Kerri BridgmanThe Solstice Reset: Finding Rhythm Before Fashion Week Chaos Hits
This morning we did 108 sun salutations to mark the summer solstice. It’s never about the number, it was our way of grounding into a new city: Bansko, Bulgaria.
It’s a reminder that in all cases it’s easier to connect with what’s around us.
In Bankso it’s the mountain views, in the US it’s with family, in Tulum it’s with the water, in Athens it’s the history.
Each place is for a season, and for those who still work on the tight turnaround after the shows this is the season to take a deep breath because in 12 short weeks New York Fashion Week returns.
Six years ago, I couldn’t sit still without my leg shaking. I was drowning in deadlines, glued to my inbox, and stuck in a cycle of believing that if I stopped moving, everything would fall apart. Yoga didn’t fix everything, but it gave me something to hold onto, a breath, a shape, a pose, when everything else felt unmanageable.
Box breathing saved me on more than one occasion. For those who do not know what that means, breathe in for 4 seconds, hold for 4 seconds, breathe out for 4 seconds, hold for 4 seconds. Repeat this 3 times.
Why the Fashion Industry Needs This Season
This time of year is weird. Everyone’s “off,” but not really. There are still emails, production delays, people on vacation, content to post, next season’s samples to prep and praying that this season’s samples show up correct following Euro Summer. But there’s also space, a rare kind of in-between before show season chaos begins again.
If you’re in the industry, you probably feel it too.
That pressure to keep going. To be the one who’s ahead.
To not fall behind while still somehow pretending you’re resting.
But what if you used this solstice as a line in the sand?
A moment to ask: What do I want my next season to actually feel like?
A Few Grounding Practices That Might Help
These aren’t rules. They’re just anchors, things I come back to when I feel like I’m floating in a million directions (and I’m not the one to preach that I do this perfectly):
- Create a Soft Structure (Not a Schedule)
- Mornings: 3 sun salutations, tea, no emails before 8 am
- Midweek: 1 long walk (if you’re in a city use 15 minutes of the lunch break you never take to walk around the block) or creative check-in (journal, sketch, blog - this can be done on the train or subway while commuting)
- End of week: review what’s working, what’s falling through the cracks
2. One Weekly “Reset” Day
Pick a day to check in with yourself, not just your calendar.
- What do I actually need?
- What am I avoiding?
- What can I let go of this week?
3. Plan for the Energy, Not Just the Tasks
Fashion Week is about to hit. Instead of just planning what to do, try planning how you want to feel when it hits:
- Grounded
- Clear
- Energized enough to show up fully, even if everything isn’t perfect
4. Drop the All-Or-Nothing Mindset
Some days you’ll skip movement. Some weeks you won’t write the post. That’s fine. What matters is coming back to it — again and again — until it feels like second nature. Yes the standard is perfection. Killing your sanity for that standard only creates more mistakes to clean up later.
This Is What the Solstice Really Offers
Not a fresh start, not another to-do list.
Just a chance to pause and ask:
What am I rooting into so I don’t lose myself once everything speeds up again?
Whether you’re prepping for Fashion Week, working behind the scenes in production, designing your next collection, or just trying to stay afloat - you deserve to do it from a place that feels steady and works for you.
I’m still figuring it out too.
Traveling, working, resting.
Trying to move my body, eat enough, stay connected to myself.
Some days it clicks. Some days I start over.
But at least now, I know where to start. And where to pick up again.