My parents both left this planet covered in glitter. Death came for each of them right in the middle of what they were working on. As I held and kissed them for the last time, patches of glitter transferred to my hands and face like tiny passed torches. For as much as the grief burned, there was no getting around it-the light that had been on them was now on me.
In the grand scope of things, glitter may not seem like much. But in a way, it's everything: a responsibility to infinity, to reflect the spark at the heart of it all.
-Robin Brown.
The first book to quilt the spirit of a wildly successful international clothing brand among the scraps of childhood trauma, Glitter Saints is the story of Robin Brown, creator of Magnolia Pearl. It's a mining of tragedy for the kind of magic that creates and sustains - a sharp-eyed, soft-hearted, stubborn hope that's the rarest raw material.
"Robin has mastered the art of storytelling through clothing-using garments and accessories as an artist would use paint and canvas. Through Magnolia Pearl's designs, she respects the would-be forgotten fragments, giving them new life and meaning."
-Johnny Depp, actor and artist.
"Much like the ancient Japanese art of kintsugi, which turns broken objects into something much more exquisite by transforming breaks and imperfections to gold, Robin Brown wrests stardust and magic from her tumultuous life's journey. Her story illustrates how an artist can spring from the ashes and find beauty in improbable places. Robin Brown's soulful, whimsical creations-her clothing brand, Magnolia Pearl-are her essence made tangible. Glitter Saints is a wild ride, both heartbreaking and inspiring. Not since Jeannette Walls's Glass Castle has a book about a harrowing childhood been so spellbinding."
-Daryl Hannah, actress and activist.
"Glitter Saints is a powerful and tearjerking memoir of perseverance and resilience no matter what obstacles life may throw our way. Pearls are formed by saltwater or freshwater. This book tells the story of how Robin has continuously taken the saltiest and most bitter moments of suffering and transformed them into freshly formed pure gold and pearls of positivity. Facing challenges from birth to the present day, it would be one thing for readers to learn how she's created a life of transcendence for herself alone, but in every chapter of her life, prepare to learn how she uses her bodhisattva energy to create a world of magic, healing, and wonder for everyone she encounters along the way."
-Valerie June, Grammy-nominated artist and songwriter.