'this could get serious!': 2011

... on Sunday 24.07.11.

My dream last night was so real, in fact I have been dreaming quite intensely the last two nights since I arrived at Jean Marc’s yesterday. I was dreaming that I was up for a head of PR role for, oh shit I can’t remember what the company was, but I do remember that I wanted the job, badly and that I knew I could get it. The process was a first interview where I was given a list of films and asked which ones I had seen? Although I don’t remember the names of the films I remember the list had pictures and a lot of the subject matter seemed to be about men in uniform, but not in a sexual way, they were in period dress which without looking it up I would say was circa, 1500’s, quite Napoleon like. I took the list and endeavoured to find these films as I was going to have a follow-up meeting in two days and I believed there would be some relevance to the films made at this meeting. The follow up meeting arrived and I discovered that there were three other candidates, two guys and a girl. I was still at this stage completely confident that I was able to get the job and was not flustered by my competition. The four of us were split into two groups and I was paired with the girl. I don’t really have a recollection of her other than she was unintimidating and that I felt she was intelligent and I was happy to be paired with her. The two guys, although I know they weren’t, reminded me of a couple of friends I have Stephen and Carl, not in character, but when I try and visualise them that’s what I see. The test started and to my surprise the first test was a physical test, again I can’t remember the test but I remember thinking, ‘what’s this got to do with the job’? I also remember that one of the guys on the other team won, I came second, the second guy on the other team came third and unsurprisingly, as it was a physical test the girl on my team came last. Then the second test was presented and again it was a physical test, we had to bend a bar and whoever bent it the most won! The results were the same in the first test and as the two guys had the winning person twice, they were offered the opportunity to travel to Milan to meet with the director of the company and be put forward for the job. The girl and I were then told, ‘thank you for your application, you are no longer required’. I was furious, but kept my composure, I kept thinking, what was the point of the list of films? What was the point of the tests and that this couldn’t be right as I never had an opportunity to meet the director and present myself for the job. But before I could say or do anything we were ushered away. I remember being so annoyed that I said to the girl, I’m not having this, I’ll fly myself to Milan and I’ll see this director and if necessary I’ll tell him his test was ‘shit, pointless and that it was all a joke’. The girl was feeling my frustration and showed solidarity and decided she would come with me, as she felt the same. The next thing I know I am in, I guess Milan, but there is no reference to know, only a very wide corridor or internal courtyard with a door at the far end on one wall and another door at the opposite end on the adjacent wall. I remember seeing a man who I knew was the director come out of the door at the far end and walk towards the other door with an entourage in tow, including the two guys, who had now changed into two different people, although despite this, to me they were still the two candidates that had been allowed to meet the director. I noticed that they were running along, kind of being ignored, a bit like you do when you’re a kid, trying to keep up with your mum or dad, I remember thinking that they seemed really unimportant to the director and then I started to summise that maybe this was the test! The test was to be so frustrated with the test that you would not accept defeat and that you would go beyond it and take matters into your own hand as I was doing by going to Milan and forcing a meeting with the director. As I was thinking this, the director and his entourage slipped through the second door and were gone. I then found myself distrusting the girl who was still with me, thinking she may also come to the same conclusion and although she was only there because I suggested it, she may claim the idea her own and act upon it. Then the next thing I remember was being in the Vivienne Westwood design studio. Having worked there I do sometimes dream of this time and place, I guess because it was quite a major point in my life for, many reasons. It wasn’t the studio as I remembered but it! It felt like show time as everyone was manically doing stuff, there is a break in my memory now so the next thing I remember is Vivienne showing me some fabric for an outfit and saying to me, ’can you make this outfit? It’s a dress with a gingham shirt underneath!’ I responded by asking was there a picture so I could see what the outfit looked like, as I wasn’t sure if I could make it! Vivienne showed me the picture, it was a short dress with the braces attached, like dungarees, with a oversized rushed gingham shirt that bellowed over the front of the dress. It didn’t look too difficult so I said yes I’ll make it and asked what colour the gingham should be? Vivienne replied, ‘it has to be made by four thirty, don’t forget!’ I said I wouldn’t and took the pile of fabric. There is now another break in my memory so in my recollection my dream jumps to me speaking to a man, who works at the studio but I don’t know who he is. I start to explain why I am there and that I need to see the director, I notice now that the girl had gone, which I wasn't sure was a good thing or a bad thing! The man doesn’t respond, but then another man I also don’t recognise comes over and says, ‘is the outfit ready yet?’ The first man looks at me and asks, ‘yes, it’s seven thirty, is it ready?’ I get all flustered thinking and then saying, ‘shit, I forgot to do the outfit’. The first man says to the second man, sorry it looks like it’s not going to be ready! The second man, sighs and looks frustrated and starts to get agitated saying something like, ‘damn, this is a problem!’ I start to get nervous, remembering Vivienne saying not to forget to do it, so I ask ‘when do you need it by?’ The second man says, ‘as long as I have it by the morning that would be OK!’ I offer to stay late to make the outfit and have it ready for the morning, which pleases both men. I then turn around and everyone in the has gone home and I’m alone in the studio, with the pile of fabric in my hands, it feels like it’s late at night although I can’t see any windows and I am thinking, ‘great I have to stay here by myself all night and finish this outfit!’ And that’s all I remember.