It's all smoke and mirrors in the city

Mar 05, 2008

Today was a riot. I love all things glamorous, but I love-love what's behind the scenes. Yes, today I was thrust into my first meeting with Chicago's premier fashion and social magazine. Of course I wasn't nervous, but I certainly did my best not to look like the girl who just moved here from the middle of a corn field (which I did). Looking decidedly Jackie-Oh, I waltzed in for the meeting feeling chic and sophisticated, protected by my fashion poision of choice - houndstooth.

You see, I'm on a PR team spearheading an exhibit of Japanese Buddhist art. The exhibit is in NYC right now and comes to Chicago in April. We have to make it FABULOUS! So, we've rented the trendiest South Loop gallery space, hired the "it" event planning firm, who just booked a new client today....Sting, maybe you've heard of them, and we've schmoozed aka bought a shitload of ad space fromthe most influential magazine on the social map to add an exclusive factor to the VIP event.

The office was everything I'd expected. Trendy and exclusive. The place looks as if it was decorated for the eternal swinging bachelor (which I'm pretty sure there were a few running the place). I didn't get much out of the meeting since I was completely infatuated with observing the goings on of the social mecca that dictates who, where, and what the "it" factor of the second will be in Chicago. It was mostly full of average looking people who were manicured from a 6 to an 8 on my personal scale of hottness. Apparently the Banana Republic is NOT where these people shop.
I'm fairly certain if I took the boots and the bling from the lady to my right, the bag from the lady accross from me and the shoes from the girl to my left I could pay off a significant portion of my student loans. Talk about intimidation.

So while I'm sitting in my outfit, which was classy (just not pricey), I couldn't help but feel more like a fly on the wall than a PR professional. I said my part and then receded into a deep observation of the goings on around me. Here are some exact quotes from the meeting.

"This sort of event will bring the rich Jewish and WASP-y beautiful people"
"I can have my personal photographer take photos of good looking people looking at the art"

It left me wondering, what is important here, the art or the good looking people? Clearly it is the latter! In this case, art is manipulated to bring hot, well dressed rich people and sell magazines. I love PR, no seriously...I do.

So, once I realized that bullshit was what we were taling about, I didn't feel so bad about not listening. I just looked around the room at the people, the fashion, the bags, shoes, accessories and hairstyles. I wondered what they were thinking about me? Probably nothing....I'm not that interesting to them on account of my lesser means to aquiring fashion. So, I thought to myself let's turn the tables here. Pretend clothing was never invented and we were all sitting here naked. I'm pretty sure from a naked standpoint, I'd be the best dressed person in the room!

Upon my return to the (now boring) office I actually work in, everyone was DYING to know what the magazine was really like. Of course it was glamorous, sexy, blah blah blah. So, not wanting to get back to work I decided to google the editor I'd met just an hour earlier. The high powered, highly respected and much adored editor. Turns out she's from Kentucky!

That's what I love about smoke and mirrors, it tricks even the keenest observer almost all of the time. I'd never have guessed SHE was from Kentucky! Maybe that means she'd never guess I was living in the middle of Indiana 2 months ago?

So, today I learned that art is NOT bullshit, fashion is SORT OF bullshit, and the media is DEFINATELY bullshit. I love my job!