Playing in my Little Sandbox


Vintage Zaharoff on the Milan runway.

A couple of days ago I was going through some archived files.  I was looking for a knitting company in Italy and back in the early 90's when I was doing women's clothing I had worked with different mills.


Memories:  George sitting on the runway.  I look too serious - taken in 1994 right before Fall/Winter Milan Show.

Words can't describe how strange it was going through all the files.  Names I haven't come across in such a long time, correspondences written years ago.  I saved everything from hotel reservations, airline itineraries, sketches, etc.  The "Z" logo was born at a Wendy's in Athens, Greece.  I had to come up with a logo and what I do is let it sit in my head until something interesting comes. 

While sitting with a dear friend of mine, I asked her for a pen, and on a napkin, I was thinking, sketching, and talking to her at the same time.  And I drew the first step towards the logo you see today on my creations.  It did take several months later to actually come up with the finished product.  If, at that moment, a soap bar popped in front of me with the "Z" logo on it, I would have thought to myself, "someone has the logo already." 



My "Z" logo.  Never altered, never changed. I did it only once, it was scanned and that was it.  I could never reproduce it freehand again.

Going back to my archives, I came across letters dating back to when I was 19 years old, a Sophomore at DePaul University.  It was during my Senior year when I was working with French and Italian companies.  It brought back many memories, for certain, and it also hit home about how true "living one's dream." 


My first "business trip" in Paris.  It was my senior year at DePaul, Sept. 1992.

Everything that I do is because I love to do it, it's like a piece of me.  Since I was a child I drempt of what it would be like to share my dreams with people all over the world, and because of that dream, my vision hasn't changed.  It has refined, but hasn't changed. 

I write this entry because today I received an e-mail from a gentleman who is a fan of "Zaharoff Pour Homme."  His name is Kevin.  And he wrote

Comment:

Hi, I live in a suburb of Indianapolis, Indiana called Greenwood. I found your original cologne in a trip with my wife to Chicago. I take pride in the scent that I wear. I would not appear that way. I am 50, shaved head, several tattoos, muscles from weightlifting and usually mistaken for a biker. My mother was born and raised in Paris so I believe I get many traits from her. I would love to dress better but money does not allow it. I do not hold back on fragrences though. I was so upset when you original was no longer available. I had so many compliments on it. It was the only thing that would last on me. Others would fade within the hour.
Well I just wanted to thank you for everything and I cannot wait for the new Pour Homme to be available. Hey if you need a blue collar type guy to push it I am your man ;-) If your travels happen to taken you to the Indianapolis area my wife and I would love to take you to dinner to thank you for your wonderful products. I wish you the best of luck and I will be the first to buy the new line and give you the positive feedback. Take care.
Kevin

I went to respond to Kevin and then realized what I wanted to tell him, I wanted to share it with others. 

As you can imagine, throughout the years, I have written many a business plan (many many many).  What is Zaharoff all about?  What is the vision?  What is the mission?  Who is the Zaharoff Woman?  Who is the Zaharoff Man?

The last two questions I'm asked all the time.  But the first time someone asked me I did a double-take.  I never thought of the Zaharoff Man (or woman) as this measurement, this weight, this height, etc.  I always throught of him/her as a feeling.  Of the true essence of the individual.  The physical part is secondary, of course still important, we are born with physical bodies, not spirits roaming around!

So when I heard from Kevin, and he described himself to me, it made me crack a smile.  Zaharoff isn't about a "look" it is about what's in the inside.  All I am doing doing my little thing in this great big world of ours and hearing from Kevin felt like I'm on my path.  And for that I am grateful.

Just a thought...