Grace switched a button on a remote control and a screen came down behind her. She pressed the first button. ‘Inés Doré,’ she said. ‘French actress, just won an Oscar and a hero of the French film industry. Fabulous style.’ Grace looked up at the images of Inés behind her.
She clicked a button. ‘Georgina Hughes. Star of the moment. Biggest money earner for her age group, thanks to theAngelfilms franchise, but also has great red carpet flair,’ she continued as she looked at the images now behind her.
‘And finally Calypso Gable. American girl next door, married to Hollywood’s hottest director and recent new mother. She is young but has a great maturity. Loves clothes and wears designers as well as everyday fashion.’ She clicked and an image of Calypso came up.
‘Thoughts please?’
‘I love Inés,’ ventured a junior wearing a red trilby hat.
‘She’s a little too French. I am not sure middle America knows who she is,’ said an older woman wearing black-rimmed glasses and a frown.
‘Georgiana is in talks with the English Fashion Council, I hear,’ said another woman.
‘Can you check that, someone please?’ asked Grace, and a person at the back of the room scuttled off.
‘Calypso Gable?’ asked Grace to the room.
‘She is very private, doesn’t really do much PR unless it’s for a film. Didn’t release photos of her baby at all,’ said the girl in the red hat.
‘Then I have to make the pitch compelling. Violetta, where are we with design?’ she called to the back of the room.
Violetta walked to the front to stand next to Grace. Violetta had had a turn around since Carlotta’s speech at her apartment and had been in every day when she wasn’t at the hospital. Spencer had managed to create a clause in her contract that kept the TV crew out of confidential meetings and today was one of them.
Violetta looked around the room. The design team had welcomed her once they knew she was serious and she had been moved by the passion they had for their jobs, feeling guilty for her lackadaisical attitude a few weeks before.
‘We have a short time to come up with something brilliant and we have worked hard to create a story that is both in line with the Pajaro brand and which will appeal to the everyday woman across the world.’
She took a breath and Grace nodded at her encouragingly.
‘In keeping with this thought we have decided to bring back the bestselling items for Pajaro over the last twenty years. The T-shirts, the shirt dresses, pants and accessories that have been tweaked slightly for today’s trends but also are one-time only classics. Retro Pajaro for the current times.
‘This will save us on design time, fabric choices and the like. It may seem lazy, but we can only do what we can with the time we have. I personally love it. How many times do you find a great piece, wear it to death and then you can’t replace it?’ she asked the room.
She saw many of the women nod at each other in agreement, and was boosted by the energy in the room that shifted as she spoke.
‘I like the idea of a celebrity and in particular Calypso Gable. If you can get her, you have my support,’ she said, smiling at her sister.
Carlotta beamed at them both from the back of the room. She tried to catch Chris’s eye but he ignored her. He hadn’t spoken to her since their run at in at the riding centre. She had tried a few times to speak to him but he brushed her off and Carlotta was too embarrassed to confront him again, unsure of what to say and how to behave towards him.
She hadn’t spoken to John either and he hadn’t contacted her. The horse show seemed so far away now and she figured she would have to shelve it till after she sorted out her priorities at Pajaro.
Carlotta focused her attention back onto Grace who was speaking again. ‘In keeping with the design team’s ideas for the next season, we have to come up with concepts that show off our celebrity and bring some personality and style to Pajaro. This also goes for in-store, Carlotta. I believe you have a few things to say here.’
Carlotta walked to stand next to her sisters.
‘The stores are tired and the staff are angry. I have visited the stores in New York and they aren’t nice to shop in. I am working with retailing to bring them up to the level they need to be to make people want to come back through our doors,’ she said, looking at Chris who was staring at her expressionless.
Carlotta felt nervous as she spoke, and her voice cracked slightly.
‘This is not the company my mother envisioned when she started Pajaro. As you all know by now, my mother is unwell and still in hospital. I wish she were here to help us. I don’t know a kinder, more elegant woman. She would know you all by name by now, and your kids’ names. This is the woman that I certainly want to be and the energy I want to bring back into Pajaro. Friendly, classy without being arrogant, and fun. My mother is so much fun, she could make the most tedious task an adventure and this is our adventure. I know that many of you believe that we,’ she gestured to her sisters, ‘are just playing at having jobs. But this means everything to us and we need help from you to become the women we want to be and to recreate the Pajaro magic in line with what our mother wanted. I hope you will support us on this journey.’
The room burst into applause. She looked up. Chris had left the room and her heart sank. What she had said was as much for the staff’s benefit as for Chris’s but it seemed he didn’t want to listen to what she had to say.
Grace took over again. ‘Violetta will get back to designs and Carlotta is working on the stores themselves. We have our work cut out for us here, so let’s start right away.’
The room broke up into a loud murmur of excitement.
The sisters looked at each other. ‘Well played,’ said Carlotta.
