EHC – December 2023

Merry Christmas – 1

Embracing Change: A Reflection on Transitioning EHC to Online Education and Honouring a Couture Legacy” 

As we approach the year’s end, with Christmas just around the corner, I find myself contemplating the passage of time. Reflecting on my initial plan to transition the school from on-site to online lessons immediately, I never foresaw the challenges that would alter my course. 

It has been two years since I made that decision, and the journey has moved forward at a swirling snail’s pace rather than a direct forward pace. After teaching tirelessly for years since 2008, without a real break for self-care, I didn’t realize the effects on my mental and physical well-being. Taking a year off became an excellent opportunity for rejuvenation, after which I felt prepared to embark on the task of transitioning the school to online offerings. 

Life, however, is unpredictable. Last year, around this time, my mother, the founder of Ecole Holt Couture, passed away, shaking us all off balance more profoundly than we could have anticipated. Managing her loss and affairs proved to be more emotionally taxing and time consuming than I could have imagined. 

During the summer of this year, I finally felt ready to resume the mission of transitioning the school to online classes. During the process of re-entry, deep reflection became crucial in discovering my gifts and finding my path to carry on Elfriede’s remarkable legacy. Authenticity was key in maintaining the essence of Ecole Holt Couture and sharing her passion and wisdom as a couturier with decades of experience that she shared with her students over the years. 

Over the years we had the privilege of working together with a small handful of students at a time for, creating beautiful experiences. While many have expressed a desire to join our on-site programs, logistical constraints during Covid years made it impossible. 

But now, bringing to you what I know to be at the true heart and soul of couture, exemplified by my mother, envisioning it all and bringing it to life online feels right. Despite all the setbacks over the past year, I realize they were all meant to be and necessary for regrowth and regeneration. 

For those with creative visions waiting to be realized, my hope is that in 2024 I will indeed be able to share these lessons with you online, so more of you can access and embrace them. This will be my legacy to you. 

cheers! J