Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/1506595
would take an hour or more: "Change 'Stark' to 'Starck.'" "Delete comma after 'Vuitton,'" "The correct name of the elephant at the Moulin Rouge party is Morty, not Marty." Usual day. Almost all my time was spent laughing and scheming with Brooke and our legendary associate publisher, Margaret Stafford — one of the funniest, most intuitive people in my life, to this day. Margaret had so many story ideas and she loved all the parties and the people in the magazine. She still does. I like some quiet time in the morning with a cup of coffee — but Margaret would appear in my doorway, and the zingers and ideas would start flying, and we were off and running. It was nonstop fun with Brooke and Margaret. I don't know how we got each issue out the door — especially with all those society parties at night — but somehow we did. And we were proud of each one. Your desk. I had the office with the big, wooden desk where almost all the EICs sat. Brooke had her own office next door. The big desk was like something out of Mad Men — massive and angular and made of walnut. There was a long walnut credenza behind it. I kept the desk fairly neat because we always had PR reps popping in, or the occasional society character, but that credenza was jammed full of photos, CDs, file folders, and all kinds of tchotchkes from all kinds of parties. The real me was hidden behind those credenza doors. Favorite party. By far, the blowout we had with Neiman Marcus for Tom Ford's first book in 2004. It was one of those over-the-top productions put on by Ken Downing, then the corporate VP of PR for Neiman Marcus, and Mike Thompson, the talented freelance stylist. Those two produced every epic party of the 2000s — always thematic and witty and wild. This one was in the downtown store, where the elevators had been lined in faux white fur and there were male go- go dancers gyrating on top of the jewelry counters, wearing nothing but underwear and socks — held up by sock garters, of course. We had about 500 people clamoring to meet Tom and have him sign their books. The joint was jumping. I finally got to meet Tom, my style idol. I can't even tell you what we talked about — but I know he remembers every word. Favorite story. Every one of them. Ray Nasher's own house. My Tom Ford interview. All the fashion designers and architects we interviewed — all the greats came through town, because there was no Instagram, no nonstop social media in the palms of our hands all day long. They had to get out and hustle, and so did we! Our era was a magic era — the society parties, the arts scene, the design scene. The Great Recession of 2008 and 2009 knocked some sequins off that gown. It had to change. That frenzy couldn't sustain. It needed a reset. Memorable Dallas personality you profiled. It had to be the late, great decorator Beverly Field. She looked like Bette Davis and sounded like her, too. She had exceptional taste and a wit that would cut glass. She hated big, oversized furniture — she said it was for horses, not humans. She taught me about contrast, and how to mix modern things with ancient things. She called computers "email machines." She didn't know how to use one. She much preferred to pick up the phone and talk. She was so inquisitive. She went to every cultural thing she could — and she seemed so youthful because of it. We should all take a lesson from that. Fanboy moment. Aside from Tom Ford, I'd have to say Andrée Putman, the groundbreaking French interior designer. She came through Dallas to check on a project she had here, and I had a breakfast interview with her at the Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek — just the two of us, talking about life and love and anything but design! That happened with Diane von Furstenberg, too. I interviewed her in a booth at the "I DON'T KNOW HOW WE GOT EACH ISSUE OUT THE DOOR — BUT SOMEHOW WE DID." — ROB BRINKLEY