dear susie.

(my, i am writing a lot of letters these days.)

i came by [your blog] years ago, and something drew me to you. i thought, for sure, it would be a passing phase, as your style was much too eccentric for me, but time and time again, i found myself here, still drawn. and now, i finally understand it.

after having just come from another blog community (non-fashion oriented) recently, and seeing how it developed from a crazy inspiring/elevating/creative outlet to one that merely propagated the same ideas to one another, becoming disappointingly mean-spirited and competitive in the process, i now see it happening here as well. it's a shame especially as i have just now officially joined the fashion blog world this past october.

while it saddens me to see the direction the community is going in, i know that there are bloggers like you who are truly one of a kind, and who understand the beauty in cultivating one's individuality, in the face of a world that does not always appreciate what is 'different'.

knowing this, you don't know how happy i am to know you are still here, toughing out the negativity, and sharing your ideas, your inspiration, your creations with us. while i can't say that i am as bold as you are yet (even after all these years of following your blog, before rumi, before camille, before karla), you have certainly inspired me to throw caution to the wind. slowly, but surely, i will come into my own, in fashion, as in life, and, at the risk of sounding dramatic, you are playing a crucial/motivational part in my "becoming".

i get a little worked up sometimes, as i am now, but it's my way of saying that i absolutely adore you, and appreciate the way you are shaping the online fashion community, as daunting as that can be, and without ever having asked for it.

thank you, susie. you are a gem. and i don't need to tell you that i'm not the only one who feels this way.

best,
kym