There are times when you go about your day weary, exhausted, and very much grounded in reality. They’re days when you scoff at Cinderella and the notion of luxury, because they seem millions of miles away from where you are in your current state of being. Everyone has those days, no matter how much we may wish that life could be nothing but tea and crumpets. Although times like this can be a drag, they also help me truly appreciate those days that are so special that they seem to be covered in fairy dust. Yesterday, for example, was a fairy dust day for me.
As I previously mentioned in my last post, my best friend Mackenzie came out to visit this past week. It was one of the most amazing experiences to get to explore the city that never sleeps with one of my favorite people, and I was so incredibly touched that she was able to come see me and this bustling metropolis before she had to get back to the grindstone that is college. We had a grand old time together, and pretty much walked everywhere our legs could carry us. Unfortunately, yesterday was her last day here, so I wanted it to be extra special. After a tour of the Met and a walk through Central Park, I took her to The Plaza Hotel, hoping to happen upon some luxurious mischief reminiscent of my experience a few weeks ago. As much fun as I had last time, I think it would be safe to say that yesterday was even cooler.
We first began our journey in the main part of the hotel before moving to the famed Palm Court and then continuing to the chic shops at the Plaza. During my last adventure, I happened upon the original Douglas Hannant store. Though I didn’t realize it at the time, I found out through later research that Hannant is a well respected New York designer who has been featured in New York Fashion week and is known for working closely with Manhattan socialites. Celebrities such as Terri Hatcher, Shania Twain, Nicole Richie, and Beyoncé have been seen wearing his work. Crazy, right?!
Anyways, the last time I was there, I ended up having a delightful twenty minute conversation with the store manager, a well-dressed man named Thomas with two Tiffany’s bracelets and a Midwestern charm that put me right at ease in the face of so much grandeur. I decided to show Mackenzie the store and to say hello to Thomas, thinking that if anything it would be a nice little greeting regardless of whether or not he actually remembered me.
Not only did Thomas remember me, but he was also incredibly bored--which, as Mackenzie and I quickly found out, was the perfect combination for two young girls in a dress shop. For the next two hours he proceeded to doll us up as if we were his personal toy Barbie’s. It was mah-velous! From day ware to bridal, we must have tried on a total of twenty garments between the two of us, ranging in price from $900 to an upwards of $30,000 a piece. At one point, I was on the verge of tears, although I honestly couldn’t tell you if it was because of the exquisite beauty of the pearl hand-beaded couture wedding gown or the fact that a poor college student was trying on a single garment that cost more than a year’s worth of school.
Thomas just stood outside of our dressing room and snorted as he heard us squealing and moaning at the sight of such gorgeous clothing. One after the other, they came out tantalizing our eyes and whipping our minds into a romanticized frenzy about the occasions that merited wearing such finery.
There was one point where Thomas (aka my new best friend) thrust a velvet black gown, complete with impeccable beading and dramatic ruching, into my hands and said, “Here. You MUST try this on.” Upon feeling the velvet fabric, my head was instantly swathed in the dreamy potential that fame whispers to its friends--galas, A-list parties, red carpet events. None of such circumstances I could ever truly see myself attending (and none of the gowns were anything that I could EVER afford), but in that moment it was nice to imagine that I could. I stood a little straighter, tilted my chin up, and channeled my inner Audrey Hepburn.
Throughout the entire time we were there, Mackenzie and I began chatting more with Thomas about his life, career, and how he became involved with Douglas Hannant. About ten years ago, he’d decided to move from Michigan to New York just to try something different, and packed up his bags within two weeks of making the decision. He completely started over, with relatively no connections and experience in the city. While doing so was frightening, he said that it was one of the best things that he possibly could have done. This theme for change carried over when he encouraged us to do, learn, see, and explore the unknown, and that such a drive to live is something that is possible within any decade of your existence, so long as you are willing to be open to the tickling of life’s fancy.
Overall, it was a lovely two hours spent in the company of a practical stranger who, out of the kindness (and sheer boredom) of his heart allowed my friend and I entrance into a pocket of the extraordinary. Besides that, such an encounter reinforced how fascinating it can be to connect with strangers. Sometimes it’s easy for me to forget that everyone has their own amazing stories to share, and if you are patient enough, you may find a treasure of a tale. After all, we’re just people that simply want our stories to be heard, even if our fairy dust days are the exception and not the rule.
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