Candy Pratts Price Reflects on The Early Years of Vogue

0:00Sierra has all the best active and outdoor brands for the super athletic stuff, like running gear for cruising up the trail. Woo! And the super athletic-ish stuff, like fishing gear for chilling by the creek. Nice cast. Fitness apparel to push for higher reps. You got this! And golf balls priced so you can afford to lose one. Or a few. Head to Sierra or Sierra.com for the brands you want at the prices that let you do it all. From athletic to athletic-ish, Sierra's got it. Hey friends, Olivia from OLLI. Between new routines and the ultimate group project known as parenting, you need science-backed solutions that work with your life.

0:38That's where OLLI comes in. Start your mornings off right with Maltese made to support nutrition and immune health. Choose from our lineup of gut-supporting probiotics, and we've got occasional sleep support to help the whole fam chase their big dreams. Head back to class with the number one gummy supplement brand. Stock up on Ollie.com today. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Morning decisions. How about a creamy mocha frappuccino drink? Or a sweet vanilla? Smooth caramel, maybe.

1:07Or a white chocolate mocha. Whichever you choose, delicious coffee awaits. Find Starbucks frappuccino drinks wherever you buy your groceries.

1:17This is The Run-Through. I'm Chloe Mal, and today I am so excited to be revisiting one of my favorite episodes with Ms. Candy Pratt's price. You may have heard the phrase, September is the January of fashion. Candy said this in the September issue documentary. If you haven't seen it already, what are you doing listening to the run through? Candy first joined Vogue in the late 80s as accessories director and then had many titles across Condé Nast. She was the executive fashion director at Style.com, which is now known as Vogue Runway, and she was the creative director of Vogue.com in its earliest days.

1:50She was known for really innovating the ways people engage with fashion, specifically online, and had her very popular, delightful web series, Candycast. Virginia Smith, Vogue's director of the Global Fashion Network, and I spoke to Candy about the old days of Vogue, and they told me what a chicken run-through is. You'll have to keep listening to find out what that means. We also chatted about her love of shoes and her words to live by. So here is the one and only Candy Pratt's Price.

2:21Candy, we're so happy to have you here. Welcome to The Run Through. This is a real treat for us. And I have to say, just preparing for this interview has been a delight to take a stroll through Candyland. But I do feel like the youth really hang on to your September is the January of fashion and it becomes something that is resurfaces each year. But I had forgotten the whole quote, which is from the September issue, which really made me laugh going back to it, which was September is the January in fashion. This is when I change. This is when I'm going to try and get back into high heels because that's the look.

2:54The look is sexy. The look is granny. What does that mean? Well, there was a shoe star called Granny Get Your Shoes, and it was during the time where Betsy Bunky and NeNe also existed in the 50s and where Norma Kamali started. And shoes were very granny-looking, meaning I've always loved a spectator. I kind of loved that 40s pump look. I'm now into a very pointy shoe, but it just, for me, I think it was fashion talk. And I want to know what you thought about this September. This felt like a real January in some ways. It was a real new day for fashion. You weren't in Paris, but what were you thinking from afar when you were looking at the collections?

3:46From afar, it felt global to me, watching Milan and watching Paris. I did feel that there was a deep concern for clothes, not so much an extravaganza of, you know, Broadway play acting it out. It was really – they were sort of considering. I think the hard job right now is a merchant's job on how to take those and make them like, I want to have it. I want to have it because some of it is so quiet. Oh, that's interesting. That you say, do I really want it or do I need it? Not to mention the state of this economy, which has nothing to do, not their problem. It's the way the situation is, which is terribly unfair and too political to discuss.

4:39That's interesting that you say that. I felt like a lot of us were saying in reaction to quite a few of the shows how exciting it was that shows felt dynamic and boundary pushing, but also very commercial and that they really had a lot of very wearable pieces. So I wondered if for merchants it did make it easier. Like that Loewe collection, there were a lot of great bags that I think people would want to buy. The same with Dior, those denim miniskirts. Some ladies are definitely going to buy those. And I wonder if sort of what people are going to be pulling out of that and actually recreating or what trends will really sort of stand the test of time when things hit stores.

5:18I mean, we'll see how it all goes. I mean, they have a very hard job to applaud what they saw because these are new young fashion designers. And they need the encouragement. and the last thing you need is somebody coming in from the back, cutting from corporate or saying, didn't sell, didn't sell, didn't sell. You know, that is so, you know, depressing to a creative person. I mean, even if you say, I don't care, you do care. Of course you care. You know, and you want to see it worn and you just don't want to see it worn because it's going to an event and you borrowed it or whatever. You want to know that people are like, I think when we were here, when I was here with you, and actually with you, because you came as Andre's assistant.

6:12And, of course, I was sitting in that small office, which he had, which he thought considered was a shower. And my desk was outside of his. So whatever arrived for me was his, in other words. It didn't matter. And I said, but the flowers are mine. He thinks that they were his. Then he would leave his office and had a typewriter. I'd be looking at him. He had a big typewriter, and he would type away and do all his faxes. He never really sat in what he called, it's a shower. I don't fit in here. I said, well, if we take a little bit of the stuff out, you know what I mean? We could remove some stuff.

6:54I, of course, had an assistant underneath the desk, Christina. Nina. And exactly. And you, lovely you, when my father passed away, I didn't even really know you, you left a little book on my desk. Thank God he didn't think it was for him. And you said, I found when my father passed away that this was helpful. I went, this girl's going to be working, you know. I mean, who buys a little book and leaves it secret? I can't remember what book it was. It was a little notebook. Oh, yes, yes. An empty notebook. book, you know, with the ribbon and saying it helps. Yeah. You know, he, of course, made all the exclamations in the world.

7:35You must start filling it in, you know. And I mean, like, I have something to do now. I feel like that was a very 25 me thing to do because it's sort of presumptuous to give an empty journal to someone. But no, you wrote that you felt that when your father had passed and that was it had helped. Well, it's true. But in any case, I knew you then. And then, of course, since we all had to do whatever Mr. Talley said, obviously. Yeah. So I was telling Chloe when we were talking, they were putting together our little prep for the thing. And they said, oh, something about a funny story. And I said, oh, I have quite a candy story because it actually— But Candy looks quite nervous at the moment.

8:21Before I came to Vogue, Candy really helped my career in a huge way, even before I came to Vogue. And I don't know if you remember this, Candy, but I was at Calvin Klein. I was relatively new there. I think actually very new there. What were you doing there? I was head of PR, and we had a new shoe line, a new, I guess, were the accessories director at Vogue at the time. Candy, was that your first role at Vogue? Yeah, a fashion director. Accessories. Yes. So you were coming up to see the new Calvin Klein shoe collection at Schwartz and Benjamin at the Fuller Building. Do you remember this? So I'm there with Calvin.

8:59I mean, here's a man who, you know, legend. I barely have known the man, you know, petrified. So you walk in and you're like very upset. And it turns out somewhere along the way, one of your like diamond earrings had fallen off. Oh, my God. So, you know, Kennedy's obviously upset. We're looking for the diamond earring. I'm sort of dispatched to go downstairs. I'm looking everywhere. I'm out on the street. And then I say to the guy, can I look in the, you know, like the service, like the bottom of the elevator, service elevator? They go, no, I can't get you in there now, or the elevator bank. So I can't get you in there.

9:36The super's not here, da-da-da-da-da. So I go back upstairs. By this time, the appointment is just, the appointment's over before it began. And I tell you and Calvin, they're going to look in the service bank, the elevator bank, and Calvin's looking like, what's an elevator bank? And so anyway, everyone leaves and we go back. No diamond. Candy's still upset. It was certainly not the dream appointment. I was hoping to have a Calvin Klein, except for the fact that about an hour later, I get a call from the super of the Fuller building. and they went down in the elevator bank and found the diamond earring.

10:17So I called Candy. Like inside the elevator? You know, I think it fell. I think I'm probably calling it the wrong thing. But you know how it really fell on that little crack. The ledge. Where the door closed. Yeah. So it went down beneath the elevator. Oh, my God. And somehow they figured out how to find it. Anyway, so I tell Candy this great news. I get a bouquet of flowers from Candy right with a note, you're a star, which I think I kept for 100 years. But most importantly and most graciously, Candy actually called Calvin and said, you know, Virginia did such a nice thing. From then on, I was good.

10:54I was good. If Candy liked me, Calvin liked me. It was all fine. And then I could call Virginia any time. Oh, yeah. Then I always owned Candy. I was like, okay. I said, I need a date for MTV. I want Calvin, and she got him for me. You did. Sierra has all the best active and outdoor brands for the super athletic stuff, like running gear for cruising up the trail. Woo! And the super athletic-ish stuff, like fishing gear for chilling by the creek. Nice cast. Fitness apparel to push for higher reps. You got this. And golf balls priced so you can afford to lose one. or a few. Head to Sierra or Sierra.com for the brands you want at the prices that let you do it all.

11:39From athletic to athletic-ish, Sierra's got it. Hey friends, Olivia from OLLI. Between new routines and the ultimate group project known as parenting, you need science-backed solutions that work with your life. That's where OLLI comes in. Start your mornings off right with Maltese made to support nutrition and immune health. Choose from our lineup of gut-supporting probiotics and we've got occasional sleep support to help the whole fam chase their big dreams. Head back to class with the number one gummy supplement brand. Stock up on Oli.com today. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.

12:09This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Tomorrow morning is knocking. Stock your fridge now. How about a creamy mocha frappuccino drink? Or a sweet vanilla? Smooth caramel, maybe. Or a white chocolate mocha. Whichever you choose, delicious coffee awaits. Find Starbucks frappuccino drinks wherever you buy your groceries. Candy, I want to talk about when you first came to Vogue. Set the scene. What year was it? What were you doing? Where were you coming from? What was your interview with Anna like? Who were you working alongside? I came six months after Anna.

12:42So I was at Harper's Bazaar. And again, attributed to Polly was all the great. I mean, Polly was still there. Polly Mullen. I believe Jade was already stepping away. Will you use last names for the uninitiated? I'm sorry. I know they. Jade Hopson. I'm sorry. I know people live like Madonna here, but I just like all of our listeners to have full context. Okay. And, I mean, everybody was— Carleen Surf, as we knew her, we dropped the— You know? I mean, she may do initials, but we dropped it. We just said it's Carleen Surf. And, you know, I met with Anna. I know exactly what I was wearing. I was wearing a Saint Laurent red suit with big brass buttons on it.

13:33Do you still have it? No. But I have the buttons. Pantsuit or skirt suit? Skirt. Oh, okay. Short. Oh, wow. And we met. We talked. What jewelry? Oh, I think a Saint Laurent necklace. You know, heart necklace. I was completely passionate about being Saint Laurent. You know, thought I should be working for Saint Laurent or I should live with Saint Laurent. It was like a commitment. I felt the same about LaCroix. I wanted to move to Orles with him once. But I interviewed with both Polly, Carlene. Who else must have seen me? Andre had already introduced me, so he didn't go through the question. And it was four times square or was it before when it was at, what's it called, Madison?

14:19It was four times square. No, 350. 350. 350. We were all in there. 350 Madison was the early. Madison Avenue in New York City. I don't want to know the zip code. Thank you, Candy. Do you need a zip code? Cross street? 40th, right next to Brooks Brothers. Had two entrances. Newsstand was in the bottom. Oh, I know. No one has newsstands anymore. That newsstand was heaven. Was heaven. I mean, we ran some petty cash bills in that newsstand. Because it was easy to carry them all up. But those wonderfully thick French vogues and Italian vogues. Yeah, and you just took them upstairs. It was fantastic.

14:59And you could be sent downstairs to get anything. So that's how it started. And at 350, Kay Hayes was still there, and she was the shoe editor. So I was put in a room. Elizabeth Saltzman was there, and Gabby Doplane was there. We all had offices at that time. You know, Anna was with the big office and then everybody else's office. And ours was bare the loading and the shipping department. And we were in fax machines at the time. And we had a fabulous woman called Phyllis Rifle. Oh, my God. Phyllis was here forever. I love Phyllis. She was the fact checker. Oh, I know. And she would constantly go and pick up my faxes and come over.

15:49and she would say, Missy, you have another party you're being invited to. And I'm thinking, she is so nosy. So anything that was coming in for Studio 54, she would like know my life. For reference, Phyllis Reifeld was still at Vogue when I started in 2011 and was in her 70s at the time, but would sort of pace the halls after hours too, like the sort of the ghost of Rebecca. Yes, exactly. That's great. And to correct you, like, it is not a ballerina, you know. It is, this is not a ballerina. It's a Mary Jane. And you go, okay, okay, we got it. Oh, I thought you were saying a dancer. I was like, what is it?

16:31She checked everybody's copy. She was fantastic. Yeah, she was fantastic. Fantastic person to have because we had the library, too, to fact check everything. So that was my tenure there. What would you wear? What were people wearing to work? What was the sort of typical uniform? Was this a high stiletto? Definitely I was in a heel all the time. That's for sure. I mean, there was no comfort ever, even the picture. And I was comfortable, quite comfortable, and could run to 7th Avenue with them back and forth. I mean, it did not matter. I think everybody did except for Polly. I mean, I never saw Polly in a stiletto.

17:12She had a very simple sling back and, you know, her... Kittenhill. I feel like I always think of her as like a black slingback kittenhill or something, probably, or a flat. Yeah, a Belgian. Oh, I love it. Yes. She had a Belgian, which I loved also. But she would, because she would be, stayed in that closet. Everything happened in this big closet, which was so beautiful. Because scarves were done in like, from baby blue to aqua to navy blue. So every glove in every length, you know, opera length, you know, car, everything was done in George. It was much more the Vogue closet of films than it is today.

17:54Exactly. Not the closet we later got and everything. You had umbrellas, parasols in case anybody needed one. More the funny face type of vibe. Yes, exactly. And I had a safe in my office because, remember, when shoots went late, you either had to drop it in the general safe when the assistants came back or there was a little safe in my office. I think that Anna is quoted as saying that my office looked like a nightclub. Who did you have lunch with? I think in the first couple of years there wasn't much of a lunch thing. Same thing later, you know, as she was starting the magazine, we were really cranking those six months was all focus of making the new Vogue.

18:39And, you know, it took hours to be. We never left. I mean, I had four assistants and at 9 p.m. they were still talking to Carlene about hoop earrings or, you know, do you have a cashmere scarf in this color? And the same thing with Polly. I mean, we were completely committed to that incredible new voyage. A lot of time was devoted to shoots at that time. You know, it's a different—it wasn't—you had that luxury, I feel. You know, same with me. When I got here, you know, I had Grace and Phyllis and Tani, and, you know, there was a lot of discussion. I mean, Phyllis would do those one-off pictures with, like, Stephen Kleiner.

19:23And she was in Irving Penn. And, you know, we would have, you know, run-throughs for like the chickens for chicken neck. And, you know, it was like there was a chihuahua. Wait, I want to hear more about chicken run-throughs. Yes, we had to have castings for whatever animal or whatever animal, fruit, plant was appearing in Mr. Penn's photographs. So would the chickens come to Four Times Square? There was definitely some chickens. And I remember a chihuahua. Wow. I also remember Shirley Lord was and so was Katie Mauer and Julia Reed. And I think one of my biggest, the biggest thrill I've ever had about being at Vogue was being invited to the features meeting.

20:07Because I had a monthly features meeting of which the food editor, Jeffrey Seingarten, Julia Reed, Dodie would go. And just sit in that room, you would be listening to the world. Everybody, you knew the movie. You knew that coffee was going to be big because Jeffrey just came back and munching cocoa beans and he went on. Dodie said great new artist. A man could have been Curran or it could have been Rachel. You were being filled with so much information, which made me immediately run back to the accessory department and think, brown pearls. I think this is what we need. We need chocolate-colored pearls.

20:56I can sense it's coming. You know, portraits, that's it. Rachel finding portraits. We need jewelry that works in a portrait, you know. And that is a big thrill of being in a journalistic situation. And I think because Anna came from a newsroom kind of upbringing where people actually talk to each other and people don't send a JPEG of a shoe. You know, we had the shoes come in. They laid them all on a table. We would then call Anna. She could look at it. I would say I want to do the fuchsia, satin. I think satin for day is my favorite thing. She listened to it for a while. You know, not a lot of reaction.

21:47But, you know, I did get some okays. And, you know, between Virginia's rack coming down the hallway and my charm bracelets. Virginia's rack is a bit much. Well, Candy and I, when we got to one, no, where were we before? Four Times Square. Four Times Square. Our offices were next to each other for a while, and we did have a lot of fun next to it. That's when I wanted it to be a big office. I said, what about a paint job? I thought, a paint job? We could remodel here. Candy wanted to put a little pass-through so we could communicate. Yeah, like a loft. And I wanted her to get rid of the sofa. She said, you know, my team comes in to look at the boards.

22:31I said, you don't want them in here. Ken's like, oh, you don't want those people staying in here for long. You know, Grace lingers, Virginia. You got to get her in and out quickly. Exactly.

22:47The Run-Through will be back in a moment.

22:56Sierra has all the best active and outdoor brands for the super athletic stuff, like running gear for cruising up the trail. Woo! And the super-athlet-ish stuff. Like fishing gear for chillin' by the creek. Nice cast. Fitness apparel to push for higher reps. You got this! And golf balls priced so you can afford to lose one. Or a few. Head to Sierra or Sierra.com for the brands you want at the prices that let you do it all. From athletic to athletic-ish, Sierra's got it. Hey friends, Olivia from OLLI. Between new routines and the ultimate group project known as parenting, you need science-backed solutions that work with your life.

23:34That's where Oli comes in. Start your mornings off right with Maltese made to support nutrition and immune health. Choose from our lineup of gut-supporting probiotics, and we've got occasional sleep support to help the whole fan chase their big dreams. Head back to class with the number one gummy supplement brand. Stock up on oli.com today. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Tomorrow morning is knocking. Stock your fridge now. How about a creamy mocha frappuccino drink? Or a sweet vanilla?

24:03Smooth caramel, maybe. Or white chocolate mocha. Whichever you choose, delicious coffee awaits. Find Starbucks Frappuccino drinks wherever you buy your groceries.

24:14Candy, you started your career at Bergdorf's and at Bloomingdale's, and you were doing amazing window displays, and you were also, were you buying there also, or? I started my career after FIT at Charles Jordan, which is where the Wimpy store is now in the Peninsula Hotel on 55th and 5th. There I asked them if I could do the windows, and they had imported all the staff from the French store, from Paris, to sell shoes. So I said, how about if I can sell shoes? And surprisingly enough, this is now in the 70s, the commission for selling shoes was 11%. So I'd say, that doesn't sound bad. But the shoes were in the basement and you had to come up every time.

25:06And all the girls only spoke French. So they would greet a customer with, bonjour madame. And I could say, hi, how are you? So we had fabulous customers and I took care of people like Jackie Kennedy. I mean, all of those ladies who knew the brand. What was Mrs. Kennedy like? Quiet, fabulous, very narrow foot, triple A. I remember that. Slim, we took the box, things were done. It was fantastic. We were all given free hair appointments once a week, very French grooming. Wow. That's amazing. I would love that. But once a week, when the hot pants era came in, we all wore hot pants with the Charger Dunn boots.