I’ve been really sick for about a week now but finally coming around. Last week I fainted in the shower and busted my lip, bruised my cheek and crawled out somewhat alive. Norovirus - 1 Me - 0.
I had skipped out on a ski trip wanting to stay home and get healthy, Ha! (Plus, not going to lie - a little freaked out with all the plane “accidents” lately) The joke was on me as I got sicker than I have ever been in my life. Maybe some mountain air would have been good for me but I chose Home Depot and deeply regret it.
When I finally able to lift my head I realized I had missed a full news cycle. Which was probably good for me I’ve been hanging on to every story since before the election and needed to shut down. I just hate when self reflection is forced but sometimes that is the only way. So many important storied but one really stood out to me. I wrote about it a few months ago when I was in NYC and the holiday lights were dim on 5th Ave. The acquisition of Saks by Hudson Bay was now as predicted taking down Neiman Marcus. Or as my mother likes to call them “Needless Mark-ups” even though she has been a devout follower for decades. The new owner is in fact closing the doors in Dallas. A real estate play you can read about in my previous entry.
The closing reminded me of a story I have been wanting to properly tell for quite sometime about how Dallas socialites saved Coco Chanel in the late 1950’s. The fashion house she built had fallen on hard times and was struggling financially. In the fall of 1957 Neiman Marcus honored Coco Chanel for Distinguished Services in the Field of Fashion. She traveled to Dallas, Texas to receive the award and while there sold out her collection which helped save the house. That same year Christian Dior suddenly passed away and she found herself at the helm of Dior and making history. This is a very abridged version and I will be back to cover it in full once I’ve rested and have properly pulled all the archives. The Daily-Mail touched on it briefly back in 2013. This story also influenced Karl Lagerfeld to do a cowboy runway show in Dallas and I think both designers can be credited with the current cowboy phenomenon. For now, I will leave you with this photo of her at a square-dance with Stanley Marcus. Oh to be a fly on that barn door.
Today I am prepping for my interview with Meghan McCain before we go live tomorrow. I feel honored to be asked to join her show and I want to give it my all. I know she too faced public scrutiny over her political beliefs and it will be fun to compare notes. If you have any questions for us feel to join the chat.
As I was writing this it came to my attention that community leaders in Dallas are fighting to keep Neiman Marcus in the historic building. I know it seems like just a fancy shop but for over 100 years it has been a local institution. Once these things are gone we can never get them back. The squabble started over the lease agreement and the landlord and new owner basically played chicken to see who would cave. A coalition of city and economic officials have stepped in and met in front of Neiman’s today. They are calling for a meeting between Saks Global and the property owners to make a deal within the next month. This was reported by D Magazine in Dallas and I really hope they can work something out. I love history and this seems worth the fight.
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