Cathy Hay

[Ezzy]

She hasn't even done a wrap up video. I keep checking her IG account, no update. Almost the end of November ...

I imagine that she is grieving the project and her dreams about it. As shady as her business practices are, and using the PD as a cash cow, it did seem to be something that she loved the idea of and admired for a long time. 10+ years of thinking, idolizing, talking, writing, etc. all gone. It became a big part of her brand and personality. Maybe she's even kicking herself for not finishing the project sooner, when people weren't as open to hearing about the issues surrounding the dress.

Agreed. Had she finished it last year, it would have been received with overwhelming enthusiasm and praise!

Even though throughout the process the idea of her making it to wear and show herself hasn't sat right with me. It just made me feel slightly nauseous, as if she was comparing herself to the original wearer. I had wished someone more suitable would have been the one she made it for, but I digress. The project's over, CH is in the dumps. She's going to fabricate 'something else'.

[Deanna]

I imagine that she is grieving the project and her dreams about it. As shady as her business practices are, and using the PD as a cash cow, it did seem to be something that she loved the idea of and admired for a long time. 10+ years of thinking, idolizing, talking, writing, etc. all gone. It became a big part of her brand and personality. Maybe she's even kicking herself for not finishing the project sooner, when people weren't as open to hearing about the issues surrounding the dress.

Agreed. Had she finished it last year, it would have been received with overwhelming enthusiasm and praise!

Even though throughout the process the idea of her making it to wear and show herself hasn't sat right with me. It just made me feel slightly nauseous, as if she was comparing herself to the original wearer. I had wished someone more suitable would have been the one she made it for, but I digress. The project's over, CH is in the dumps. She's going to fabricate 'something else'.

^ All of this. Cathy could have done this if she'd been quicker about it. I'm sure money was legitimately a problem, but still--she had BB's money for nearly a year before the controversy become mainstream. Not saying she should have (it was never NOT a racist dress), but she def could have and received accolades for it previously.

[CuriousAboutThat]

She hasn't even done a wrap up video. I keep checking her IG account, no update. Almost the end of November ...

I imagine that she is grieving the project and her dreams about it. As shady as her business practices are, and using the PD as a cash cow, it did seem to be something that she loved the idea of and admired for a long time. 10+ years of thinking, idolizing, talking, writing, etc. all gone. It became a big part of her brand and personality. Maybe she's even kicking herself for not finishing the project sooner, when people weren't as open to hearing about the issues surrounding the dress.

Yeah. Like her or not, this is such a massive loss and you can't put a time limit on the grieving process - everyone is different. And especially more so when you're a public figure.

[CuriousAboutThat]

Agreed. Had she finished it last year, it would have been received with overwhelming enthusiasm and praise!

Even though throughout the process the idea of her making it to wear and show herself hasn't sat right with me. It just made me feel slightly nauseous, as if she was comparing herself to the original wearer. I had wished someone more suitable would have been the one she made it for, but I digress. The project's over, CH is in the dumps. She's going to fabricate 'something else'.

^ All of this. Cathy could have done this if she'd been quicker about it. I'm sure money was legitimately a problem, but still--she had BB's money for nearly a year before the controversy become mainstream. Not saying she should have (it was never NOT a racist dress), but she def could have and received accolades for it previously.

I'm going to kind of point out that 'Rona threw a curve ball into all this. Especially if one would have had to go to India personally to confer with the experts. Kinda hard to do when you're under lockdown after lockdown.

[Deanna]

^ All of this. Cathy could have done this if she'd been quicker about it. I'm sure money was legitimately a problem, but still--she had BB's money for nearly a year before the controversy become mainstream. Not saying she should have (it was never NOT a racist dress), but she def could have and received accolades for it previously.

I'm going to kind of point out that 'Rona threw a curve ball into all this. Especially if one would have had to go to India personally to confer with the experts. Kinda hard to do when you're under lockdown after lockdown.

That's true. The timing of it all sucked for CH.

She's been sending out her love letters, so I expect she's picking herself back up. We'll probably get a few "what's next" vlogs before a new project, and I think that's valid. Can't exactly demand she turns on a dime after 10 years.

[Snottebel241]

And here it comes....
With a healthy dose of self help!

Screenshot_20211126-185936_YouTube.jpg

[Ezzy]

'Unputdownable' ? Ok girl.
Another empty blog post by Doctor Hay!

[andipales]

And so it begins. Next we'll get a 15 monetisable minute long video in which she expounds upon how making decisions is hard, but you can make it easier with a community. Not just any community though, one you pay for, obviously, and how fortuitous! She can help you with that! Just like the community has helped her realise she actually didn't want to make one of the most problematic dresses available after all! How nice!

[Lierre]

How nice her inspirational readings have transformed her cupidity into cupids. I'm sure her thoughtlessness long ago was transformed into thoughtfulness. How can we not have noticed?

[Deanna]

I personally love that she only refers to the PD as "the last project." Like, let's not harken back to The Thing lest people are reminded of the controversy.

I *am* glad she's moving again tho, and look forward to the new vlog!

[popmypopcorn]

I wonder if she takes ideas from here, too
Lots and lots and lots of inspiration vlogs and speeches are ahead of us
I wanted to add 1897s Worth's black "Lily" gown, but it was already done, heck!!!
She really needs to pile up books upon books to find a competitive nominee: AND THE WINNER IS (drums)

[CuriousAboutThat]

I wonder if she takes ideas from here, too
Lots and lots and lots of inspiration vlogs and speeches are ahead of us
I wanted to add 1897s Worth's black "Lily" gown, but it was already done, heck!!!
She really needs to pile up books upon books to find a competitive nominee: AND THE WINNER IS (drums)

How about this one?

e5628c50f4e4e29d064e675e4fad09e8.jpg

[popmypopcorn]

How about this one?

e5628c50f4e4e29d064e675e4fad09e8.jpg

Is it embroidered with sequins??? It was a glimmering daywear.

Another recommendation (Oh, hi Cathy!): https://www.fw-mag.com/kt-last-queen-of-madagascar
This dress has everything: silk, lots of embroidery with pearls and beads, eye-catching and huge chunk of problematic history waiting for her to reveal, multiple trips to Madagascar, fundind madagascan craftsmen to do the tedious embroidery, guru motivation whisperings and how we should approach famous historical gowns worn by BIPOCs, now that she is WOKE.

[Deanna]

Omg are we really not getting a November vlog? After she already skipped October? Could that one post be *it* this week?? Just one more day...

[popmypopcorn]

Omg are we really not getting a November vlog? After she already skipped October? Could that one post be *it* this week?? Just one more day...

Guess yes. The true meaning of those monthly vlogs were PD progress vlogs and now it's gone, she really doesn't have anything else to say to the community. But even she was surprised, too, by her larger views on sewing vlogs, she might just have to gravitate towards sewing/costuming if she wants to preserv her youtube popularity. But I hardly believe she cares about this at all, FR is her true career and PD was the birdlime.

[MillicentF]

^This. Which, to be honest, is quite sad, because she actually is a good sewist and costumer. Just compare any of her creations to BB's.

[Deanna]

^This. Which, to be honest, is quite sad, because she actually is a good sewist and costumer. Just compare any of her creations to BB's.

^ I genuinely enjoy her creations. She has talent.

[CuriousAboutThat]

^This. Which, to be honest, is quite sad, because she actually is a good sewist and costumer. Just compare any of her creations to BB's.

^ I genuinely enjoy her creations. She has talent.

Yeah. I was really blown away by her work on that walking skirt.

[thetealady]

Omg are we really not getting a November vlog? After she already skipped October? Could that one post be *it* this week?? Just one more day...

Guess yes. The true meaning of those monthly vlogs were PD progress vlogs and now it's gone, she really doesn't have anything else to say to the community. But even she was surprised, too, by her larger views on sewing vlogs, she might just have to gravitate towards sewing/costuming if she wants to preserv her youtube popularity. But I hardly believe she cares about this at all, FR is her true career and PD was the birdlime.

Make no mistake she cares. The PD was a cash cow. It was never going to be made, it was there for attention and monetization. The world never needed another peacock dress and CH knew it. That's why it was never made in the beginning - not the base dress for mounting the embroidery - or the promised underwear that all the original sponsors are STILL waiting to see and read about on the 'private blog' that was promised in return for sending her on not one but two holidays to Haiti (and there's a whole other backstory there too which many people have no clue about). I have no doubt that CH will find another 'project' to make on Youtube. FR is her mainstay but her Youtube income is an important top up and insurance. CH doesn't hide the fact that her philosophy is to make as much money as possible with as little effort as possible. Running a business with staff is much more effort than running a lone channel when your intention is to make precisely nothing but to pretend that you are making the most important garment that fashion history has ever known.

[Deanna]

Wait, what happened with Haiti? I did catch the two fund raisers, but nothing else