Photography courtesy Jesse Volk
Morgan Hutchinson, founder of the women’s fashion brand Buru, announces the release of her debut memoir, Bipolar Blonde: A True Story of Suicide, Soulmates, and Starting Again, a comfortably candid and deeply personal story of survival, self-discovery, and rebuilding a life alongside bipolar disorder.
On a rain-soaked night in New York City, Morgan’s life shimmered with possibility: glamour, ambition, confidence, and the intoxicating belief that everything she had ever dreamed of was finally within reach. At least, that’s how it appeared. But as she walked through the golden doors of Bemelmans Bar that evening, a darker truth was unfolding. Beneath the polished exterior, a cycle of frenetic highs and crushing lows was quietly taking hold, creating chaos behind a seemingly perfect facade.
That fateful night, a chance encounter with a dark-haired stranger set in motion an exhilarating and terrifying journey. What followed was a story shaped by love, bipolar disorder, and the challenge of starting over when life refuses to follow the script.
In Bipolar Blonde, Morgan pulls back the curtain on the carefully curated image of success to reveal the truth beneath it. With candor, wit, and remarkable vulnerability, she recounts falling in love during a manic episode, navigating the extremes, confronting suicidal despair, enduring a psychiatric institution, and ultimately learning how to move forward after her world unraveled.
More than a memoir of mental illness, Bipolar Blonde is a personal story, which reads like a novel, about identity, relationships, resilience, and building a meaningful life alongside bipolar disorder. Morgan offers readers an intimate look at the realities of the disease while challenging the stigmas that continue to surround not only mental illness but also divorce and unrealistic expectations placed on women.
As conversations around mental health continue to evolve, Bipolar Blonde contributes a powerful and deeply human perspective to the discussion. Through her story, Morgan hopes to foster community, provide a greater understanding of bipolar disorder, and show that while the diagnosis may be lifelong, it does not define a person’s future. With treatment, support, and perseverance, stability, purpose, and joy remain possible.
In support of greater mental health awareness, a portion of the proceeds from Bipolar Blonde will benefit the nonprofit organization Bring Change to Mind, which is working to end the stigma and discrimination often associated with mental illness.
Order Bipolar Blonde from the Southern Lady Boutique.
This story appears in the Autumn 2026 issue of Southern Lady. Subscribe to receive every quarterly issue in print.
