Photography courtesy of My Darling Vivian and Amazon Prime
In the days before the self-imposed spotlight of the media glare, fame looked different in the 1950s and 1960s. In the new documentary, My Darling Vivian, about the love affair, marriage and children of singer Johnny Cash and his San Antonio native wife, Vivian Liberto, a thoughtful look is given at how a deep love formed under the media scrutiny on the couple. The film’s title, an homage to the plethora of love letters sent between the duo, is a valentine to the life and fortitude of its primary subject, Vivian Liberto Cash Distin, a vibrant Texas woman.
The project underscores Vivian’s childhood as the middle daughter of strict Italian Catholic parents, to her teenage romance (and subsequent three-year-long correspondence with the thousand letters) with Johnny Cash–in which she reveals to him an inferiority complex rooted in her exotic appearance. Her new life in Memphis as a woman in love; a first-time mother who finds out she’s pregnant with her second child just six weeks after the birth of her first; and as the wife of a door-to-door salesman turned-overnight-music- sensation all played out like an epic soap opera. Eventually, the family moves to Los Angeles and Johnny almost immediately becomes absent due to his devotion to performing, fame…and drugs. Told through rare home movie footage, as well as hundreds of vintage photos, the beautifully produced project, with a lush orchestral score, is devoted to their relationship as seen through the eyes of the Cash’s four daughters, Roseanne, Kathy, Cindy, and Tara.
“My mother’s own story has often been lost or misinterpreted to serve a myth,” shared Roseanne Cash. “This elegant film about her–the real Vivian Liberto, not the Hollywood version–is painful but compassionate, wrenching but true. Even though she was an intensely private woman, I think she longed to have her story told, and her place in the history of my family acknowledged with respect and love. Matt Riddlehoover and Dustin Tittle have succeeded in giving her that place. My sisters and I are deeply moved by and grateful for My Darling Vivian.” The family affair element was firmly in place since Tittle, a producer on the project, is also a grandson of Vivian and Johnny Cash.
Many recall the 2005 OscarÒ-winning film starring Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon and Johnny and June Carter Cash. The role of Vivian Cash, played by Ginnifer Goodwin, portrayed her as a psycho victim who was jealous of her husband’s musical career. As the documentary unfolds, nothing could be further from the truth and it’s easy to see how Vivian loathed being the “other woman” to Johnny’s career, which came first, before his family, and then, to June Carter, Cash’s second wife, with their very public relationship that helped sell millions of records.
As in all lives, there are good times and often, just as many tragedies. The seven-year nightmare of the family living in Casitas Springs in Ventura County, with four young daughters, included sleepless nights waiting up for the husband who rarely arrived. In the midst of losing Johnny to June Carter, the all-hours visits from fans deprived her of any semblance of safety, compounded by a frightening race-related scandal in 1966, which led to threatening letters from the Ku Klux Klan, eventually pushing her to a mental breaking point.
The personal toll that Vivian’s divorce from Johnny took on her was immense, which included being excommunicated from the Catholic church, and the “unspoken bargain” that was her second marriage. Happily, her trying to regain her identity led to a social and creative blossoming, despite having to witness the aggressively perpetuated myth of Johnny and June’s love story.
The heartfelt film, full of the loving retrospective of Vivian Liberto Cash Distin’s life, is a rollercoaster ride of emotions and is served up perfectly in a beautifully told story with a musical and Texas perspective. “Her life was romantic and bewildering, difficult and significant, and wholly filmatic–more than a mere footnote in the biography of Johnny Cash,” said Matt Riddlehoover, the film’s director. Visit Amazon Prime to access the film.
Tastemaker and designer Danielle Rollins invites readers to join her at home in this primer on living and entertaining in style. She shows you how to use home spaces for memorable gatherings, giving as much interior design inspiration, as she does share her secrets for all occasions. $50. At RizzoliUSA.
Fashion mavens and design aficionados are drawn to the bright, colorful, and playful patterns that are instantly recognizable as Lilly Pulitzer. But perhaps the name Suzie Zuzek is not as recognizable as it should be. The majority of Pulitzer’s fabric designs from 1962 through 1985 were based on artwork by the Key West-based artist synonymous with Slim Aarons, Jackie O, and the Palm Beach crowd. $50. At RizzoliUSA.com
Whether Saint Laurent was surrounded by beautiful models or peeking at the catwalk from the wings, Lowit distinctively captured the famed designer, along with his striking creations with her camera. Here, she creates a vibrant portrait of this towering fashion figure. $34.95. At ThamesAnd HudsonUSA.com
Contemporary design meets Marrakesh’s splendid artistic heritage in this beautiful volume that transports you to this fabled city and guides us through the extraordinary residences of the city’s leading tastemakers. $60. At RizzoliUSA.com.
This lavish publication celebrates the modern gentleman. It features six historical chapters, from the Regency period to the present. The new generation of designer artisans who are redefining notions of quality and handwork in the era of globalization and digital technologies are also included.$39.95. At ThamesAndHudsonUSA.com.
Not since Jacqueline Kennedy’s iconic work on the White House has a designer of Michael Smith’s stature been commissioned to bring a new design spirit to the mansion. His updating of the Obama-era White House is unparalleled in style and grace. $60. At RizzoliUSA.com.
Chanel’s ideas on elegance and what it meant to be a modern woman created an immutable sense of style that still resonates today. Aralluz chronicles the designer’s life from birth through the evolution of her timeless style. $60. At At ThamesAndHudsonUSA.com.
Style icon India Hicks has a charming take on entertaining, featuring her dreamy tablescapes, recipes, and enjoyable family anecdotes. It’s brimming with inspiration, tips, and gorgeous photos of Hicks’ home and family. $50. At RizzoliUSA.com.
This English country dream beckons us to visit in these pages. It’s both a personal glimpse into this dream home and the surrounding grounds and how they were created, curated, and nurtured, as well as being a design book and memoir. $45. At RizzoliUSA.com.
Here’s the definitive menswear guide showcasing the diversity of today’s well-dressed man. The book, a true men’s fashion primer, is not a list of rules, but more of an update on style principles, design strategies, and practical lessons on all sartorial matters. From fit to fabric, from head to toe. $45. At RizzoliUSA.com.
Accept this invitation into the endlessly inspiring and unique celebrations of the iconic tastemaker and hostess. This elegant entertaining book reveals how to bring beauty, style, and joy into milestone events, holidays, or everyday moments and meals. $55. At RizzoliUSA.com.
Transporting readers to more than two dozen evocative spaces, and on whirlwind excursions to lush, overgrown corners of the world, Salvaing’s lens also offers endless interior design inspiration. $60. At RizzoliUSA.com.
A dawn-to-dusk instruction manual for men to live effortlessly and elegantly in the modern world.Interviews with the world’s most interesting and thoroughly well-put-together men, lincluding a few of your favorite male celebrities, are also included. $40. At ThamesAndHudsonUSA.com.
A favorite of so many socialites, celebrated fashion designer Naeem Khan unveils a world of chic opulence that includes bridal gowns, and beautifully beaded and embroidered statement pieces in this must-have tome. $85. At RizzoliUSA.com.
These expertly crafted, layered, and lush interiors for rock stars and Hollywood types are over the top in all the right ways. With a flair for artful, organized abundance that is always glamourous, this first monograph is not to be missed. $60. At RizzoliUSA.com.
Top designers Todd Nickey and Amy Kehoe are fascinated by how a room can come together to express its own persona, as though the design just happened. The result is their interior design appears as if it were a personal collection of the randomly put together, when in fact it is the product of their very mindful curating. $55. At RizzoliUSA.com.
A rousing call to action, this book will leave you feeling hopeful that we can make a difference in the midst of an age of turmoil, destruction, and uncertainty. It is up to each of us to actively choose optimism, collaborate, make changes, and define what is possible. Start here. $35. At RizzoliUSA.com.
Stylish and oh-so-elegant, here’s an in-depth look at the design process of Huniford, who is renowned for his skill in juxtaposing opposites like contemporary and traditional, rustic with refined…to create a timeless whole. $50. At MonacelliPress.com.
Smyth is renowned for his elegant, sophisticated rooms that combine sumptuous fabrics, well-selected antiques, and contemporary comfort. In this new book, his engaging, first-person narrative focuses on the five elements of interior design that contribute to successful spaces. $60. At MonacelliPress.com.
THE SETTING: Before COVID-19, the Helping Hand Society celebrated the 77th annual Crystal Ball with a brunch and fashion show and the black tie Debutante Presentation Gala 2020 at the Palmer Events Center. Thirty-four debutantes, their escorts and junior escorts were presented along with 151 ninth grade Helping Hand Girls and Boys and 39 First Grade Princesses.
THE STYLE: Julian Gold and Webber Productions presented the fashion show at the luncheon. Emcee Jim Spencer introduced the Princesses, HH Girls and HH Debutantes. HHH Executive Director Ted Keyser and HH Society President Becky Roche welcomed and thanked the HHH supporters, event sponsors, underwriters, auction donors, the participants, their families and HH Society members for their talents, tireless efforts and generosity. The capacity crowd applauded loudly when nine former HH presidents made a surprise appearance, modeling the latest fashions on the runway. The gala featured the debutante presentation, a silent auction, a buffet dinner by Catering by Rosemary and dancing to the music of Blind Date.
This year’s Helping Hand Crystal Ball debutantes are: Catherine Amlar Adams, Kathryn Paige Anderson, Saylor Grace Barton, Larson Lane Beck, Lara Reyne Bell, Eloise Jane Breckbill, Emma Rose Breckwoldt, Caroline Merritt Pasfield Brigham, Jennifer Sara Chafizadeh, Caroline Alexander Daniel, Allison Spencer Durrett, Megann Simms Ehrlich, Hailey Elizabeth Gove, Ann Campbell Griffin, Julie Morgan Howden, Katherine MacLeod Huffstutler, Mary Claire Kemper, Avery Elaine McCall, Julia Barnes McIntyre, Louisa Michelle Nash, Mary Margaret Oden, Jillian Renee Perry, Isabella Grace Porter, Caroline Avery Ryan, Sallie Ann Seiders, Kathryn Alexis Shirley, Samantha Larke Smith, Avery Paige Smitheal, Rachel Elizabeth Stewart, Mary Caroline Taaffe, Zoë Michelle Taylor, Evelyn Clara Voelter, Anna Elinor Whitehead, and Rory Suzanne Williams.
THE PURPOSE: The 2020 Crystal Ball was co-chaired by Julie Baselice and Ginnie Wilcox, along with a gala committee comprised of more than 70 Helping Hand Society member volunteers. It is the largest fundraiser for the Helping Hand Home for Children, raising more than $1.4 million in support of the Helping Hand Home’s mission: to provide a nurturing and therapeutic home for children and to restore each child to a healthy family setting. The goal of the organization is to protect and restore the lives of victimized children so that those without hope may reclaim their futures.
Photography courtesy of TheGentlemanRacer.com
British supercar maker McLaren hosts driving events for McLaren owners at some of the most exclusive racetracks in the world, from the Belgium countryside of Spa-Francorchamps to the legendary Mount Panorama of Bathurst to the Circuit of the Americas. Home of the U.S. Formula 1 Grand Prix, the Circuit of the Americas is one of the most exciting and challenging tracks in the world. Pure McLaren, the official track driving program of McLaren Automotive, allows owners to not only drive their car around a race track, but also gives them focused, in-car instruction with professional racing drivers so they can better understand how to maximize the performance of their McLaren.
Recently, I was invited by Pirelli to take part in a one day Pure McLaren experience, where I would be handed the controls of the track-focused 600LT. Not only would I learn more about the car but also receive some much-needed seat time on one of my favorite tracks I have ever driven. Pirelli is the official tire supplier for McLaren, producing unique tires that are co-developed between Pirelli and McLaren to make sure they are the perfect fit for each car.
Upon arrival, I can tell this isn’t the typical track day, as a McLaren Senna is parked out front across from a 570S GT4 along with several other supercars. The VW Jetta press car I was driving was nice, but it did look slightly out of place next to the new Aston Martin Vantage and Ferrari 458 Pista. Walking into what is usually a garage at the track (I just recently toured these garages for the Formula 1 Grand Prix), was now a very well-appointed lounge and check-in desk. I registered and received a quick briefing on the schedule of events, and noted my next activity was lunch. Lunch was served in a suite overlooking the track. At the same time, the morning session was still out running, and the over one-million-dollar Senna, which belongs to local Austinite Josh Snowhorn, was being prepped to go out on the track that afternoon. Seeing a Senna in the wild is rare, but seeing one being tracked hard by its owner is truly amazing.
After our meal, we were directed to the driver’s meeting, where we were told that due to an accident earlier that week, there would be two chicanes added on the long back straight. That meant I wouldn’t be getting near the 201 mph top speed of the 600LT Coupe I would be driving. Back downstairs, the cars were lined up on pit row, 570S, 600LT, and 720S, as well as a few customer-owned cars like the Senna. I met my driving instructor, found a helmet, and off I went. The 600LT Coupe, 592 hp, paddle-shifted, rear-wheel-drive, is a beast. The first 600LT I drove was at the Arizona Motorsports Park (the Spider), but I had recently driven the 600LT Coupe in Dallas and loved the raw race car feel that it had, even on the street.
The first few laps I drove were to get used to the car and track, I could put it in manual mode, but had to keep on the traction control and driver aids. After warming up, I got up to speed, hitting 145-150 mph in the straights, although the chicanes cut down on the top speed we could achieve. Unlike some track days at Pure McLaren, you can pass (with permission), and soon I was getting the signal to pass some of the other cars in the group. Even though it was just an owner’s track day, there is something exciting about overtaking another vehicle, especially on a Formula 1 track. I would have several stints behind the wheel, alternating with another driver.
With each lap, I was getting faster, learning the track, and being coached on the perfect line. While we weren’t allowed to keep lap times since we weren’t technically racing, I don’t have any official times, but we definitely shaved several seconds off my first few laps. After my last round of driving, I swapped seats with the pro to see how I should have been driving the car, harder and in anger. The 600LT had so much more to give, but it’s a challenge to get comfortable when you are racing around a track in someone else’s $240,000 car. After wrapping up my session, a P1 GTR in James Hunt livery was pulled around for some special rides, and the GT4 cars were also coming out of the garages. McLaren, a maker of some of the most exclusive and expensive cars in the world, manages to have events that don’t feel pretentious and stuffy. It has staffed their company with genuine car enthusiasts who are passionate about their brand, and it shows.
If you are a McLaren owner and would like to see when the next Pure McLaren experience is happening near you, visit Cars.McLaren.com.
THE SETTING: Pre-COVID-19, the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Dallas hosted the annual UNICEF Gala Dallas, where 430 guests were on hand for an evening of fun and, more importantly, fundraising for a very worthy cause. The evening featured VIPs from around the world, including former UNICEF President & CEO Caryl Stern, who is now the executive director of the Walton Family Foundation
The night’s honorees were former Dallas Maverick champ and UNICEF Germany Ambassador Dirk Nowitzki, along with his wife, Jessica Nowitzki, founders of the Dirk Nowitzki Foundation. They have partnered with UNICEF to create and fund a new mental health training module to better evaluate and treat children in trauma cases, and have developed a monthly mentorship program for families, as well. Former Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings presented the Spirit of Compassion Award to the Nowitzkis.
THE STYLE: UNICEF’s adage, For Every Child, was on full throttle during the evening. The festivities began with a cocktail hour where jet setters in for the event mixed with locals to engage in lively conversation before the action began in the ballroom with the main program. After guests dined on a multi-course meal and listened to moving speeches, and a performance by the Texas Boys Choir, followed by a live auction that was full of fantastical items, went underway. The event was capped off by a performance from the band, King Calloway, whose show brought the crowd to their feet. Then, DJ Lucy Wrubel spun for the party-focused crowd.
THE PURPOSE: The event, co-chaired by Moll Anderson and Jan Miller Rich, with Nancy C. Rogers serving as the honorary co-chair, raised a record-breaking $1.5 million for UNICEF. Advocating for the rights of children around the world to ensure their basic needs are met as well as expanding opportunities so they can reach their full potential is UNICEF’s primary mission.
