For anyone interested in the history of Bergdorf Goodman and its site, I highly recommend Booton Herndon’s wonderful Bergdorf’s on the Plaza: The Story of Bergdof Goodman and a Half-Century of American Fashion and John Foreman’s The Vanderbilts and the Gilded Age: Architectural Aspirations, 1879–1901, both of which I leaned on heavily while assembling this book. Ira Neimark’s Crossing Fifth Avenue to Bergdorf Goodman: An Insider’s Account on the Rise of Luxury Retailing is another rich resource.
The Scatter My Ashes project would not have been possible without Mallory Andrews at Bergdorf Goodman. Long before our first interview was taped, Mallory was gathering anecdotes about the store, establishing a living history for Bergdorf Goodman when it had no formal archive.
Matthew Miele, director of the accompanying documentary, had the unenviable task of filming many of these sessions, often inside the store during business hours, filtering out noisy escalators, curious shoppers, buzzing overhead lights, and ambient Muzak. He also stepped in to ask the questions when I, seven months pregnant, retired to complete the book.
My editor at HarperCollins Publishers, Elizabeth Viscott Sullivan, provided invaluable guidance and immensely improved the structure of the manuscript.
Amanda Urban and Kate Lee at ICM first suggested me for this project and provided much-needed encouragement along the way.
Teril Turner and Barbara Ragghianti wrangled scores of designers, celebrities, socialites, and Bergdorf Goodman employees and kept the calendar full of fun surprises. Liz Keating was a tremendous help researching the history of the store and maintaining order on set. And Tracy Costa transcribed entire days’ worth of interviews, sometimes overnight.
During the year I worked on Scatter My Ashes, my family moved from Brooklyn to Boston. We also welcomed a little girl (whom I hope to soon take shopping at Bergdorf Goodman). My husband, Seth, and son deserve medals for surviving the chaos with me. Their love and support astound me daily. For my family, IAMBAMBIM.