Aside from my marriage to my husband, the longest-lasting relationships in my adult life have been with Taylor Swift's music and Dôen's clothing. Swift is the soundtrack to every milestone I experience and every story I write. (Seven months later, I'm still recovering from the shock of seeing her new Reputation outfit live at the Eras Tour.) Whether I'm at my desk, attending fashion week, or on vacation, Dôen's dresses—in florals and solids, with and without sleeves—are always what I'm wearing. When I'm in an off mood, there are signs. Mainly, that Red isn't blasting from my headphones or a painterly floral print is nowhere in sight.
For a long while, those sides of my life were two distinct entities, less of a Venn Diagram than separate circles a mile apart. (Never mind that hitting play on "All Too Well" felt as "fall" to me as a long-sleeve Dôen Ischia dress and a cider donut.) Then Taylor Swift pulled her debut Dôen dress, the no-longer-sold Mandarin, to promote 2020's folklore. I immediately recognized the ruffled neckline and the blossoms falling all over the fabric. It felt like extremely on-brand worlds colliding. Not only was Swift singing exactly what I felt, she was wearing the same brand I personally associated with her soundscape.
