Lila is a young jewelry designer from New York City. I have had the opportunity to work with her on several projects over the last few years. Through these sessions, I have gotten to know her a little bit.
She and her husband, a Russian, live in Brooklyn. Like so many millennials, they met on a dating app. The unusual thing was, she told me, however, he had asked to marry her within a few months.
She was shocked. She needed to escape.
She needed space. An ocean would do. After a few months in France, with the idea of marriage percolating in her mind, she returned to the United States. She returned, and she agreed. Today, they are happy together in Brooklyn.
When I asked her once about why she sometimes would go by two different names, she explained to me that she had chosen for most of her young adult life to go by “Zigg” because it seemed a fiercer name than Lila. However, soon enough, Lila decided to readopt her original given name. She explained that she no longer felt the need to present an assumed persona to her world. Amongst other life changes, she said, her time as a life model, where she sits for hours, had allowed periods of introspection. Thus, the return to her original name signifies acceptance and appreciation for life.
She is slightly stand-offish and guarded when you first meet her, but that outer coolness belies an internal warmth. Her creativity shines brightly. I would describe her sartorial sense as dark pop/punk. If you are curious, give her a visit: https://www.instagram.com/zigg.original/ .
