The Devil hates orchids

I assisted on another Vogue shoot on Monday, this time it was a portrait of a woman who owns a vintage clothing store in midtown Manhattan. When we got to the store, which was beautifully decorated with expensive designer furniture and lights, the photographer whispered to me "I cannot stress this enough - be VERY VERY careful not to touch anything in here" because the store was not just any old thrift store, it was filled with designer gowns from days of yore. I'm not sure when yore was, but the oldest gown was from 1947, and they were all top designer and couture pieces - the kind you see on A-list celebs at the Oscars when they say "I'm wearing vintage Dior" etc. So of course I was petrified I'd get my chocolate-stained hands on them (hey, there was catering on site, I cannot let good brownies go to waste).

It was a fun shoot, but both me and the photographer were saddened when we overheard the owner gushing over her prized piece from the 1940s, a "monkey fur" coat. I know the difference between monkeys and apes, and this coat was gorilla. How could anybody kill a gorilla for its fur? And how can anyone with a conscience want to walk around the city wearing the fur of an endangered species? Sometimes I really think these Vogue types have more money than brains.

Speaking of Vogue types, I got a tidbit of information on the Devil herself. When I had to dress up the desk in the corner of the store, which would be appearing in the background of the photo, I suggested we place on it a beautiful pot of orchids I spied in the store. The 2 stylist's assistants raced over and snatched the pot desperately saying "no, no we can't, Anna hates orchids. She hates orchids!!". Oooookay....but she's all for looking like the missing link?