Boston Common - Niche Media - A side of Boston that's anything but common.
Issue link: http://digital.greengale.com/i/753327
from left: It was great to reunite with Jason Wu for his visit to Saks Fifth Avenue and the MFA Fashion Council (gorgeous blouse by Jason Wu!); celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Boston Design Center with Chesie Breen, editor of ID Boston; conferring with Saks GM Joel Ellzey at the Mandarin Oriental before a lunchtime interview with Jason Wu. lisa pierpont PHOTOGRAPHY BY RYAN STRANZ (WU, ELLZEY); CAITLIN CUNNINGHAM (BREEN). MAKEUP BY TAVI DE LA ROSA AND CATHERINE NORTON. HAIR BY LOUISE RUSK/MIZU AND ALEXANDRA CRAIG/BRADLEY&DIEGEL NEW YEAR AFTER NEW YEAR, I write down two resolu- tions: one, drink more water, and two, buy holiday gifts early. Rate of success: I am constantly dehy- drated and shop, at the most, 48 hours before "deadline." So this year, things are going to go down differently. Forget the water— I'll just hydrate with whatever beverage is close. Instead of finding the perfect (last minute) present, I vow to cook a meal, go to a movie, whatever… Simply spend more quality time with the people I love. Our cover story stars (see "Insta-Boston," page 82), social media and otherwise (Olympic gold medalist, anyone?), echo the sentiment of prioritizing real-life, real-time experiences. While dazzling Instagram im- ages and pithy tweets continue to expand the next frontier of everything from social capital to business branding, we all know nothing can ever replace "keep- ing it real." Now more than ever, maybe. Whenever you peel back the veneer of success, however you define that, you more than likely discover a killer work ethic, an eye on the prize, and a past fraught with failure. I had the pleasure of hearing entrepre- neurs Sir Richard Branson, Jessica Alba, and Maria Sharapova speak at the recent Forbes Under 30 conference (check out the stories on Boston Common-Magazine.com). Each were wildly candid about how their risks (Branson dropped out of school at 16), mistakes (Sharapova was forced to take a suspension from tennis), or hardships (Alba suffered from debilitating asthma as a child) propelled each to "win" at life on their own terms. Big Night is a great example of that. The signature charity event raises money for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Massachusetts Bay, a nonprofit organization com- mitted to helping youth thrive by providing them with adult men- tors. Chart-topper Jason Derulo will perform at The House of Blues on February 4, and I can't wait to go because, along with the star-studded crowd, there will be a chance to meet many of the kids whose lives were changed by a mentor who helped turn ob- stacles into building blocks. You may catch some of the kids' faces on Instagram, but rest assured that there is substance behind each smile. Wishing you a holiday season filled with "real" love and light. Hydrate well. 24 BOSTONCOMMON-MAGAZINE.COM LETTER FROM THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF