Author: nenasnotes
WEDNESDAY MUSINGS
Today we are all thinking about getting ready for Thanksgiving. I don’t collect, nor do I have any friends who collect vintage turkey platters. Love them but don’t have them, I might think about it if I could find a lovely transferware piece like the one pictured. I will be spending Thanksgiving with my “family” and am so excited to be able to help with all the shopping, prepping and, of course, eating our birds. I think I am invited to help prepare because I will put my hands inside the birds with the salt! You do have to salt the interior of the critters, that is a given! We do the traditional menu and usually add a new item each year, a couple of years ago I asked if I could add my hot carrot mold (I had the recipe on my blog a couple of weeks ago). It was a huge hit and is now part of the tradition. This year we are thinking of adding a jello mold, everything old is new again!
I have always loved Thanksgiving to me it is a wonderful family time. When I was working it was the only day off before the rush of the Holiday season and I insisted on having a big bird. Usually, it was the just two of us Mom and me. I happen to love leftovers just as much or more than the actual dinner…Mom only wanted it the day of the feast….more for Nena! Now that there is just me I am honored and thrilled to be included in a big family gathering with dear friends.
I thought I would post a recipe for a leftover that I have enjoyed for many years. Hope you do as well.
From Nena’s Recipe Box
(Origin Unknown)
Turkey Slices with Curried Cream Sauce
6 slices turkey breast
2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon curry powder (I usually add more)
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup milk
1/2 small banana diced (1/2 cup)
1/4 cup snipped pitted dates
1/4 cup chopped cashews
1/2 teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel
3 cups hot brown rice
Wrap turkey in foil and heat in a 300º oven until heated through. Meanwhile in a small saucepan melt butter. Blend in flour and curry powder. Add chicken broth and milk all at once. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly (don’t boil). Cook and stir 1 minute more. Stir in banana, dates, cashews, and lemon peel. Arrange turkey over rice. Pour sauce over turkey. Makes 6 servings. Serve with green salad with light dressing and French green beans or shredded Brussel sprouts. Of course, a dry white wine of your choice.
Happy Thanksgiving!
BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS
I am very excited to do my first “official” book review! I mentioned in last week’s Books, Books, Books posting how I came upon A Perfumer’s Secret and the author Adria J. Cimino, so we won’t review that, oops a pun!. I have had email “conversations” with Adria and I am happy to say she has agreed to answer my questionnaire and be profiled in one of my Monday postings…I am truly honored and thrilled. I hope she will still agree after she reads my review!
From the preface to the book: “Zoe’s Flore’s first creation was the scent of tears. A hot, salty fragrance that she concocted the day her mother died. A perfume built on oak moss, a touch of geranium and the real tears that tumbled into the mix. It was her fifteenth birthday, and from that moment on, she wore the scent as a suit of armour.”
I happen to love reading stories that educate, enlighten and engage me if they happen to be located in France (or England) so much the better. I found A Perfumer’s Secret to fill all those needs. The heroine of the novel, Zoe Flore, at the beginning of our story is a rather unhappy, lost soul in the midst of creating a perfume formula, with her newly ex-boyfriend and business partner, to enter into a very important competition. This competition can be a huge step forward in the very competitive world of perfume. She receives a letter from Grasse, France, where most of the components of fragrance originate, telling her she has inherited a long lost fragrance formula from her Great Aunt. Without hesitation and much to the chagrin of her business partner, she immediately leaves for France. She encounters many characters along her way all of whom seem to want the formula for their own devices. In some places, it became a bit too much of a romance novel for me, but who doesn’t like a touch of romance…that was short lived (of course, we are talking about fragrance so romance is very much a part of the entire story) and I found myself totally engaged with the journey and the explanation of how perfume is made, the huge costs involved not only dollars but in people’s lives and careers. I am aware of what a “nose” is in the business and how few people have it but to have it detailed in such an interesting manner that it was a delight to read. Zoe’s own fragrance is truly fantasy but how divine and how it drives the story!
I was truly enchanted with the book and look forward to reading all of Adria’s books in the near future. I hope you will enjoy it as well.
PROFILES:CELEBRITY STYLIST
I was so pleased when I immediately heard back from Marcellas to say he would agree to answer my questionnaire, I knew it would be difficult to catch him when he visited Chicago. I have known Marcellas for many years, he was one of my model “guys” and was always the consummate professional (actually, all my male models were fantastic and a joy to work with, more on them in future posts) and looked amazing, some things don’t change! He has traveled many roads since but always has the joy of that fantastic smile and a true interest in everyone he meets. It is with great pleasure that I feature him in today’s profile. Here is the candid Marcellas in his own words.
When was the first impression of your talent?
“My love for fashion stretches back as far as I can remember. Even as a child I always loved clothes and was VERY particular about what I wore. Most kids let their mothers dress them. Not me If I didn’t like something I wouldn’t wear it. Oh, the tantrums! My mother tells the story about a particular vest/shirt combo that I refused to take off!
If by talent you mean personality, or maybe charisma, I realized I had something special very early on. It’s odd to recognize within yourself. I’ve always been very social and wanted to be the center of attention. I’ve always received a great deal of attention, for better or worse. I grew up on Chicago’s South Side. We were lower middle class. It was not easy being a gay kid. I was bullied but that made me stronger. I knew there was more for me and I was responsible for finding it.”
When did you know you had “made it”?
“I don’t think you make it once. Life is a series of triumphs and failures. Of great strides forward and steps backward. I’ve made it several times: being discovered by Mary Boncher and Marie Anderson, the owners of Aria Models and Talent, in 1995. Closing the Nautica runway show. Opening for Ralph Lauren. Signing with Ford New York as a model. Shooting with Norman Jean Roy. I remember thinking I’d really made it when I wrapped CBS Big Brother in 2002 because I was famous in a national way. Recently I thought I’d made it when I became a regular on The Meredith Vieira Show. I think I have made it again because I just signed as a fashion stylist with Wilhelmina Models in Los Angeles, New York, and Miami.
The Meredith Vieira Show
What I’ve learned is “making it” really means something momentous has happened that causes a shift in your life in a positive way.
Now in a practical sense, I realized I made it when I knew my talent and hard work would support me. Making it means there would always be a way for me to make money and take care of myself and my family.”
How did your original passion bring you to where you are today?
“I don’t know if I knew what I wanted to be when I grew up. I knew I wanted more. I didn’t have a plan. I fell into modeling while going to university and became successful. I naturally progressed to fashion styling when modeling began to slow down. I was offered Big Brother by a friend in casting I knew from my modeling days. From there I fell into TV hosting and acting. Let’s not say “fell”, let’s say “lucked into”. But here’s the thing about luck; luck only works when you have talent and drive to back it up. I’ve always been very good at seeing all sides of a situation and working them to my advantage.”
Styling a TV segment
What would have been your alternate choice as a career? Was there one?
“I was working in retail when I switched gears and became a bartender and waiter. I was working at Chicago’s Marché when Mary and Marie discovered me as a model. I’d worked at some of the best and hottest restaurants in Chicago and Miami while modeling: Vivo, Marché, Cafe Absinthé, MK, RL, and Nemo in Miami. I really thought I’d open a restaurant or clothing store in Chicago.”
Your Favorites….
Book….The Little Prince
Movie…Breakfast at Tiffany’s
Musical…Into The Woods
Opera…Lakmé
Musician…Coldplay, Beyoncé
Designer…Tom Ford, Dries Van Noten
Favorite Store…IKRAM, Blake
Favorite Chicago Restaurant…So many! Sunda, Ceres Table, Mia Francesca, MK, Chicken and Farm Shop, Bottlefork, Tru
Hobbies…
“I really don’t have hobbies. I’m so passionate about my life that it’s all part of the same thing. My passions are my friends, napping (I can’t sleep enough), shopping (which is odd since I shop for a living), reading magazines, social media (I love Twitter, Snapchat, and Instagram, they are a window into the world), and collecting books on art, film, fashion and photography.”
Home: Modern, traditional, eclectic, antiques?
“I just sold a home in LA that I never thought of as home. Now I live in a tiny studio that is basically a dressing room since I live out of a suitcase. I’d call my apartment “minimalist hotel chic”. LOL! It really looks like a hotel room. I like white walls and white high count sheets on a king size bed, stacks of art books and magazines, floor to ceiling mirrors in dark wood and tons of chotskies. I love globes and little boxes in wood, marble, and even mirror. I’m toying with moving back to Chicago and making it my base so I’m slowing looking at apartments there.”
Who would you have at your fantasy dinner (living or dead) and what would you serve?
“So my fantasy dinner party would take place at either Café Habana in New York, Sunda in Chicago, or be catered by Michael Kornick from MK. I’m addicted to Rosé and Lambrusco. We’d have to have fries with truffle sauce from MK, I love French fries! There must be Krispy Kreme donuts and Coolhaus ice cream sandwiches. And In-and-Out burgers, double-double, animal style. Obviously, my inner fat boy is creating this menu!
I’m going to make my guest list Chicago-based: Owner of IKRAM, Ikram Goldman, investment banker, Melody Hobson, legendary June Blaker (who I worked for at a store called City ages ago), the divine Nena Ivon (who was so kind to me as a model), Jovanna Papadakis, who managed Victor Skrebeneski’s photography studio, photographer, Michael Voltattorni, restauranteur, Jerry Kleiner, Eva, my former runway booker from Elite, Chicago, models Eleanor Mercado, Cynthia Moore and Lia Cruzat, and owner of Ceres Table, Caryn Struit.”
Favorite vacation spot visited and/or on your list?
“I haven’t been on a proper vacation in decades. The way I work as a fashion stylist and TV host doesn’t give me a lot of down time and also means I travel constantly all over the world. Plus, I live in Los Angeles where it is perpetual summer. I love Greece. I shot a TV show there, Perfect Catch (E! Network), where we visited 8 islands. Kos, Ios, and Paros were my favorites. I was sequestered in Mexico while shooting Big Brother All-stars. It was gorgeous. In January I spent a week in Key West shooting Hunting Vintage (HGTV). That was so fun; great food, amazing bars, and the locals were so kind to us. We got to tour Ernest Hemingway’s estate. He’s one of my favorite writers so that was unreal.
If I were to vacation I’d go to New York and see my dear friends. It would be a vacation not to have to work or take meetings. I love cities. I love the vibe of people coming and going. I adore people watching and conversation. I love shopping, dining, and museums. So yeah…my vacation spot is New York, my favorite city in the World!”
How would you like to be remembered?
“So many things are said about me in the press and on the internet by fans and detractors alike. It’s like the more notable you become the less people really know you. I want to be remembered as I see myself; a nice guy with morals and conviction, who tried to make things a little better. And who shared a smile.”
Nena….A million thanks, Marcellas, for joining me in my blogging adventure and be assured your smile always lights up the space you occupy! You are THE best!
All photos courtsey of Marcellas Reynolds
FASHION FLASHBACK:ARCHIVES
When I was retiring from Saks Fifth Avenue, seven years ago, I didn’t really know what I wanted to do with all my paperwork, memorabilia, awards, etc. Who would want them and how would they house them? I did want them to be accessible for study. I didn’t have to think long…Heidi Marshall, Head of Archives & Special Collections at Columbia College Chicago, contacted me to see if I would be interested in giving everything to the College. Not only was I interested I was extremely honored. Heidi came to my office and started her search through my things, and believe me when I tell you, my office was filled. Every wall had either autographed photographs of many of the designers I had worked with but also photographs from events I had done, a wall dedicated to Victor Skebneski’s photographs, some of me, and various other materials. Press clippings, invitations, programs from shows, events, as well as events I had chaired or worked on, lots of fashion show files and photographs, and, of course, some books (those I kept!) she wanted everything and indeed, took it all! We photographed the office before dismantling it. Hope to find those photos.
The boxes on the table and on the cart are part of the Collection. The caricature is from 1966, I have the original, which is in color. I happen to love the whimsy of it. I guess the artist thought I had very large teeth! Everyone wore a hat in the fashion business at that time so here I am with my jaunty beret and, of course, my black and pearls!
More boxes and photos that we are working on. Some of these particular boxes hold awards. I am in the process of finding photos from past shows and events to share in future blogs. A lot of years to go through and really a fun trip down memory lane.
A shadow box (the batting was placed behind the bottles by the archivists) filled with miniature perfume bottles from various fragrance launches. The box was created by one of my assistants as a gift for me, I find it quite charming and almost naive. The archives also contain full-size bottles of some of the launches, many signed. The College had some of this part of the Collection on display in the school’s library.
Bob Mackie and Nena photographed at an American Cancer Society fashion show at the Hilton Hotel. I did many shows with Bob and he also was my date for a DIFFA gala I co-chaired also at the Hilton…more on that later.
I will be referring to the Nena Ivon Collection in the Columbia College Archives many times and I thought I would share a bit of insight of how the Collection came to be.
COLLECTIONS
I am in an Asian frame of mine…this week I have been working with an amazing designer, Andrew Gn, and assisting in presenting his extraordinary Spring 2017 collection to the members of the Costume Council of the Chicago History Museum and their guests. There is so much to talk about I want to give the event the space it deserves and I have to digest all the excitement we have had this week, I will be going into great detail about this charming creator in upcoming weeks…so what, you may ask, does this have to do with Collections. Well, we could stretch it and say a renowned French designer garments are collectibles, and believe me, Andrew Gn’s most certainly are, but Thursday’s posts aren’t about the fashion that we wear but rather what we surround ourselves with.
As I have previously mentioned, I am a very eclectic collector and Chinoiserie is a favorite. I don’t collect blue and white porcelain, but many of my friends do (does that sound like another post!!!) I think it all began with a screen that my Mother purchased at Marshall Field’s in their Fields Afar shop, what a wonderful place that was!
A section of the screen
My collection isn’t limited to small objects, I also have a chest with jade and stone inlay, it is used to store my fashion DVD’s, and I house a small part of my fashion designers research in two Asian inspired file cabinets.
The DVD cabinet
On top of the cabinet, I have amassed my small Asian collection which I add to when I find something that strikes my fancy (yes, that is a book nestled beside the cabinet, my books are everywhere!)
Speaking of striking fancies…the Randolph Street Market is not only this weekend…Saturday and Sunday, November 19 and 20 but next weekend as well, Saturday and Sunday, November 26 and 27 from 10 to 5 each day. I will be gathering material for an upcoming blog as well as posting on Instagram from RSM! Here is the address again, 1340 West Washington, do put it and the dates on your calendar. And for the Holiday Markets the free trolley is back…catch it beginning at 11:00 at the Water Tower, there is, of course, plenty of parking on site. You will need a break this weekend from your Thanksgiving planning and most certainly need to walk off the turkey and leftovers next week! And if that isn’t enough there is yet a third market before the end of the year, Saturday and Sunday, December 10 and 11. WOW! A perfect way to spend a day and do all your Holiday shopping for yourself and for your gift giving. It is my favorite way to spend a day or weekend, hope you will join me you never know what treasure is waiting for you!
WEDNESDAY MUSINGS
THE MAGNIFICENT MILE LIGHTS FESTIVAL
On Saturday, November 19th, BMO Harris Bank presents the 25th Annual Magnificent Mile Lights Festival.
Can that be possible? Let’s take a brief look back even further to see where it all began. I was sitting in the office of the General Manager of Saks Fifth Avenue, Hal Clyne, in a meeting with the Display Director (would now be called Visual Merchandising Director), Joe Kreis, discussing the upcoming Holiday season. At the time, and for many years, I managed the Holiday Boutique which housed the best of the best of the Store’s merchandise that I personally edited and styled for the shop. It started the day after Thanksgiving and went away on Christmas Eve. Joe was very excited about new information he had just received. He used a display company to buy props and have props made for the many windows we had on Michigan Avenue (the Store was then located on Michigan Avenue and Erie Street it moved to 700 North Michigan Avenue in 1990). The company was Silvestri. Joe and Mr. Silvestri were fast friends and Mr. Silvestri had told him about a discovery he had made while in Italy. Strings of tiny lights… At the time we had a lighted outline of a Christmas tree that went from the main floor to the fifth floor (the addition hadn’t been built). This tree was sold to Charles A. Stevens on State Street. What Joe wanted to do was festoon the elm trees in front of the Store with these lights….well the rest, as they say, is history, to say the least! Hal said go for it although he hesitated about the cost if memory serves me correctly, each tree was around $250, but it might have been less. The year, 1959!!!!
Obviously, this beautiful sight has not only grown in Chicago and covers all of Michigan Avenue trees but the bee lights are used all over the world. While sitting in another meeting, this time with the Greater North Michigan Avenue Association, talking about the lighting of the trees and how you would walk out in the evening and the trees were all glowing. It was suggested that something more special, more elaborate happen, that is how the Lights Festival happened…starting small and growing to the exceptional special event it is today.
Since Thanksgiving is next week I wanted to share a recipe that is tradition in the Ivon household. Very easy and truly delicious.
From Nena’s recipe box
Hot Carrot Mold
Grease a ring mold well, preheat oven to 350.
Mix the following as listed:
1 cup Crisco (regular Crisco not buttered and must be Crisco do not substitute, don’t worry it doesn’t taste like Crisco!)
1 cup dark brown sugar
Add 2 eggs
2 cups grated carrots
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 cup flour sifted with 1 teaspoon baking powder and 1 teaspoon baking soda
Bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Don’t overbake. Loosen around the center hole of the pan and around sides turn out onto a platter.
Note: You can make the batter the day before serving and keep in the refrigerator warm to room temperature and bake. Is great for leftovers…just heat until heated through. Also freezes well. I usually cut into individual servings if I freeze any leftovers.
Enjoy Turkey Day!!
BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS
I have been giving you my thoughts on books I own and although I didn’t think I would be asked to review books outside my own picks, at least not right away, how exciting that this happened through the Author Giveaways on LibraryThing. If you don’t know about LibraryThing, you should. I will, most certainly, talk about it in a BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS Tuesday posting. I have, in the meantime, given you the link to this extraordinary resource at the bottom of this post. Once you sign up you can list all your library however you like…it is truly amazing. There are many ways to use the site, you can chat with like book lovers and on and on. One of the ways this works is that authors give a brief outline about their newly published or about to be published book, which can be a physical book or an e-book. If you like the synopsis you can request the book in kind of a draw, there are only so many copies available, the only request by the author is that you give the book a review on Amazon, Good Reads, etc. A Perfumer’s Secret appealed to me, first of all, it would take me on a journey to France and secondly I have been intrigued with fragrance since I fell in love with my Mother’s fragrance Guerlain’s L’Heure Bleu as a little girl!! Yet another story to be told later. As well as working with many perfume and cosmetic companies, and learning so much about fragrances, during my Saks Fifth Avenue career. Much to my surprise the author, Adria J. Cimino, contacted me saying I had “won” the e-book! We have now become e-mail pals (someone needs to coin a name) and Adria will be the subject of a Monday profile in the very near future, how exciting. I will review the book next week…haven’t quite finished it, as well as giving you all of Adria’s blog information!
Here is a short list of some book blogs/sites that I follow (there are more!) that I would like to recommend to you in no particular order. In addition, be sure to support your local independent bookseller, most of them have blogs as well, (I’ll post about my favs in another post) and, of course, your local library…don’t you just love libraries, I do.
http://www.shelf-awareness.com
http://www.thecaptivereader.com
http://www.librarything.com (also an app)
Happy reading!
PROFILES: THE JOURNEY OF A JEWELER/ADVENTUER
I meet Margaret Buckman through a mutual friend several years ago. That mutual friend has since moved away in distance and communication and Margaret and I have become fast friends. Her journey, in my opinion, is not only fascinating but inspirational. Her vision in her jewelry pieces, her artwork, and her eclectic home is truly her own. Her versatility is amazing and I will share some of her jewelry pieces with you in this post along with her story. I will feature her collections in a Thursday posting. Just an aside, Margaret was my first interview, several months ago, when I was preparing to start my blog. My questionnaire was just being formed in my mind and I did taped in-depth interviews with my first “subjects” and transcribed them verbatim! I have since changed that format and usually just do the questionnaire and the highlights of the interviews, which, in most cases, are at least an hour in length…lots and lots of really good “stuff”! Here is the unabridged interview.
Margaret wearing one of her own designs Photo by David Cutrano
But enough from me let’s hear Margaret’s story in her own words. You will need a pot of coffee or perhaps a bottle of wine…you are in for quite an interesting journey.
Nena:
When did you realize your passion?
Margaret:
I knew all my life that I wanted to be surrounded by art. I was fortunate to grow up in a home with many beautiful things. My older siblings took me to the Art Institute of Chicago and to every cultural event imaginable so I was very clear, very coherent from a very early age that whatever I wanted to do in life that the arts would be very much a part of who I was.
I would sit on the floor in my home and look at the Sarouk rugs from Persia, they were massive and filled with salmon centers and with pattern and cobalt borders, they were magical. I was fascinated by how they were made and I’d look at the colors and how the rug was constructed and how the pattern was done and I always knew that in my life this would be there in some shape or form.
I was very fortunate, in my marriage and personal life, to have a husband who encouraged me to take classes, despite the fact that I was running a household, and I painted and learned to work with beads. About 18 years ago I went to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. I painted, wove and learned to make silver jewelry, studying at Instituto de San Miguel de Allende where I studied traditional silver making techniques…it was as if someone had breathed life into me. It was the first time I had been alone in years, I, of course, missed my husband and two kids, but realized that I was capable of so much more and it wetted my appetite for a whole new life of being able to communicate with others. It was one of the most amazing experiences…although I speak a little Spanish and a little French, we were communicating through our art and it was so powerful.
Margaret at work on future jewelry masterpieces. Photo on Nena’s iPhone
Nena:
You had that support and not a competition with your husband and it created true magic! You have a degree in interior design and as you have mentioned your husband encouraged you to go back to school. How did this evolve and what happened after the tragedy of his death?
Margaret:
I had gotten my degree, in my twenties, before I met my husband. I had always drawn and I had the audacity to walk into the School of the Art Institute of Chicago with one drawing from Ray Vogue. A cardboard drawing of a room, and I said to the woman interviewing me that I didn’t have a portfolio but I had a good heart and if she would tell me if I was qualified to get in there I would work so hard that she wouldn’t want me to leave and she said she would give me a chance and that was the start of going back to school and fulfilling a life long dream. I interned at the Hotel Rwanda Rusesabagina Foundation in Chicago and helped them with their first fundraiser. I personally got to know Paul Rusesabagina. I also did two internships at the same time while helping with fundraisers at the Arts & Business Council Chicago and the Arts Alliance Illinois, all while carrying a 15-hour load at SAIC. It was worth every minute of it!
Jewelry and textile, Margaret Buckman; photo, David Cutrano; model Tia Bat; hair Marifel Lagatuz Westa; make[up Jeannie Giannone. Photo from the upcoming exhibition “The Places in Between”
Flash forward to 10 years ago, I got a call that my husband had been critically injured in a car accident and had died. That, obviously, was the beginning of another chapter in my life My daughter was getting married and my son was in college and a lot of other things were happening and I said I can’t stay in the suburbs any longer. I wrote another letter to SAIC and asked if they would believe in me again and promised them that I would help other women (that’s my thing!). They not only agreed but gave me a $5000.00 scholarship and that was my way of getting back into the city and back into life. I went back to school full time and I piggybacked all my internships. During this time I had a stress fracture in my back and could barely walk. I painted with Karl Wirsum, part of the “Hairy Who” and one of my heroes, on Saturdays, and he was so kind. One must realize that your life is evolving and changing. People around you can see it and what you must realize is that the small steps and opportunities are blessings in disguise. You make new friends, have new experiences you must be open to it and to never, ever give up!
Nena:
Margaret let’s get a bit less serious, what do you like to read?
Margaret:
Anything relating to the Silk Road
Nena:
Your favorite Chicago Street Art?
Margaret:
The mosaic on the walls of the underpass at Bryn Mawr, especially the mirrors in the mosaic.
Nena:
Where do you find inspiration?
Margaret:
I love to hunt for artifacts. I’ve been all over the world, and to the Silk Road. I love the feeling of standing in something that is ancient, such as a camel rest stop where the Bedouins are somewhere in time. I love to be in that historical moment where the past, the present, and the future come together. Sitting in a car or a bus and looking out the window going through the countryside of India or Thailand and seeing massive green fields with dots of color, thinking it is flowers and realizing that is the women of Rajasthan, India, and their textiles. Seeing the beauty of nature everywhere. Whether it is a pile of garbage or a pile of fabrics or spices, to me it’s the ultimate to travel everywhere. But we were talking, you and I, about being able to travel in Chicago and seeing a doorway or a planter in front of a building, seeing someone being helped into a car, a homeless person, being given a meal by a passerby…it’s the dichotomy of so many different things, every day is an adventure if you are privileged to live in the City of Chicago, if you are privileged to live in the world!
Jewelry and Textiles, Margaret Buckman; photo by Jean Sweet; model Kirsten Luiz; Hair and Make-up, Jaycie
Nena:
What about your love of cooking?
Margaret:
I started cooking at a very early age, I came from a family of foodies. I have foodie kids, my daughter had a macaroon business for awhile. My son is a chef. We move on our stomachs in this family. It’s like art…cooking is art! You have to figure it out…you make caramel sauce for the first time and you burn it, next time or the next it is as easy as 1,2,3. I love to make souffles, love to make one pot meals, with really fresh vegetables. We are so fortunate to have so many farmers markets and so many places to get really good food in Chicago. I love to whip up meals and have friends come for lunch or dinner. Again, this is a wonderful town for food, great restaurants and food providers all over the city. Whatever you have a taste for you can find and it’s fabulous! (Watch for Margaret’s recipes in future posts.)
Nena:
What do you like to do to “entertain” yourself?
I love being at the Chicago History Museum in the Costume Collection and doing my volunteer work. I get to work in the catacombs of the building and work with the most exquisite jewelry, textiles, and artifacts cataloging them once a week It’s the ultimate treat and I hope everyone will come and see our Museum and be there in the moment and see history being played out. And if you want hope, think back to the Chicago Fire and how everything was burned to the ground, up to the Water Tower, and how our City began again and became even better than before. Those are some of the things I like to do…I’m never bored…being bored is boring!!!
You can clearly see Margaret’s pieces are never boring (nor are her embroidered boots!) Photo taken at the Chicago History Museum by Nena with her iPhone
I told you, you were in for a fascinating interview…I know you aren’t disappointed. You will see more of Margaret’s jewelry as well as her home and artwork in future posts and get some of her delicious recipes.
Please go to Margaret’s website
FASHION FLASHBACK: THE INCREDIBLE NORMAN NORELL
Norman Norell 1900-1972
Suzy Parker Life Magazine cover 1952 photo Milton Green
This stunning photo of Suzy Parker, in a Norman Norell mermaid gown, was one of the reasons I wanted to get into the fashion business. I thought the models of the late ’40’s and ’50’s and the clothes in ads and editorials were so glamorous and breathtaking, that I decided it was the place for me. And guess what I worked with the gentleman who created this illusion, Norman Norell! Who knew….
Norman Norell was considered one of the top American designers, I would say top International designers, when I began at Saks Fifth Avenue, Chicago and I had the extreme honor of presenting his annual fashion shows in the Grand Ballroom of the Chicago Hilton on South Michigan Avenue (I have done more shows at the Hilton than any other venue) for the American Cancer Society Women’s Board, an organization I worked with for many years and featured the best of the best of American designers. Mr. Norell didn’t do many formal shows outside of New York, but when we asked him to come to Chicago he readily agreed, you see he had cancer himself so the cause was one he strongly believed in.
The Norell shows were unique in that Mr. Norell brought his four models with him, Claudia, Doreen, Clare and Yvonne and we chose four local models and did their hair and make-up in exactly the same manner. You couldn’t tell which were the New York models or the Chicago models. At the time, the Norell look was a slick “garcon” haircut, very severe yet stunning and perfect for his clothing. The make-up was extremely dramatic with smoky eye and red lip (a la the Van Dongan portrait of the Marchesa Luisa Casati, if you don’t know about her, please educate yourself via books* and, of course, the internet! An amazing character!) In addition, there was no commentary, we did commentary with all shows, and to only use 8 models, which was the norm then, with just music was unusual. Believe me, these garments didn’t need descriptions, they spoke perfectly on their own. In retrospect, it added to the elegance and salon feel of the shows and the models walked the runway very slowly so the audience could see the details of the clothes.
Mr. Norell with his models in iconic Life Magazine 1960 photo by Milton Green
Marchesa Luisa Casati by Kees Van Dongan seen in the background of the photo above
Cover of Life Magazine 1960
I can not tell you how much I coveted a Norell Mermaid gown…talk about dreaming the impossible dream…I was making $37.50 take home pay per week and if I recall correctly the gowns, at that time, were around $3500.00! You do the math. They were, all hand beaded and magnificent and strangely enough very light weight.
Bad photo but you get the idea!
At one of the fashion shows he had silk scarves to go with some of the outfits, and as the show was in progress he decided on the spur of the moment to have the models toss them into the audience, obviously creating quite a frenzy, what fun and totally unexpected! I wonder who still has one of those scarves. At one point in time, Revlon introduced a Norell fragrance, the first to be named for an American designer. Saks, of course, gave all the guests a bottle as their gift. The fragrance was relaunched a couple of years ago at Neiman Marcus. Mr. Norell was always very gracious to all the staff and worked with the clientele perfectly…advising them on selections to add to their vast Norell wardrobes. Many of these garments are now housed at the Chicago History Museum in the Costume Collection.
Love this outfit and typically Norell from the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Collection
One of the perks of working with leading designers is learning their techniques and tricks, one of the many pointers I picked up from Mr. Norell was how to tie a bow, you can see one in the above image, he loved to do huge bows, this one on an evening piece, don’t you love it!. But he also did bows on dresses and blouses worn with his open-collared jackets and coats. There wasn’t anything superficial about the Norell look it was all about perfect tailoring, perfect construction, perfect fabrics and perfect beading always allowing the wearer to be the focal point of the garment. It wasn’t Couture but each garment was completely made by one person not passed from seamstress to seamstress.
What a lucky person I was to have started with the likes of Norman Norell, Bonnie Cashin, Anne Fogerty, Anne Klein, Emilio Pucci and, of course, Sophie Gimbel all of whom you will learn more about in upcoming posts along with the many, many other designers and fashion personalities I have had the joy of working with over the years.
The Norman Norell plaque on the Fashion Walk of Fame in New York
The catalog from the Norman Norell Exhibition immediately following his death
Illustration by Michael Vollbracht
*Infinite Variety: The Life and Legend of the Marchesa Casati available from Amazon.com or I’m sure can be ordered from your favorite Independent Bookseller