Actor in Hollywood

In his previous life, standing outside the door, he could see the flower through the mist, making out some patterns but not clearly.

Now, being in the midst of it, he slowly begins to understand why people always say that the entertainment industry is a game of capital that ordinary people can't handle.

From auditions to meetings to interviews, from premieres to parties to award ceremonies, there are barriers everywhere, and the appearance often leaves the first impression.

Of course, are there people who don't care about these things?

Absolutely.

Either they are true artists or they are already superstars at the top of the pyramid. The former rely on talent and the latter on their looks—these are their tickets.

Anson has just entered the industry, yet he's already chosen his outfits with great care more times than he can count on one hand. Today, he must select another for the premiere.

Pushing open the door, a bright, circular space appeared before him. Golden sunlight filled every corner, and the green plants in the courtyard outside the window seemed particularly lush. The vibrant green filled the room with vitality, instantly opening up his chest and making his steps feel lighter.

As Anson walked in, he saw a pale, skinny figure with slightly sunken shoulders standing there, looking as though they had just walked off the set of "The Addams Family."

Anson recognized that face... But why was he here?

Before Anson could speak, the other person preemptively struck, "Seeing me, shouldn't you start with an apology before a formal greeting?"

A head-on confrontation, immediately seeking justice.

The air froze slightly. Even Edgar's expression tightened as he instinctively glanced at Anson. Could there be some bad blood between them?

At this moment, there was no time to think. Edgar immediately spoke up, trying to defuse the situation, but his words were drowned out by Anson's laughter.

"I'm sorry." Anson apologized very straightforwardly and honestly.

Pride? 

What's that? Can you eat it?

Moreover, this wasn't even a real apology, because Anson could tell that this wasn't actually an accusation; it was more of a joke.

Like a secret code.

Sure enough, Anson's straightforward response brought a smile to the "Wednesday" in front of him. "Aren't you going to ask the reason?"

"Wednesday," from "The Addams Family," is... the little daughter. Perhaps this wasn't the most appropriate way to describe the man before him, but this was the impression that popped into Anson's mind.

Anson also smiled, "If a friend needs an apology to ease their anxiety and unease, I'm more than happy to oblige. As for the reason, we can discuss that slowly."

"For example, now."

"So, why?"

"Wednesday" did not speak immediately. He pondered Anson's words carefully, and his smile slowly settled on his face. Though his mouth didn't curve, it seemed as if his whole being had brightened a bit. "You are an interesting person."

Edgar: Hello, could someone please fill him in on the backstory?

"Ahem." Edgar cleared his throat. "Anson, do you know Mr. Slimane?"

Hedi Slimane, the man standing in front of them, was none other than Hedi Slimane.

Last year, during the filming of "Friends," there were rumors that Brad Pitt wanted to kick Anson out, which became a hot topic. Darren Star realized this was a great opportunity to increase Anson's exposure, so he invited Hedi to help Anson choose an outfit. This eventually led to Anson becoming the focus of the news.

Unexpectedly, their next meeting would be a year later.

But Anson still couldn't figure out why he owed Hedi an apology. What was going on?

Hedi looked at Edgar, "What, your client wore my design on the Emmy Awards red carpet and became a hot topic in the industry, and you don't know my connection with your client? Otherwise, why would you think I would extend an invitation and willingly sponsor your client?"

There was a lot of information, and everyone focused on different aspects.

Edgar: "The Emmy Awards?"

Anson: "Sponsorship?"

As previously mentioned, the entertainment industry is a game of capital. Even for top-tier A-list celebrities, if they had to prepare outfits for every event they attend, it would be an enormous expense that would be hard to digest.

The difference is that top-tier and A-list celebrities can find sponsors, second and third-tier celebrities can rent outfits, but those in the lower ranks have to figure it out themselves.

What really surprised Anson was this: "The Princess Diaries" was the first premiere of his career, the first film to be officially released on the big screen, and he was already able to find sponsorship?

Moreover, did the sponsorship come to him on its own?

Could Darren Star have been helping him behind the scenes again?

Perhaps the only person who knew the whole story here was Hedi.

Hedi looked at Anson, then at Edgar.

Anson explained, "At the time of the Emmy Awards, I didn't have an agent. It was just like your situation back then; I was simply receiving some help."

Hedi suddenly understood and began explaining in a few words.

After Anson and Hedi met in April last year, it wasn't long before Hedi left Yves Saint Laurent and became the creative director for Dior Homme.

Dior ambitiously planned to expand into the men's fashion market, granting Hedi complete creative freedom to explore this untapped area of the fashion world.

At that time, there wasn't much time left before the four major fashion weeks in October, so Hedi focused mainly on the four major fashion weeks in February this year, which meant designing the autumn/winter looks for this year. However, Hedi still made some preliminary attempts, trying to find inspiration between Dior's original style and his own.

Something very unexpected and coincidental happened here—

Anson chose to wear Dior to the Emmy Awards, and it just so happened to be one of Hedi's designs.

Although Hedi felt his design was not mature and the inspiration behind it was still incomplete, he hadn't anticipated that Anson would cause such a sensation on the red carpet.

What Anson didn't know was that this frenzy continued into the four major fashion weeks in October, with countless voices discussing him.

Firstly, Hedi had prematurely exposed himself.

Secondly, Dior had prematurely revealed its ambitions.

Although other brands in the fashion industry didn't take any real action, as they didn't believe the men's fashion market had the same vitality as the women's fashion market, Dior's approach seemed more like a desperate move in the wrong direction. Still, the number of spies trying to gather information increased, bringing invisible pressure.

Hedi had always thought that Anson would reach out to him on his own, but...

"So, you have no idea about the waves you've caused in the last two fashion weeks?" Hedi could hardly believe it.

Anson looked innocent—

If it were 2023, sure, no problem; the aggregation of information online could easily break down barriers. But in 2001, the saying "each profession has its specialty" wasn't too far-fetched; however, the flow of information was indeed not as smooth.

Moreover, Anson, who was fully immersed in the filming of "Spider-Man," was in a closed environment; the fashion circle, self-contained as it was, was another relatively closed space.

Though it was unbelievable, this is what actually happened—

Indeed, in any era, the value of information is immeasurable, and not having information means losing an advantage.