Lessons from the Studio Museum in Harlem Gala

The most expensive part of my look wasn't the dress. It was the vision.

The Studio Museum in Harlem Gala is legendary. For New York’s Black cultural community, it is our Met Gala. It has been on my bucket list for years, and for the 2024 Gala, I wanted to show up fully.

I found a stunning LaQuan Smith dress on deep discount (because I love a deal). It was beautiful. It fit. It was good enough.

But Good Enough is the enemy of Fabulous.

My stylist, Erika, introduced me to Sylvio Kovanic—the maestro tailor for stars like Anne Hathaway and J.Lo. I decided to invest in his work. In fact, the tailoring cost more than the dress itself.

Why? Because I learned a lesson in that fitting room that applies to business: The First Draft is never the Final Draft.

We accept this in business—we iterate on products, we refine strategies. But in our lives, we often settle for "off-the-rack." We take what is handed to us and try to shrink ourselves to fit it.

But when you are curating a life (and a career), you have to tailor the raw materials. You have to invest in the adjustments that make the experience uniquely yours.

Walking into that Gala, I didn't just feel dressed. I felt finished.

Don't settle for the first draft of your life. Tailor it until it fits.