Beverly Johnson was the first supermodel I ever met.

It was 1988, and I’d started my own design business in a swanky new building in Universal City. Beverly was visiting the office next door and somehow—lucky for me—was encouraged to drop by mine. We became friends right off the bat, and she let me tag along to many memorable dinners and parties on both coasts. We’ve remained friends ever since.

About ten years ago, Beverly introduced me to her super-model-turned-gardener friend, Kelly Emberg, who, fast forward to today, is our GENLUX garden editor. Both Beverly and Kelly rose to stardom primarily because of Vogue. Beverly became the first black model to grace its cover in August 1974, and Kelly dominated its covers in the early ’80s. You may also remember Kelly through her catchy Cover Girl commercials that rang out, “That face, that face, that Cover Girl face!” Or maybe because she was, for many years, the girlfriend of bad boy rockstar Rod Stewart.

Today, Beverly and Kelly are living proof that age is only a number. The now 60-somethings look as radiant and beautiful as ever on our GENLUX cover in their matching yellow Halston halter dresses photographed on the beaches of Malibu by Marc Baptiste and styled by Mimi Lombardo. I have Rod to thank for inspiring the title for Beverly and Kelly’s feature story: Forever Young (p74).

In this “ageless” issue, we also feature actress Maeve Quinlan—youthful at 57—whom we know from her 11-year role as Megan on The Bold and the Beautiful. The stunning images of Maeve are courtesy of genius photographer Andrew Matusik, who recently moved back to LA from New York, and Corinne DiGiaimo, a brilliant up-and-coming stylist from Texas (p28).

In the serendipity department: I had the opportunity to meet a woman whose photograph I’ve gazed at a thousand times over the last 30 years. In photographer Slim Aarons’s famous image, Poolside Gossip, two women are seen chatting while nestled on white chaise lounges behind the Kaufmann Desert House—the home designed by architect Richard Neutra. The photo captures the essence of Palm Springs life in the late ’60s and early ’70s. The woman on the right in the picture is Nelda Linsk, who, at the time, owned the magnificent home. Last week, Nelda was honored at the second annual Beverly Johnson’s Mother’s Day Shop for a Cause Extravaganza to benefit The Barbara Sinatra Children’s Center. The event was sponsored by Saks Fifth Avenue and GENLUX. Through pre- and post-event conversations, I expressed how it would be my dream to recreate her photograph at the famed estate. Stay tuned.

A sad day in fashion.

Today was Karl’s last show for CHANEL.

The king of fashion is gone. The genius who designed for CHANEL since 1982, FENDI since 1965, and his eponymous collection since 1984, died on February 19th. He was 85.

Karl Lagerfeld, who considered himself European (his father was Swiss, but Karl was born in Germany and lived in France), was the world’s most famous and prolific designer of our time. He invented his caricature look with his sunglasses, powdered ponytail, black jeans, fingerless gloves, black fitted jacket, and starched collars. He attributed his success to never being satisfied and never looking back.

Though he grew up wanting to be a cartoonist or illustrator, Karl’s career path started in 1954 when he entered the International Wool Secretariat fashion competition and won the coat category. It changed the world for Karl, who didn’t know he could make a living in fashion.

He apprenticed under Pierre Balmain for three years until he left for Jean Patou, where he stayed for five. He then freelanced for Krizia, Ballantyne, Charles Jourdan, Valentino, and Chloé, where he remained for over ten years. His many decades-long stints at CHANEL and FENDI would solidify his position as fashion’s most enduring designer.

He approached his work and dictatorial design process philosophically. He was decisive and made no excuses for being unwaveringly resolute in his process. Karl would often say, “Every decision is a final refusal,” an axiom he would, perhaps mistakenly, attribute to Baruch Spinoza.

Karl also enjoyed retelling the story of Lady Mendle, the interior designer who authored The House of Good Taste. The story goes that when presenting ideas to Henry Clay Frick, she offered only one design concept. When Frick inquired about a second, she said, “No second options.” The notion that if you are hiring the best to design for you and you trust their judgment implicitly, therefore, why, in God’s divine plan, would there be a need for a second option? For Karl, this philosophy was embraced by both FENDI and CHANEL.

Karl worked tirelessly on 14 collections per year and loved his position, where he was dedicated to design and design only. The other duties were handed off to experts whom he appreciated greatly, and he especially didn’t like to speak about marketing. “We aren’t selling cars,” Karl once said. He also didn’t allow his customers to dictate his design. “I don’t think about consumers. Don’t flatter other people’s taste.” He appreciated the support that the brands gave to his design; regardless of his demands, they bent to his whims. Take, for example, the elaborate and immensely costly transformations of the Grand Palais for his Chanel fashion shows.

Karl lived alone in his Left Bank apartment, save for a Birman cat named Choupette—known famously for her diamond necklaces, a personal maid, her travels on private jets, and her Instagram account.

Today, as the models held back tears on their last walk in a Karl Lagerfeld-for-CHANEL fashion show, the sad reality set in that Karl wouldn’t be coming out to take a final bow.

Farewell, Mr. Lagerfeld, may you rest in peace.

More documentaries, please.

Documentaries, aside from coffee table books, are my drug. For me, they can’t make them fast enough—especially in the fashion and design categories. Thus, as the rains begin to pour in LA—meaning it’s time to spend more time indoors—let’s Postmates some sushi and binge-watch seven of fashion’s finest documentaries.

1. Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui’s McQueen (2018) is about the rollercoaster life of Alexander McQueen. It is a beautifully edited documentary that covers the designer’s life from his early school days to his rise to the top of the fashion chain up until his tragic suicide. The film reveals his obsessions, his demons, and his extraordinary relationship with fashion stylist Isabella Blow.

2. Like finely polished silverware, R. J. Cutler’s The September Issue (2007) is shiny and flawless and reflects on the lives of those building fashion’s bible, Vogue, and its brilliant leader, Anna Wintour. Also featured prominently is Vogue’s creative director, Grace Coddington, whose own struggles are played out in the film ala Queen Anna slashing and burning some of Coddington’s favorite fashion stories.

3. Nobody’s life in fashion was as fabulous as Diana Vreeland’s, and this documentary is, too: Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel (2011) by filmmakers Lisa Immordino Vreeland and Bent-Jorgen Perlmutt. It is a brilliantly constructed representation of Vreeland’s editorship at Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar and her larger-than-life persona. Side note: Our friend and hairstylist Robert Steinken can quote every line of DV.

4. Valentino: The Last Emperor, (2008). If living vicariously through the opulent life of others brings you happiness, then hop onboard this joy ride. Director Matt Tyrnauer, who was given carte blanche access into Valentino’s life, peels back the velvet curtain to reveal how it’s good to be Valentino. You know, things like making sure the dogs have their seats on the private jet and other normal activities.

5. Mix one part humility, two parts kindness, and three parts love of the job, and you have Bill Cunningham New York (2011). Director Richard Press captures the essence of the man who photographed and edited street fashion as a reporter for The New York Times from 1978 to 2016. So ethical was this man, Cunningham, that he would even refuse food or drink at events so as not to influence his reporting.

6. Take a genius title like Scatter My Ashes at Bergdorf’s (2013) and you have the basis for a sweeping documentary by director Matthew Miele into one of America’s most influential fashion retailers. And now, with the death of Henri Bendel—may she rest in peace—Bergdorf has an even greater torch to carry.

7. Most everyone’s favorite shoe designer, Manolo Blahnik, is the subject of journalist-slash-director Michael Roberts, who brings us into the meticulous cobbler’s life. Manolo: The Boy Who Made Shoes for Lizards (2017) is the fascinating documentary of Blahnik, whose pricey shoes are coveted by celebs, stylists, and fashion slaves. Featured players include Anna Wintour, Naomi Campbell, Iman, Karlie Kloss, Paloma Picasso, Rihanna, André Leon Tally, and more.

When it comes to fashion magazines, I am, admittedly, a big ol’ hoarder. If you’re like me, it pains us to even think about throwing them away. In the den, in the corners of closets, in the garage (true, we can no longer park cars there) and on every bookshelf are stacks upon stacks of American and British Harper’s Bazaar, and every iteration of Vogue—British, Italian, Japanese, and French. I have pristine (many unwrapped) copies of Numero, Pop, 10, Flaunt, Love, and Carine Roitfeld’s CR Fashion Trend. Sure, I’ve not opened most of these issues in years, but I intend to…really.

Another heartwrenching reality is that some of our most valued print titles like Glamour are closing. Among them, one of my favorites, Interview, shuttered earlier this year, only to be revived (thank you Peter Brant) last month. I’m hoping there are enough readers who cherish the tactile experience of flipping printed pages to fan the narrowing flame.

We count our blessings that Genlux is still printing after fifteen years. It’s a passion project fueled by those who share a love of fashion, photography, and by our featured subjects, who, for the most part, are advocates of giving back. One such story is the young Mason Grammer (p16), the daughter of Kelsey and Camille Grammer, who’s described by her model agent, David Todd, as the new It girl. She’s endured childhood challenges (parent’s divorce playing out on reality TV, Camille’s cancer) only to emerge stronger and with an inspired drive to help others. Sadly, just a few weeks after we photographed Camille and Mason at Camille’s beautiful Malibu home, it burned to the ground.

Mason Grammer with her mom, Camille at home in Malibu, October 2018

Also featured in this issue are two young actresses polishing their chops on hit TV shows. Jessica Parker Kennedy (p44) is the small screen’s newest superhero starring on The CW’s The Flash, and Victoria Konefal (p30) is the stunner who stars as Ciara Brady on the NBC soap opera Days of Our Lives. Talk about longevity, Days has been running every week since 1965.

Now, let’s journey into the future, where you happen to catch an episode of Antiques Roadshow. As the camera pans across a mountain of magazines, the expert on the subject of ephemera waxes ad nauseam about their pristine condition. He asks the mandatory question: “Any idea how much this collection might be worth?” Then, he says, “I would place a value on your collection of Vogue, Bazaar, etc., at about $500. However, this breathtaking collection of GENLUX magazines is, well,” he says, choking back tears, “priceless.”