"Roy, do you also think I was right with what I said just now?"
Janet didn't think the pitfall from earlier was much of a pitfall, so she walked back over.
"Yeah, yeah! You're right!" Roy's fair face turned bright red as he suppressed the intense urge to burst into laughter that was rising in his throat. He nodded solemnly, trying to maintain a serious expression.
"A life without love is dull! I believe our boss will experience the beauty of love firsthand someday!"
Janet finally found someone who agreed with her. "You said it perfectly! Roy, we can't always be by Laila's side. In the future, you should offer her more guidance!"
Roy struggled to hold back his laughter as he vigorously nodded, "Don't worry, I'll guide Boss well." As he finished his sentence, he felt a chill and sensed a piercing gaze fixed on his hapless neck. Quickly changing his tone, he continued, "Actually, I think the reason Boss doesn't understand the beauty of love is mainly that she hasn't met someone who resonates with her frequency. When she does, she'll understand your good intentions!"
Janet hesitated for a moment, "That makes sense. I hope that day comes soon."
Laila felt a throbbing pain on her forehead. Why was she, a grown woman, being forced into a conversation about matters of the heart with a young guy in his early twenties and her so-called mother? Frustration welled up within her, but with nowhere to vent it, she focused on the design drafts in her hands. If she didn't find something to divert her attention, she felt like she might explode from anger.
However, upon closer inspection, she noticed something strange.
"Mom, is this men's clothing?" She pulled out a design from the stack and placed it on top.
The outline on it was that of a man's body, quite distinct from the curves of a woman. But her mother was a women's clothing designer, and she had always focused on women's attire. How could men's clothing end up mixed in with a pile of designs?
She didn't treat these designs as the work of other designers, because the style of this design was consistent with the stack her mother had given her, filled with elements of Baroque and pirate aesthetics. For instance, the linen texture, pleated shirts, and ruffled sleeves all bore the signature of these styles, making it hard to mistake.
"Oh, this one." Janet took the design and moved to sit across from Laila. "When you think of pirates, you naturally imagine a masculine image, right? While designing women's clothing, I was also inspired by a lot of men's fashion ideas. I thought it would be a waste to discard them, so I put them down on paper. What do you think? Not bad, right?"
"It's good." Laila knew very well that her mother had exceptional skills. After all, she had built the Morland brand's reputation from the ground up. How could she be a fool?
However, there were significant differences between men's and women's fashion. Successfully transitioning from designing women's to men's clothing required a solid foundation. The focal points in women's clothing might be irrelevant in men's, and vice versa.
For example, the shoulder area. Men's clothing requires well-designed shoulders to maintain a balanced upper body silhouette. For women's clothing, exposed shoulders were a sexy feature; many times, they were left bare.
Looking at this man's design, Laila thought it was fantastic. She had a basic understanding of clothing design due to her mother's influence, so she could easily see the maturity of this design. It could be produced immediately and showcased on the runway.
"Are you planning to venture into men's fashion?" Janet hesitated.
"I can't say for sure. Compared to the various styles in women's fashion, men's fashion seems repetitive and less interesting. Plus, splitting my focus between two things might make it hard to excel in either one."
These were the two things that had been troubling Janet. If she decided to dive into men's fashion, she couldn't just play around with it for a while and then set it aside. That would be a waste of all the resources she invested.
Yet, men's fashion was relatively limited in its styles compared to women's, and the most important thing was that she didn't know how long her interest in men's fashion would last. If she lost interest after just a few years, it would devalue the brand, and it might even negatively affect women's fashion. The cost might outweigh the benefits.
Moreover, the saying "You can't serve two masters" applied here. Focusing on too many things at once might sap her confidence in her abilities.
Laila had a different perspective, though. "If you like it, go for it. Who says you can't serve two masters? I've made horror movies and action films and shot photos after making films. If your interest is temporary, you can always delegate the upcoming work to others. There are so many talented people in the world. Just give them a chance to 'sprout,' and they'll blossom beautifully."
Opportunities were important for everyone, though seizing them wasn't always guaranteed. Still, if a good opportunity arose, a person with some skill could achieve something.
"You're right." Without waiting for Janet to respond, the old man interjected approvingly from nearby. "Building a business system isn't like a family workshop, relying solely on one or two individuals' abilities. You should learn to delegate work to your subordinates. This not only develops their skills but also allows you to step away from heavy tasks and focus on other ventures."
Oswald, the grand old man who built the Moran Group from scratch, was probably the most qualified person to give such advice. If he approached things like Janet did, personally handling every detail, he would probably be exhausted. How could he have the energy for diversified ventures?
Laila was the same way. She delegated the burdensome tasks, such as selecting actors and managing contracts, to others. She only focused on filmmaking, scriptwriting, and setting the general direction. If she involved herself in every trivial matter, she would be overwhelmed, leaving no time for filmmaking. That would be putting the cart before the horse.
"Are you both suggesting I should go into men's fashion?" Janet tilted her head, unsure.
Laila smiled, "I'm suggesting you follow your interests. If you're sure about it, go for it. Otherwise, you might regret not doing it in the future. Do you want to taste the bitterness of regret?"
This was undoubtedly heartfelt advice from Laila. With experiences from both her past life and her current one, she understood the taste of regret better than anyone. In her previous life, she missed out on so much and witnessed so many regrets. Regret wasn't just about one or two things. It reached a point where she didn't even have a chance for redemption before she was reborn.
Janet nodded solemnly, her expression serious. "I'll think about it some more." She picked up the design drafts and returned to her original seat.