4 |^ September 2019
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At first I resisted Marie Kondo. Last January
when millions of people were inspired by
her Netflix surprise hit, Tidying Up with Marie
Kondo, to purge their wardrobes, tackle their
komono, and fold their underwear in a new
way, I was happily curled up under a blanket
watching some other streaming show. My
problem wasn’t Marie, who seems perfectly
lovely. The truth is: I really don’t like
organizing—or more accurately, I am almost
completely uninterested in it.
I know many people who love organizing.
(Hello to our home editor Amy Panos!) They
almost fetishize the
concept of tackling
a junk drawer or
positioning every
item in a pantry to
be available at a
glance. I myself like
things to be tidy but
will never be the
first one to jump on
an organizing guru’s
bandwagon. I could tell, however, something
different was going on with Marie. Last winter
in an Instagram post that showed a shelf in
my house filled with books, vases, and
collectibles, I joked that I wouldn’t allow my
knickknacks to be Kondo’d. The comments from
Marie’s defenders were swift, most of them
pointing out that I was misunderstanding her.
Several people aptly asked if I had ever even
watched her show. I had to admit I hadn’t.
Shamed a bit, I did, and my opinion of Marie
and her KonMari method changed.
What Marie does so well is this: She doesn’t
judge. Speaking through a Japanese interpreter,
she greets her subjects as she enters their home,
finds several things to compliment, then does
something remarkable. She kneels down in theirfoyer or living room, closes her eyes, and opens
her arms with hands upward in a relaxed gesture.
She is greeting their house. It’s an immediate
transformation for the homeowners, who are
obviously nervous and excited. Each person,
couple, or family has the same shocked reaction
to her actions: They pause as well, becoming
calm as they watch this stranger emotionally tap
into their lives. Some even cry. Even I teared up.
I watched all eight episodes, and every time,
I had to dab my eyes at that surprisingly weighty
moment when Marie inspired even the most
hectic, attention-strapped homeowner to
stop ... breathe ... and think. I was sold.
What Marie is selling is not merely an
orderly closet. She’s promoting calm and peace
in a society that seems intent on swirling faster
and faster. Whether you have 30 or 3,000 books
you love, she encourages you not only to keep
them but also to display each volume in a way
that “sparks joy” (her signature phrase). The
word intentionality is used a lot these days, and
Marie is asking us to have our houses filled with
only those items that we love—that we intend
to have there—and not just because they ended
up in a nagging pile.
For our annual Stylemaker issue, nothing
says style to me like this ethereal woman who
pops in and out of people’s lives and gives them
the tools they need to finally ditch the clutter
filling their rooms and their brains. Each person
on the show seemed transformed by the end of
their segment. Each had an emotional journey.
Marie Kondo helped me
recognize that our homes
are mirrors of our souls,
and, following her
example, I want mine to
reflect how I would like
my spirit to be: clear,
calm, and full of joy.STEPHEN ORR,
Editor in Chief
instagram @steporr
twitter @orrsteporr