura about the range I’m trying to show.

  Laura gives a low whistle. “That’s a lot of work,” she says, flipping through my sketches, “but I’m really proud of you. I can definitely see the growth in your designs. I especially love these bathing suit transformations.”

  “Thank you,” I say.

  “That reminds me,” says Laura, “Stefan wanted to meet with you, but he had a meeting. He asked me to find out about your plans for next summer. I know it’s incredibly far in advance, but we were hoping you might be willing to intern again next year.”

  “Willing? I’m definitely willing!” Regardless of my college plans, I can spend a summer in New York. “Thank you!”

  “Excellent,” says Laura. “We’ll discuss more this spring. In the meantime, how is your college search going?”

  I sigh. “It’s going. But I don’t know how I’m ever going to make a decision. I’ve toured FIDM, FIT, and Parsons, and they all seem great. I know it sounds so dramatic, but it feels like if I choose wrong, I could totally mess up my future.”

  Laura pats my hand sympathetically. “I know it seems like that, and I’m not saying choosing the right college isn’t important, but there are a lot of paths to the same end goal. Did you know I went to college for math? I thought I was going to do something with finance or numbers.”

  My jaw drops. “Really?”

  Laura nods. “Yup. I was really good at it. I still am. But designing was my first love. I had twenty notebooks full of sketches. I made a ton of my own clothes. I was a lot like you.”

  “No wonder we get along,” I say with a laugh.

  Laura smiles. “I didn’t think I could make a career out of fashion design. I knew people did, but I thought I needed something more stable. Long story short, I got my math degree. Worked in a high-profile company for a while. Spent more time doodling dresses and shoes than I did doodling dollar signs and finally went back to school for a fashion degree. I would have liked to pursue my dream sooner, but it is what it is. At least I’m here.”

  “Wow,” I say. “That’s pretty impressive.”

  “And I’ll tell you another secret — Taylor went to Parsons, Stefan went to FIT, and Michael went to FIDM,” she says, listing off my other internship supervisors on her fingers.

  “And they’re all here,” I say.

  “Exactly,” says Laura. “Your dream is to have your own label. I suspect that no matter where you go to school, you’ll get there. You have drive. You’ll do great anywhere.”

  I smile. Her confidence in me means so much. “Thanks.”

  Laura looks at the clock on her wall. “Well, kid, you have a plane to catch, and I’m up to my eyeballs in work — as always.” She chuckles. “But it was so great to see you. I’ll be in touch. And think about what I said, okay?”

  “I will,” I say, giving her a hug goodbye. “It was great seeing you!”

  As I head back to the elevator, I take a lingering look around the design room and think about how only three months ago I was in the same spot. Everything feels like it’s moving so quickly lately.

  Outside, I spot a girl, probably about my age, standing at the curb. She’s holding a suitcase with one arm and waving for a taxi with the large, gray purse that’s in her other hand. It’s cloudy, but she’s wearing black oversized sunglasses anyway. A loose gray sweater hangs over her fitted blue jeans.

  As I watch, the girl steps to the side to avoid putting her red suede ankle boots in a puddle and adjusts the long gold chain around her neck. A taxi finally pulls up, and the girl shoves her suitcase into the trunk before settling in the backseat.

  I wonder where she goes to school and if she’s on her way to the airport to visit her family. Like I’ll be doing next year — wherever I end up.

  Just then my phone buzzes with a text from my mom, and I head back to the hotel. There are still things to figure out — my portfolio, last-minute Winter Formal dresses, Alex’s dress, and Alex herself. But I keep Laura’s words at the forefront of my mind. In time, I’ll find my path, and I’ll get there.

  Not to sound completely cheesy, but where has my life gone?! It seems like just yesterday that I was sitting in my living room, dreaming of winning Teen Design Diva, and now here I am applying for college! It feels like everything is finally coming together on that front. Believe it or not, I’m on track with my applications; I should have my portfolio requirements done in the next few weeks. And I finally finished my college tours.

  I’d be lying if I said I’m not stressing at all, but I am much calmer than I was at the start of the school year. (I guess it would be hard not to be, though, right?) Seeing Jake and Liesel in New York was fantastic, and talking with Laura helped a lot. She made me realize that there’s more than one path to my dream of being a designer. I’ll get there no matter which college I end up at. Besides, I need to prioritize my worries. Freaking out over which college to go to when my applications aren’t even complete isn’t logical. I have two more immediate problems:

  I still need to finish the last of my Winter Formal designs — a dress for me, a dress for Alex, and a dress for one final client. Thank goodness Mimi planned ahead and factored in extra time for those designs.

  I have to deal with my BFF, who’s being a little irrational.

  I just don’t get why Alex is giving me the cold shoulder. My mom says when people are sad about something they deal with it in different ways. That’s the only reason I can think of for Alex picking fights with me and acting so distant. I know she’s upset about me touring NYC schools and forming a friendship with Nina, but now she’s not even returning my texts.

  I know she told me to surprise her with her dress design, but not having Alex in my life makes working on her dress way less fun in general. I only hope we can work things out! Senior year without my best friend by my side is not what I had in mind.

  Xoxo — Chloe

  “Hey,” Alex says, sitting beside me in the courtyard during lunch on Thursday.

  It’s been two days since I’ve been back from New York, and most of our conversations have consisted of single-syllable words. I’m actually surprised she’s eating with me today at all.

  “Hey,” I reply. “Cute outfit.”

  Alex smooths her polka-dot peplum top and adjusts her black leggings. “Thanks.” She takes a bite of her turkey sandwich, then says, “I like your romper too.”

  The romper is all black, but the gold collar adds flair. “Thanks,” I say, sticking with our single-syllable trend.

  When Alex doesn’t say anything else, I look down and focus on eating my yogurt. I’m hurt she never answered my texts from New York. She never even said anything about me meeting Lola James. I would have thought a celebrity run-in — with a famous pop star, no less — would be more than enough to break the ice. The more I think about all that, the angrier I get.

  “Look —” I begin just as Alex says, “Chloe —”

  Normally, this kind of thing would make us laugh, but not today.

  “You can go first,” I say.

  Alex takes a deep breath. “I’m sorry. I know I’ve been acting badly. I don’t know wha
t’s wrong with me. I’m really happy for you, but I feel left out.”

  “I understand that,” I say. “I felt left out when I came back at the end of the summer, remember? You had new friends and a new boyfriend. But that didn’t make me ignore you.”

  Alex hangs her head. “I know.”

  I stir the fruit in my yogurt, trying to blend it perfectly. I’ve never fought with Alex like this before, and it feels completely awful. I want to get past this, but the ball is in her court.

  “I didn’t answer your texts while you were in New York because I was embarrassed about how I acted before you left,” Alex says. “I know I was being dumb about you being friends with Nina. I didn’t know what to say.” Her voice wobbles, like she’s going to cry.

  I take a break from mixing the yogurt to look at her. I can tell she’s trying to make things right.

  “Do you want to hear about it now?” I ask.

  Alex’s eyes light up. “Definitely! Tell me every detail about meeting Lola James. What did you wear? What did she say? What did you eat?”

  I laugh. “What did I eat? Is that really exciting to you?”

  Alex opens her snack bag of Doritos. “Obviously,” she says. “I’m trying to visualize the situation. Food helps set the mood.”

  I laugh again and tell her all about the restaurant — including everything I ordered — and my outfit. When I start to explain how I debated going up to Lola, Alex interrupts.

  “Wait, wait, wait.” Her mouth drops open in surprise. “You went up to her? I don’t think even I could have done that.”

  I smile. “You interrupted before I could finish. I thought about going up to her. She came to me. I don’t think I could have actually approached her, either. I was way too nervous.”

  “Ugh, I wish I’d been there,” says Alex. “What happened next? You texted me something about her wanting to wear your designs?”

  “Yep,” I say, nodding. “Bailey and her college friends talked me up, and the next thing I knew, I was daydreaming about Lola wearing my stuff on the red carpet.”

  Alex’s face grows serious. “She will one day, you know. Your designs are amazing.”

  “Thanks,” I say. For the first time in a week, the one-word answer doesn’t feel curt. It finally feels like things are getting back to normal. Like Alex and I can be friends like we used to.

  “If you end up in New York, promise that we’ll find Lola when I visit,” Alex says. “Even if we have to go to every restaurant in the city.”

  “Of course!” I say. “We won’t sleep until you get to shake Lola’s hand.”

  “Perfect,” Alex says with a smile.

  “Now that we’re back on speaking terms, there’s actually something else I’ve been wanting to talk to you about,” I tell her. “And it’s important — your dress for Winter Formal.”

  Alex puts her fingers in her ears and starts humming to drown me out. “I don’t want to know. I want it to be a surprise.”

  I roll my eyes and push her hands down away from her ears. “Fine, but don’t blame me if you end up with a dress you hate.”

  Alex shakes her head. “That won’t happen,” she insists. “There’s no way I could hate any of your designs. But maybe we could go shopping after school today. You know, for inspiration.”

  My face gets hot, and I look down, avoiding her gaze. “I can’t today.”

  Alex makes a face. “Portfolio stuff to work on?” she guesses.

  “Sort of…” I say vaguely. I do have to work on my portfolio, but I’m worried that if I tell Alex who I’m working with it will start another fight. I don’t want to lie to her, but I can’t deal with anymore drama. “I wish I could go,” I add, which is totally true.

  “Chloe!” says a voice behind us. “I’ve been looking for you everywhere!”

  Alex tenses as Nina walks toward us. She’s smiling, but Alex isn’t.

  “Hey, Nina,” I say.

  “Hey,” she replies. “Just wanted to make sure we’re still on for after school.”

  Alex sets her lips in a tight line and glares at me. “I see how it is,” she says.

  “Alex, we’re working on our portfolios together,” I say, feeling exasperated. I thought we just solved this issue, and now…

  “Whatever,” Alex mutters. She gets to her feet, grabs her bag, and storms off.

  Nina looks confused. “Did I do something wrong? Was I not supposed to say anything?”

  I shake my head. “It’s not you. Don’t worry about it. Alex and I have been having issues, but I think I know how to make things better.”

  Nina raises an eyebrow. “Oh, yeah?”

  I nod. “Yep. But I’ll need your help.”

  “Are you kidding me?” Nina asks when I tell her about my plan. “You want me to help you with Alex’s dress?”

  “I know you guys don’t get along that well, but —”

  “‘Don’t get along’ is putting it nicely,” Nina interrupts. “She hates me!”

  “She doesn’t hate you,” I say. “And, anyway, it’s not really about you.”

  Nina frowns. “It sure feels like it’s about me when she ignores me or makes snide comments.”

  “You’re not perfect, either,” I mumble.

  “Um, that doesn’t sound like someone who needs my help,” Nina says.

  “Hear me out,” I say. “Please?”

  Nina sucks in air through her teeth and closes her eyes. “Fine,” she says, slowly opening her eyes and letting out a slow, even breath. “Explain.”

  “Alex is upset about things changing. She’s sad I might be leaving California. And she feels left out. She’s more into fashion than she used to be, but it’s still not her passion.”

  Nina’s face softens. “I get all that, but that doesn’t change the fact that she has this thing against me.”

  “Like I said, I don’t think it’s about you. I think seeing us connect over something she’s not a part of makes her feel like she doesn’t fit in with me.”

  “But that’s silly!” says Nina. “There’s more to life than fashion. You two have lots of other things in common.”

  “I know,” I say, “but I think she’s too upset to see this right now. Plus, it’s not like you’ve gone out of your way to connect with her.”

  “Yeah, yeah,” Nina mutters.

  “I have a few ideas for her dress, but I keep second-guessing myself. It has to be perfect. And I think a fresh perspective would help. You can help me narrow down ideas and brainstorm. And,” I add when I see Nina open her mouth to interrupt, “it will show her you’re not the enemy. You guys really aren’t all that different, but neither of you wants to see that. This will help.”

  Nina sighs and flips through her sketchbook. Just as I begin to wonder if she’s stopped considering my idea and moved on to something else, she says, “I do need more Winter Formal dress designs for my portfolio.”

  I grin. “There you go! Win-win for all!”

  “Show me what you’ve got so far,” says Nina somewhat grudgingly.

  “I love your enthusiasm,” I say sarcastically, causing Nina to roll her eyes. I open my sketchpad to show samples of tops and bottoms. “I’m thinking of some kind of sporty-inspired look.”

  “That makes sense for Alex. I think she’d like that.”

  “What do you think of a fitted jersey-style top and flowy skirt but in silk?” I point to a design I was working on yesterday of a baseball-tee inspired gown in black and white.

  Nina leans in to get a better look. “It’s very pretty — and no frills, which I think Alex would like. But I could also see her going a little edgier. She’s stepped up her style game this past year.”

  I nod. “I feel the same way. I played around with the same design in brighter colors, but that still doesn’t feel like enough.”

 
“The colors do add something,” says Nina, “but, yeah, you need more.”

  “I was kind of hoping it was just me being hard on myself, and you’d tell me it was perfect, and I’d be done,” I say with a laugh.

  “I’m not saying they’re not good,” Nina says. “Just not quite right for Alex’s Winter Formal dress. You said you wanted perfect.”

  I sigh. “You’re right. What about these?” I show her a page of fancier tops incorporating sporty looks. There’s one that has tank top features, another with sporty stripes, and a third that looks like a mesh jersey. I also played with zipper designs, neon colors, and reflective tape.

  “These are all very cool,” says Nina. “I like the idea of a fitted top with a flowing skirt. Maybe in lilac?”

  “Lilac, huh?” I say. “And flowing skirt? That would look awesome. On you.”

  Nina blushes. “Sorry. You’re right — not exactly Alex’s style.” She makes a note in her sketchpad so she won’t forget her idea. “But back to Alex.”

  Suddenly, she jumps up. “Wait! That first design made me think of something. The fitted top reminds me of one of those sporty swimsuits you have in your portfolio for FIDM. What if you do something like that scuba dress you designed for that? The material is definitely sporty.”

  I turn the pages of my sketchbook to those designs. Nina is right; that dress is definitely edgy, sporty, and unique. If I just change the colors and tweak the fabric… yes! That would look amazing on Alex.

  “Nina, that’s brilliant! You’re the best.”

  “I know,” says Nina with a wide smile. “And I got an idea for my own Winter Formal dress out of this too.”

  “Like I said, win-win,” I tell her. I just hope my vision of this dress bringing me, Nina, and Alex together ends up being a winner too.

  “Are you sure you don’t mind me helping you today?” my mom asks on Friday afternoon as we sit in my room, waiting for my final Winter Formal client, Jillian Vaughn, to arrive. Normally Alex would be here with me to help organize everything, but she had to stay after school to finish a test.