Photo- 1983( 40 years)- Written in 2019
I tried to be normal once.. Worst two minutes of my life LOL
Last night I watched The Devil Wears Prada for the 100th time and wondered again why character Andy Sachs put up with that awful Runway Magazine editor. When I got up this morning I realized I too had once been an “Andy Sachs” and today I thanked my lucky stars that I had these “Miranda Priestlys” in my life.
Some of you might not know that once upon a time I had a cutting edge fashion store on Rideau Street in Ottawa called *Flash Cadilac. I designed 85% of the clothing in a store that was featured in many Canadian fashion magazines and an attraction on the downtown Ottawa street.
I could have never opened this store if it had not been for Saul Cohen from the Fine Togs Company in Montreal in the 60s. That man worked me to the bone from 7:30 am until 8 pm at night. Some days I just wanted to walk out of there. But, if it had not been for the ‘education’ from someone who had been in the schmata business for years I would have not learned that stamina, hard work and creativity keeps a business alive. Was I crazy? Probably, but that’s how badly I wanted to learn, and when I became a writer I encountered another ‘devil’ in my life.
I had been blogging for years on an American site that began Julie Powell’s Julia and Julia career. I was a popular blogger, but just not really learning that much. During that stint I met a woman called Elizabeth Coady in Chicago. Elizabeth Coady, was a former Harpo producer, who tried in 1998 to write a book about her time as a senior producer for Oprah. In the end Coady was stopped by the courts, which ruled that her hands were tied by the agreement she signed. So she began a celebrity gossip site and she took me under her wing and I became her lead writer.
If I thought Saul Cohen was tough Elizabeth was 100% worse- and again I wanted to throw in the towel. But, I learned how to write quickly, efficiently and prolifically, and my story links were in USA Today, Huffington Post, Time Magazine and the list went on. I learned for the second time in my life that anything you want badly enough has to come hand in hand with hard work and I thank you Elizabeth.
Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition-– Steve Jobs
Thanks Amanda Thompson for posting this photo.
Flash Cadilac 40 years ago!!! Holy cow..
Clipping CLIPPED FROM
The Ottawa Citizen
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
24 Dec 1983, Sat • Page 36
I Bought Your Grandmas’s Clothes –Flash Cadilac Ottawa
Flashbacks of Little Miss Flash Cadilac Chapter 1
Mini Memories of Retail Stores, Au Bon Marche, Liberty Stores, Orientique, and Flash Cadilac 1976
Glitter Shine and Satin – Ottawa Fashion 1978 – Flash Cadilac
The Best Adult Brownie Recipe with a side of the Vice Squad — A Flash Cadilac Story
Flashbacks of Little Miss Flash Cadilac — A Hello and Goodbye Hawaiian Short Story
Flash Cadilac -Sex Lies and Video Tape?
Stayin’ Alive — Reconnecting With the Friends of Flash Cadilac
Flashy Memories of Pandora’s Box ETC — Oh Ottawa Behave!
Remembering Nash the Slash at The Black Swan Pub
Thanks to Monique for sending in a photo of one of my outfits from my store…
Monique Kischel
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Linda Seccaspina This came up the other day – 1977-79 skirt and favourite wide leather belt with brass/gold hoops and links (a staple for 3 decades) 100% FLASH CADILLAC, pretty sure the top was as well.
lindaseccaspina 