MaggieCat

The politically motivated money had incredibly vague strings attached and was coming from someone she has no involvement with. There are far too many unknowns in what he might do in the future. All Bishop would expect in return is for them to represent him, which is something they've already made the decision to do. To me that looks more like 'not making more problems than they already have' than 'some sliding ruler of morality'.

Yes, I remember it vividly. I also remember my classmates thinking I was the school freak, and even my friends thinking I was strange. It would never occur to me to design something for a children's wear challenge that was remotely like what *I* would have worn at that age, especially once a retailer came into the mix rather than designing something their specific model would want.

Or unless they started paying attention to clothes long before now. I knew I wanted to work in fashion somehow when I was 7, and hated most children's clothes. Even before that you can tell from photos exactly when I was old enough to start voicing an opinion on how I was dressed. Age 0-4: lots of t-shirts and overalls. After that: dresses, blouses and skirts, leggings (or stirrup pants -- oh, the horrors of the late 80s) or slacks (not jeans) as far as the eye can see. I was a 9 year old with brooches and scarves, and a 10 year old who wore blazers to school. There was the full length skirts phase (too many Little House books), the New Look phase (too many classic Barbies), and a pop art phase (heard about Mary Quant, loved a fabulous Peter Max scarf of my mother's that was and remains off-limits for borrowing). All before high school.* I vaguely remember what my classmates wore, but even then I found it inexplicable and/or dull -- I wouldn't be surprised to hear that some of the designers weren't really in step with what other kids wore when they were that age. Talking to my mother afterwards we both immediately mentioned that by 3rd grade I would have killed for Kini's outfit -- and I'm talking about tiny, incompetent homicide.Would have loved the idea behind Emily's skirt but not the ugly shape at the waist. I think I actually had a dress shaped like Amanda's, but with elbow length sleeves and in less eye-searing fabric. * That sounds somewhat extreme after writing it out, but really there were a lot of basics in neutrals/dark jewel tones with changed accessories, and recycling things that I hadn't outgrown; all those long skirts and dresses got cut down to knee length, older shirts were relegated to layering pieces, etc.