Talk about a fashionable launch celebration. On Tuesday, at Rizzoli Bookstore, Aurora James toasted to the launch of her first book, “Wildflower,” with Diane von Furstenberg and Huma Abedin. The memoir tells a tale of James’s journey through her early youth to her evolution in fashion and role in economic and racial justice. It is an inspiring celebration of womanhood, equality, creativity and craft.
“When Aurora was in the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund, I went to visit her at her Seaport store… and we liked each other immediately, or at least I liked her immediately,” said von Furstenberg, then the Chairwoman of the CFDA, recalled. “One of the reasons I like her so much is because she reminds me of me when I was younger. Aurora is a woman in charge. She is beautiful, she goes for it, and she is quite skillful with words. Her words have energy. The book is beautiful.”
The room was sprinkled with an intimate group of fashion friends and family – each with a hard copy of “Wildflower” (or two) in hand. They included Steven Kolb, Prabal Gurung, Jonathan Cohen, Batsheva Hay, Stacey Bendet Eisner, David Hart, Selby Drummond, Will Welch, Samantha Barry, Tayshia Adams, Carly Cushnie, and Bethann Hardison. Gleaming with admiration, guests enjoyed a brief excerpt from the book read by Aurora James herself.
“She titled the book ‘Wildflower,’” Abedin said. “I often talk about my father who taught me as a little girl that people are like plants. A plant is only as good as its roots. As long you nourish those roots, take care of them, nurture them, that plant is going to be ok. Aurora has succeeded despite not having any roots that were stable or grounded or nurturing. She has had to face all kinds of trauma and challenges, and she got up every single day. There is tenderness and heart and joy and love on every single page.”
Wildflower is out now and available in stores and online, and Aurora James is doing several events to talk about the memoir including conversations with Huma Abedin at the Brooklyn Museum and Kerry Washington at Writers Bloc LA at the Ebell.
