Fashions fade; style is eternal. Yves Saint Laurent
On August 19, 2019, I received a text message from a young lady who works at a certain store in Charlotte, North Carolina
“You and MP better be coming to the Fashion Show!”
My reply, “What fashion show?”
“You got an invite via email”
“Must be in my junk/spam”
“It was sent to your regular email Check it and lemme know”
So, I checked spam/clutter/junk and found the Paperless Post Invitation
You’re invited to the Capitol Fall/Winter Presentation
Tuesday, September 24, 2019
Noon
Capitol
4010 Sharon Road
Charlotte
Got it
Quick calls to MP
A few texts later
I reply
WHY NOT? ALL IN
What does one wear?
I know
Clothes from said store
Day trip to Charlotte to support our pals who run the place, work there, make it happen
Again, I really don’t know why they like us
Still trying to figure that one out some 32 years of friendship later
So, it was off for a day trip to a fashion show in Charlotte among the fashionable, with a couple Lowcountry kids sprinkled in just for fun
I have never attended a fashion show
Ever
Well, may be there was that one at Andover back in ’89
We’re always up to help a pal and show up hoping we won’t embarrass
As I texted our hostess’s husband, “I don’t want to look like country come to town”
His reply, “Never. I invented country come to town”
I think we were suitably attired among all the beautiful people
Got some compliments anyway
So, after another drop off at school, we were in the car to the Queen’s City
On arrival, we killed some time
Got something to drink
Then, sent a text to our hostess
“You want us?”
“Come over! Champagne and wafers!”
She meant she was serving bubbly wine and cheese biscuits, the kind with the pecan on them, made by Sarah Wrenn her own self
Arriving at the store, the doyenne herself was out front greeting
Peels of laughter and delight as we walk up, “Oh, well, look who’s here! Heeeeyyy. Thank y’all for coming. Oh, I can’t thank y’all enough! Get some champagne! Oh, by the way, fashion shows last like eight minutes. Sorry to disappoint.”
“It’s o.k.; we have to get back for a volleyball game at 7:30”
“Don’t worry. You’ll TOTALLY make that”
So, there we were, champagne in hand at 11:15 on a Tuesday morning
“Laura, I’m feeling like a total dilettante”
“Stop it”
So in went on in to Capitol
We walked in and it was kind of like being Norm Peterson when he used to walk into that bar known as Cheers. It’s always like that there for us
“NORM!”
“HAM!”
“MP!”
Everyone knows us and is glad to see us
Or they feign it really well
Decades of friendship pay dividends
Upon being greeted by our pal Wizzie Irvin, she showed us our section and told us where to sit on the removable benches
“Is this for a soccer game later?” I asked
“No,” replieed the Wizz. “That’s where you sit. Y’all sit right here. Put your stuff down on these two seats. Best view. Hamlin, you better take notes”
Don’t worry, Wizz
Before the big event, we worked the room
Spoke to some of the folks
Introductions
Sipping on the bubbly
Refilling the glasses
Drinking water, too, after the long drive
Mainly wanting to hang with our pals who are hosting
“Where the hell is your husband?” I inquired of the hostess
“He’ll breeze in like two seconds before this starts”
Ran into an old college pal, “I thought I might see y’all here. Do you ever work? You write all the time and travel all the time”
“That social media can be deceiving. Was at my office for six hours last Saturday. Do I work? All the damned time”
Hugs and kisses all around
Back outside for more water where a Beaufort family’s in-law’s in-law is running late, shoes in hand
Introductions made all around
Oh, the South
“Y’all, this is not the Charlotte I grew up in! But, now, I just go with it!” said the in-law’s in-law
We are politely corralled into our seats by ladies with iPads and sweet smiles
Best seat mates on either side of us
One is a lovely lady from Charlotte who used to work at the store who it was really great to meet in real life
On the other side of MP was an attorney who lives in Charlotte who was wearing a turban
Really
A turban
So chic
So Nick Cannon
Her best friend from law school used to work with me and now works with my wife
Oh, the South
“Please put your phones on airplane mode”
People already had their phones out
So many grabs to be had
“You’re gonna love this playlist, Hamlin” said Scott Newkirk, the impresario of this opera
Then it all began
There were Twenty Two Looks
I took notes on most of them
I circled a coat that MP liked
It sold in five minutes after the show
Our favorite model told us she could not look at us or she was going to laugh
I do that to people
They see me and laugh
Our eldest daughter would have rocked Look 9, which was a mini dress by Cecilie Bahnsen, whoever that is
The Brilliant Belgian Baron van Noten does not advertise
The show was a big advertisement for his creations
Dresses
Coats
Turtlenecks
Eccentricity on display
Like the men’s tie-dye trench coat that if it were worn by any normal man, his backside would be kicked
There were men’s clothes from Tabor, the brother store of Capitol
The Gryffindors at Hogwarts crafted one of the men’s looks in their Common Room one night
Everyone wants to be a Gryffindor
I saw a sweater I purchased featured in that one
I’m so not on trend that I’m on trend
At Look 15, The Breeders’ heavily breathed “Cannonball” blared through the speakers
I know that was just a head nod to me
After the show I said as much
“Oh, yeh, we did that just for you,” said our hostess facetiously
“Actually, I did think of you when I added that one song to the list. We’ve talked about the Pixies in Charleston one time,” said the impersario
Oooh
Burn
Snag
Looks continued with
sequin bedecked draped columns
maxi skirts
horse prints
Roksanda open backs
Irene Neuwirth’s jewels everywhere
Everywhere
One of the looks could have used more cow bell
Then at the end, glamour
Looks 20 through 21
Giambatitista Valli Haute Couture
Wow
The playlist had turned to arias for the last three looks
As well it should have
Each dress was its own designed descant
As the last glimpse of gray Italian tulle turned the corner, those assembled began a polite golf clap
As the models went around for one last showing, the clapping increased
Then, everyone was up from their benches as though the coach said, “Clear the bench”
Less than 18 minutes start to finish
The staff and the owners hustled the benches outside
Influencers began to take pictures of the haute couture assembled before the garden wall
So many head shots
So many posts
So many hashtags
So many stories
So many pretty women
We talked to some folks and milled around
“Are you Hamlin? I’m Susan. We met you at the 20th anniversary party.”
“Of course!” I said, “Wow that was during the fireworks”
“Kind of late, eh?”
“Your family’s place; it’s lovely”
“If you ever wanna go out and shoot, call me”
“If you’re ever in Charleston, call us”
Conversations like that
A lovely lady stopped me and said, “Hamlin, I’m Sarah. I listened to Laura’s podcasts with you. I could listen to the two of you all day. You should have your own podcast. I’m serious.”
“Aren’t you nice,” I replied
“I’m not kidding. Your episodes with her are the best ones. So natural. So funny.”
MP smiled and said “That’s no act, either. That’s how they are all the time in their conversations.”
“Well, you should do your own. I’d totally listen.”
Her lips to God’s ears
By then, I was kind of starving
Our hostess made the rounds
And, we made it round to the corner with the cheese biscuits
Right there
The kind my mother and mother-in-law make
These have a lot of cayenne
That’s the key
And they were tucked away by some Golden Goose shoes
As I stood stuffing my mouth, I watched a lot of ladies preening and prancing and putting on clothes
A lot of peacocks
#charlottesgotalot
A lot of peacocks
Confirmed by a Charlottean who used that hash tag
Her husband is one of MP’s cousins
Really
Introduced a Hamlin by marriage to my bride
Love to meet a fellow Hamlin
Even if it is by marriage
Her ex-husband might be one of my cousins
Really
We visited with some other folks for a while, including a lady who lives in Charleston
Her husband, too, is one of MP’s cousins
Really
“This is hilarious. We should do something together soon back home. I can just see you in that tie dyed coat at the club, Hamlin”
Hi-lar-ee-us
Finally, our hostess made her way over, and we visited for a bit
A lovely Charlotte lady informed our hostess of the following:
“Laura, these are my new best friends. I’m serious. How long are y’all here? I want y’all to come over for a drink!”
“We are leaving shortly”
“Well, dang,” says the new best friend
I replied, “MP is the one you want in this deal”
Laura agreed
Duh
I mentioned our departure
“Y’all don’t go. Stay. Really. Have some more champagne. Stay. Really”
“We can’t”
“Really. Don’t leave me. Grab a water”
“But you’re leaving later, too. What time you flying out?”
“Six”
“Well, see, you have to leave shortly anyway”
“I live two seconds from here. Don’t go”
She meant it
We hung out a little bit longer
“By the way, uh, where did your husband go? I didn’t even get to talk to him,”
“Oh, he got out of here super fast. Probably right back to the office. Y’all can’t go”
Crestfallen visage with soft smile
So, we hung out a little bit longer
Then we pulled the plug
“I love y’all so much,” said our hostess. “It means the world that y’all came. Really. The world.”
Really
Dad, what's for supper? 