How many of you remember the days when the highlight of the month was your mother’s Town & Country magazine arriving in the mailbox? Its’ glossy pages gave a glimpse into a fancy lifestyle with beautiful visual stories, big hair, bigger jewels, and luxurious interiors.
As a young girl, I remember first flipping to the very last page and reading the horoscopes! I would read my own first, of course (Scorpio). Then, I would read the horoscope of any boy that I may have had a crush on, followed by a friend’s who may have needed encouragement (usually about their very own crush). Always looking for a happy prediction that something good was about to happen! After all, it was never bad news. Always hopeful, written elegantly, and accompanied by beautiful illustrations for each sign that changed monthly depending on the theme of each publication. With the future secure, I would then flip to the glamorous pages of weddings! Newport, Beverly Hills, Palm Beach, Venice…the most gorgeous destinations! There was always a featured wedding with several photos and a lengthy description of all the details, and then a few with just a small photo and brief announcement. My favorites were always the ones at the Plaza Hotel in New York. That was one of the few places that I had ever visited where these grand affairs took place. Magnificent flowers and perfectly coifed brides with lots of tulle and absurdly huge puffed sleeves! Town & Country was the beacon of luxury and defined aspirational journalism in those days.
Imagine my complete and utter giddiness when an email popped into my inbox from an editor who had visited our store just a few months prior. She wrote to me that she would be coming back to Charleston for a photo shoot for their special weddings edition and asked if we would be willing to loan a few jewels for the model to wear! "Pinch me!" I thought. What a moment! The next call was from the CVB (Charleston Area Convention and Visitors Bureau) who was helping the Town & Country staff scout out the locations for the shoot! They were as thrilled as we were at the thought of a chance to showcase our city in such an iconic magazine. While planning for each shot location, it was decided that it might be fun to have a few shots inside of our store.
