// A HOMECOMING

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It’s a sunny Tuesday morning in Los Angeles. The air smells like fresh flowers. I’m sitting outside taking a break from emails, been at it since 7 am this morning. I figured I would say hi to you. I was reading over the last couple posts from Feb to now. Sometimes I don’t realize how raw I am on here. Pouring my heart out to a computer. This little place I’ve been calling my own since I was 20. I keep this blog because it keeps me honest - it reminds me why I started all of this in the first place. I have turned my blogging and love for images and books into a bespoke career, dreaming up concepts for clients the same why I would collect images that made me feel something and post them. The air really does smell so fresh. Like almost new. Or maybe it’s just me? Maybe it was my week in Tulum with my best friends that recentred me, but I feel like something has shifted and not in a little way. I’m sitting in the calm, what feels like feminine energy. I know what I want, I know my next steps, but I’m not chasing after them like I usually would. It’s like a knowing, that everything will work out exactly as it will and allowing the stress to overwhelm me is just counter productive. Wait… is this what clarity feels like? Is this the clarity and the answers I’ve been asking for? I've reached a point where I embrace the challenge with a confidence, knowing I possess the resilience and expertise to navigate the waters. That’s the answer I’ve been waiting for. It’s calm. But powerful. I feel this when I look at my grandmother, this is her essence.

I spent the weekend alone. I made dinners with whatever I had in the fridge - k that’s a lie, I ordered Pizza one night, drank wine, slept early. It felt nice to sit in the flow. I didn’t feel like I needed to be anywhere or do anything, alone in my own energy was exactly where I wanted to be. I like it here. This feels like a homecoming. I like this new feminine I’m sitting in, and I’m looking forward to getting to know her better.

We are off to Milano next week for Salone. Will update you! until then enjoy the week. x

// HELLO MARCH :)

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OH baby, was I ready for February to be over. I am done with the lessons. I feel like I got cracked open and all of my insecurities were exposed. I heard them, brought them closer instead of pushing them aside, I observed them from a third person perspective, realized how hard I am on myself, also how mean I can be towards myself, told myself to create a new — kinder narrative, and did that over and over again until I started to truly believe the new narrative I was writing for myself. Guys!! This shit is real, just take a second and listen to the subconscious, how are you speaking to yourself? ANYWAYS I am ready to take what I have learned and move forward. So, what does forward look like? I’m feeling ease, flow, new work, fun, creativity. AND maybe not taking all of this so serious. Bc it’s not. K happy March guys!

// CKD SIGNATURE ROSE

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The newly imagined tonal cream-on-cream CKD rose is now live! The story behind the rose is special to me. My professor at FIT said, “if you can paint a rose you can do anything in our industry”. I practiced on my weekends building collections and launching them on a website I was also building. I believed in it, in what this rose could one day represent. The hard long days, lonely nights of building alone, the people I have met, the clients that have now become family, the traveling and exploring the world, the nights spent dancing and laughing. What a beautiful adventure so far.

// THE DREAM I'VE BEEN SEARCHING FOR

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Jan, Feb have been rough. Anyone else feel like they have been swimming through a murky swamp? I am ready for some crystal-clear waters. There have been a lot of changes for CKD and I lately. I consider this a fresh iteration of myself, a version I'm eager to discover and share with the world. On the personal side, I’ve been working on clearing out anything that doesn’t serve me. By creating space, I'm inviting new opportunities to flow in and propel me to greater heights. You want different? You have to move differently. If we desire change, we must be willing to adapt our approach.

On the professional side, I have been revisiting what makes CK “CKD”. I’ve been reconnecting with the girl I was 10 years ago who moved to New York with a dream and unwavering faith. That version of myself was pure magic, and because she believed in magic, life unfolded like a serendipitous movie. Everyone around me saw it. Chance encounters led to conversations that propelled me forward. It wasn't just about belief; it was a deep-rooted knowing—a certainty about where I was headed, and what I desired. And in that knowing, I felt the universe aligning itself in my favor. After all, our reality mirrors our beliefs.
The pressures of building over the past five years have gradually dimmed that magic, and it's something I've only just realized. Day by day, the spark dwindled. I found myself listening to the opinions of others, their voices dictating how I should or shouldn't live my life. It's a stark departure from my former self, who never paid attention to the opinions of others.

This month, however, I've come to a realization: the magic I thought I'd lost was never truly gone—it just shifted its place. A decade ago, my anchor was firmly in my dream, unwavering in whatever it took to ‘get there’. Whenever doubts arose, I'd refocus on that dream, propelling myself forward.

Yet, I've come to understand that pinning your anchor solely to a dream is both immature and risky. Dreams evolve, change shape, and transform—it's a beautiful journey of evolution. As I write this from LA—yes, LA!—a place I never envisioned myself, having always imagined either New York City or Paris, I've realized that the destination matters less than knowing who I am and anchoring myself in that. It's about establishing a sturdy foundation in me, regardless of where life leads or how CKD transforms.

I was on my walk when I realized this. I stopped and for the first time in a long time I felt the magic again—faith, love, gratitude, hope—all flooding in at once. It was waiting for me, in me as me. Not some far off dream. I realized I am the dream, and I have been simply waiting for me this whole time.

// FABRIC SAMPLES

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Approving fabric samples for CKD’s newest collection. Hand made beaded and velvet embroidery that will be turned into pillows and drapery.

This collection is a special one for me. CKD’s first introduction to fabric. Coming soon!

// PAPI STEAK INSTALLATION

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4 days of cutting. 4 days of installation. Papi Steak Las Vegas was our most bespoke installation to date. Because of the shape of the domes the print had to be built on-site. Each piece cut by hand, each piece hand placed and glued by hand. Every inch mattered. The end result was perfection. We overlaid glass blown flowers.

// NOV? DEC?

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After my time in Mexico life moved really fast and I didn’t get the time to update you. The weeks leading up to the Fontainebleau opening were nuts, my days were long, stress was high, anxiety was keeping me awake. All of the usual symptoms. The first couple of photos are from my headquarters in Montreal. The Papi Steak installation in Vegas had to be installed by hand. Each flower, each petal. Installed by hand. So that meant I had to cut out each piece of the print by hand as well… 4 days of cutting. I’ll show you more photos of the install this week.

We managed to fit a bespoke print in the middle of all of this for our friends at Studio Munge. The space looks stunning, I can’t wait to see the final images. As for the rest, my memory is a bit hazy – my mind felt like mush. On a brighter note, I've managed to rest, gaining clarity, although my body still feels tired. I’ve been spending the last couple of days easing back into my emails. Resting and taking it easy. Jan looks like it’s going to be more of this. New things are coming, old things are exiting, and it’s time to move into this new year.