100%

Scanned image of the page. Keyboard directions: use + to zoom in, - to zoom out, arrow keys to pan inside the viewer.

Page Options

Share

Something wrong?

Something wrong with this page? Report problem.

Rights / Permissions

The University of Michigan Library provides access to these materials for educational and research purposes. These materials may be under copyright. If you decide to use any of these materials, you are responsible for making your own legal assessment and securing any necessary permission. If you have questions about the collection, please contact the Bentley Historical Library at bentley.ref@umich.edu

December 26, 2003 - Image 72

Resource type:
Text
Publication:
The Detroit Jewish News, 2003-12-26

Disclaimer: Computer generated plain text may have errors. Read more about this.

SS: Now, on to the subject near and
dear to both of us: fashion! What
impact do you think 9/11 has had on
the fashion world?
JB: I was in New York, covering
Fashion Week, on Sept. 11, and my
initial reaction was that fashion would
end. After all, how could something so
frivolous ever matter again, in the
light of the horror that was unfolding.
I couldn't even imagine anyone ever
wanting to go shopping again. But, the
human spirit is a very resilient thing.
And fashion is all about making us feel
better about ourselves. Things may
have been a bit ambiguous for the first
couple of seasons ... and then suddenly,
designers realized that fashion could
offer us a great opportunity to escape.
Fashion enables us to dream. And
now, two years later, fashion has
become a feel-good therapy during
these troubled times.

SS: My stage and TV shows are an
outlet for my dream of "stardom."
Since your career began as an actress, is
the fashion element the same for you?
JB: Not really. If anything, fashion got in
the way of my childhood dreams of
"stardom." I thought I was going to be
the next Sarah Bernhardt. But when I
realized that the acting profession wasn't

a secure one, I decided to turn my talents
to media, first covering the rock world,
then movies and eventually fashion.
I'm passionate about the fashion'
world because I love those giant, col-
orful egos. And I also love the fact that
fashion is one form of creative expres-
sion that we all get to take part in.
Still, in my heart of hearts, I guess I
do wish I had remained true to my
initial passion and stuck with acting. It
seems that, now, the only "character" I
get to play is Jeanne Beker.

SS: The celebrity ingredient has
made fashion of greater interest to
the general public. How do you feel
about "the fashion darlings" of the
moment, such as Nicole Kidman and
Britney Spears?

JB: Most "fashion darlings" rely on stylists

to give them style. Very few have natural
instincts about what's right to wear, and
even fewer have good taste. I wish there
were more "fashion originals" out there.

SS: Which celebrity was your favorite
interview? Your most difficult?
JB: Karl Lagerfeld is one of my
favorites. He's brilliant and witty and
extremely quick. The hardest was Iggy
Pop, mostly because he was dead
drunk.

SS: I loved
writing about
Detroit's Art
Deco architec-
ture, such as
Cranbrook and
the Fisher
Building, for
your premiere
issue of FQ.
When will it
be available in
the States?
JB: I believe
our next issue,
for spring, will
be in New
York. We're
working on it
now

Jeanne Beker with Isaac Misrahi, one of many designers she's
interviewed for her widely syndicated TV show.

SS: Canada has
so many TV
shows related
to fashion, but
Canadians have
never been
considered
fashion for-
ward, nor has
your country
ever produced

"Girlfriends" Jeanne Beker and Sandy Schreier

an internationally known designer.
Why?
JB: Canada has great shows about
fashion because Canadians are great
observers — just far enough away
from all the hype to remain objective.
We haven't produced many interna-
tionally recognized designers — except
for Lida Baday, whose clothes are
worn by Oprah and sold at Bergdorf's
— because developing a fashion career
takes a lots of money and that's some-
thing we in Canada don't have.
But, we do have the talent: D
Squared (twin brothers Dean and Dan
Caten), the hot design duo that's taking
Milan by storm (available at Linda
Dresner); shoe designer_ Patrick Cox
(now designing Charles Jourdan shoes);
and don't forget Arnold Scaasi, who
was born Arnold Isaacs in Montreal.

SS: Fashion Television is seen all over
the world. Are you as big an intema-
tional star as a hometown star?
JB: I've been on TV for 25 years here
in Canada, so it's no wonder I'm a

celebrity. I certainly get recognized in
other cities around the world, but not
to the same degree.
It's actually a good thing that my
celebrity wanes a bit outside the
Canadian borders. That grounds me
and keeps me humble.

SS: What's ahead for Jeanne Beker?
JB: I just want to keep pushing my -
own personal envelope. My late father
used to say not to be afraid and never
give up. That's become my personal
motto. I owe that to my survivor par-
ents: The hopes and dreams of their
youth were shattered.
It's up to me, and to my children, to
continue picking up the pieces and
lead the sort of fabulous lives my par-
ents were never allowed.

SS: And, Jeanne, you've done just that!
Congratulations, Girlfriend! El

Fashion Television currently airs 3 p.m. Thursdays and 7 p.m. Sundays on
E!'s Style Network. Check your local cable listings, or go to www.stylenet-
work.com for up-to-date show times. For more information on Fashion
Television, go to
vvww.fashiontelevision.com .

12/26

2003

73

Back to Top

© 2024 Regents of the University of Michigan