While filming Ellen, we got the news of Michael Jackson’s death. It was one of those moments that you know you will remember where you were for the rest of your life. We were already immersed in Ellen’s world of fashion, which is a collection of original clothing and jewelry from every corner of the planet, and she endless stories of wandering the globe. She says, “I would like to travel until I don’t know where I am.” Ellen is fearless in her quest for the unacquired. Once, while in Israel after a trip to Greece and Turkey, she befriended a diplomat who helped her to cross the border to Lebanon where she happened upon a Palestinian gown that is archetypal in stature, like most of her possessions.
Prior to her present status as a globetrotter and student of costume studies about to finish her Ph.D, Ellen was a successful advertising exec with her own agency. Humbly, she recalled multiple meetings she had with Michael Jackson while working on an ad campaign with him. She remembered that he was extremely kind and smart, making the moment all the more profound and sad. Unsurprisingly, Ellen is writing her dissertation on the ethnic and historical references in the clothing designs of Mary McFadden. She feels that no other designer has a comparable breadth of experience in terms of indigenous references. Ellen is the embodiment of how important the depth of cultural knowledge is in one’s quest for personal style. Ellen says of Mary McFadden: “I have enormous admiration for such a fully lived life in all areas: intellectual, social, emotional, business. Her eye and her taste is exquisite … unique, and I love her capacity to explore and embrace all cultures and to integrate elements from all of them into her designs.”