November 20, 2008
Haunted In Beverly Hills
Mary Jane asked me to join her at Brooks Brothers in Beverly Hills for a March Of Dimes event. I had some time before I was to meet up so I high-tailed it to Neiman Marcus. I needed eye cream and an SPF moisturizer. I can't really afford Neiman's luxury prices but my logic says it is cheaper for me to buy something there via NM credit than paying directly out-of-pocket for crap at the drug store. Backing up the life clock - I used to work at Neiman's. I was in the visual merch department, designing the windows and displays. It's nearly Thanksgiving so the first thing I notice is that the display windows are veiled but I can see the shimmering back walls that will be the motif of their Christmas windows. I think of all the time I spent in those windows. I see the Christmas trees all a-glitter in the store. I think to myself, they've only changed the colors on the trees but they still look the same as they did ten years ago. I feel weird inside the store, familiar but like another life. I'm a ghost. I wander the cosmetics area for a minute before some sales wench calls to me. (I can say wench because I know how it works - they are catty backstabbers for a sale.) It's the darphin counter. I tell them I'm looking for a somewhat inexpensive eye cream, like $50 or under. They tell me theirs is $165. Before I can tell them they weren't listening to me and they should know the other lines, someone recognizes me and I let her take me away to Lancome. Joanie from Keihl's recognizes me too so when my shopping bag is filled with my Keihl's eye cream and my Lancome SPF moisturizer, it is also filled with samples. As I'm paying I see my old boss walking towards the inside entrance to the display windows. I recognized the fast walk because it's a week before Thanksgiving and it's almost 6 PM and there's a shit load of work to do and if it doesn't get done along with a million other things, shit is going to hit the fan. I call to him and he has just enough time to come hug me, tell me he likes all my ivory (I'm wearing my great aunt's vintage necklaces) and answer my question of how he's doing with, "It's Christmas, how do you think?" And he sprints off.
I got my car and moved it to a public parking structure off Rodeo Drive. I still had a little time and walked to Backstage, a bar that belonged to the late Ian Copeland. It was shuttered and for lease. Another relic of another life.
MJ had told me the Rodeo address of Brooks Brothers because I couldn't picture it in my head. But just as I walked and turned onto Rodeo I didn't have to look at any numbers. Duh, Nora. Big duh. It was the old Tommy Hilfiger store. The building that TH built and that I was hired to do display at before the 25,000 square foot structure was even open in 1998. Ten years ago I was shlepping giant male mannequins (seriously inordinate) around this behemoth space. Getting flown to New York to design the windows that weren't completed yet and having "Pull-My-Finger" treat us underlings like underlings. I never did understand how they could find one ensemble on a mannequin wrong and another right - it all looked the same either way. Stripes, plaids, sweaters tied around shoulders. Hilfiger was trying to become a couture designer after years of "designing" striped t-shirts and khakis. The whole flagship thing didn't last and now that corner space on Rodeo and Little Santa Monica is Brooks Brothers. I wandered around, feeling ghostly again. The BB tuxes are now where the kids clothes used to be. The women's department used to house TH's attempt at rock star-wear. The spaces in between departments were always too small but the marble staircase and the domed ceiling still impressive. The environment in which I worked there was (though at times fun and exciting) highly antagonizing and misogynistic. So it was that when Neiman's called, I left and went from Rodeo to Wilshire.
After downing a few glasses of free wine at BB and MJ purchasing for the cause, we went to rex, a hotel bar on Rodeo for more wine, dinner and kvetching. MJ works for California Health and Family Planning. I'm betting nobody in the world has ever or ever will utter the words she shared this night. While talking about work, she said, "We had a wine tasting for the STD chiefs." After seeing my humored expression, she added, "They know fermentation!"
November 18, 2008
Happy Campers
Owners of the newest dog portrait sent me this pic to show me its new home.
It can also be seen here.
