Paris Days | George's Friends

Model, Joan Olson

It will be two years on March 11th that I lost my godfather George. He had many interesting friends and was part of a circle of American expats in Paris after WWII—which included Tennessee Williams and many illustrious characters. Through his friend Jacques Rheims, my godfather met a beautiful young model, Joan Olson. I've been thinking about Joan during this Paris Fashion Week. But Joan's Paris was during the time of true haute couture, and her family thinks she would lament what has become of Dior, Balmain, Chanel and Balenciaga. Joan was with the Ford Modeling Agency, and made the cover of every women's and lifestyle magazine in the US except LIFE, according to her son and my friend Charles... "because MacArthur bumped her when he was fired by Truman in Korea."

Joan with Emilo Pucci, 1952
Joan was married to Charles Buchet Sr., the dashing French executive who brought the Citröen to the US. They met in Capri on vacation—she, after a shoot and he, there with Marzotto—the Italian textile company that at the time sold to all the important Parisian houses. Apparently, half of Paris was at their wedding and Jacques Fath was their best man. Fath sadly died of Leukemia just a year later. I asked my friend Charles what it was like being the child of a model during the 1950's and he said, "As a little kid in the 50's, I wasn't aware of anything extraordinary—certainly all boys believe their mother is the most beautiful woman in the world, except that we knew it for sure!" Joan continued working until the birth of her fourth son in 1959. Before that, the boys had a full-time nanny because Joan was working every day. Paris was her base in Europe but she also shot a great deal in Italy and Germany.

"I remember even in the late 50's when we would visit on vacation, a well-dressed woman really stood out. At least in the more down-to-earth neighborhoods of Paris—the cut, the colors, and an air of great confidence, especially wearing the New Look. This was the time most people consider the golden age of Paris fashion." ~ C.B.

Joan at Place Vendôme, 1952
As I learn more about my godfather George and his friends, I have an even greater appreciation of why he was such an arbiter of style. I miss the stories about his days in Paris, and all the parties and who was wearing what. He once draped a fabulous curtain around a friend who needed a dress for a party. Another time, he and a Dior model were invited to a party at the US ambassador's residence in Spain. His friend was wearing the true Dior {unbuttoned to her waist with Grecian sandals}, and their hostess was wearing a quite staid, off-the-rack version of the same dress! George got such a kick out of these stories and my, how I miss hearing them. He gave me a list of people to call in Europe when I went to London to study art in 1977. This is how I met Joan's son Charles. The list is priceless. Some day, I'll share some of it with you! If you are new to my blog, you can read more about my godfather here.


Photo from Joan Olson Ford Model Sheet

Thank you to my dear friend Charles Buchet, Jr., for his recollections!

Fashion Week Note: To see the Ready-to-Wear Collections from New York to London and from Milan to Paris Fashion Weeks, click here.

Photographs by: Regina Relang

FOOD MEMORIES | LES HALLES 1960

My friend Larry Miller has always thrown the best bashes with more divine food than almost anyone I know. At his rambling shingle-style house from days past I've met playwrights, composers, and movie critics. I've had perfect drinks and elegant but not fussy dinners. Last holiday season, I received a delightful package in my mailbox, "Food For Thoughts. Thoughts For Food." It's a charming collection of fifteen or so recipes with accompanying stories from Larry. He wrote, "These recipes are as accurate as I can make them. Mostly, I cook by eye so assigning precise measurements is a bit of wishful-thinking and a bit deviltry."

Larry's story for Recipe No. 2, Onion Soup:

In 1959 and 1960, when I lived in London, I had occasion to travel to Paris a few times. One of my fondest food memories derives from a 2 a.m. trip to the food markets at the old Les Halles with my friends, Pierre Balmain and Bill Frohlich. Of course, they knew all the great Parisian restaurants and fancy food places like Fauchon and Hediard... but, "Larry, you must have the onion soup at Les Halles." It was a trip I made every time I went to Paris, until the great iron and glass structure was torn down to make way for a shopping center in the early 1970s.


Au Pied Du Couchon illustration by artist, Dr. Shirley Levine, Onion Soup Au Gratin image,
courtesy gourmettraveller.com

A decade later, I discovered this wonderful recipe in a book published in 1907, "Gastronomie Pratique" by Ali-Bab {Henri Babinski}

Soupe à l'Oignon Gratinée
[serves 6]

1 - baguette, cut into 1/2-inch slices [about 25 to 30]
9 - tablespoons butter, softened
9 - ounces Ementhaler cheese, finely grated
8 - medium yellow onions, thinly sliced [about 12 cups]
1 - tablespoon kosher salt, more to taste*
1 - cup tomato purée

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

1. Spread a generous layer of butter on each slice [you will need about 5 tablespoons], then lay the slices close together on a baking sheet and top with all but 1/2 cup of cheese. Toast the baguette slices and let them cool.

2. In a large saucepan, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add the onions, season with salt and sauté, stirring occasionally, until very soft and golden, about 15 minutes.

3. In a 5-quart casserole, arrange a layer of bread slices [about 1/3 of them]. Spread 1/3 of the onions on top, followed by 1/3 of the tomato purée. Repeat for two more layers. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese. To avoid boiling over, the casserole must not be more than 2/3 full.

4. In a saucepan, bring 1 + 1/2 quarts water* to a boil. Add the salt. Very slowly pour the salted water into the casserole, near the edge, so that the liquid rises just to the top layer of cheese without covering it. [Depending on the size of your casserole, you may need more or less water.]

5. Put the casserole on the stove and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, then transfer to the oven and bake uncovered for 1 hour. The soup is ready when the surface looks like a crusty, golden cake and inside is unctuous and so well blended that it is impossible to discern either cheese or onion. Each person is served some the the baked crust and some of the inside, which should be thick but not completely without liquid.

* You can replace the water with beef stock. If you do, you won't need as much salt.

So, as summer becomes a distant memory and the cold air quickly moves in, it's Larry's distant [but unforgettable] memory of Les Halles and onion soup that's my next inspiration. A perfect soup, made for good friends—served with a large salad of local greens and a simple, fresh Beaujolais.

MARK SHAW | AN AMERICAN MASTER

The Andrew Wilder Gallery presents photographs by Mark Shaw who is best known for his classic Kennedy family images and as one of the fashion photographers of the 1950s. Every photo is full of celebrity glamour, sublime composition, and chic detail. Wilder's beautifully curated exhibition opens at Svenska Möbler on Tuesday, April 28 from 6-8pm, continuing through June 26. Location: 154 North La Brea Avenue • Los Angeles. If you cannot make the exhibit, see the site to snap-up your photos now. Photograph prices: $800 - $1,800
Also featured on 1stdibs.
shown: Jackie and JFK | Audrey | backstage at Pierre Balmain