My Journey from the Projects to Paris to Rodeo Drive
Memoir
Date to Published: September 10, 2024
Publisher: Acorn Publishing
Larry Chrysler’s life takes a dramatic turn when a chance encounter with a mysterious stranger disrupts his day. From that moment, the son of a bipolar mom and a homophobic dad decides he must follow his heart and forge his own path to success if he is to achieve his fashion design dreams. Armed with only a high school diploma and “angels on his shoulders,” Larry befriends wayward princesses, dresses A-list actors and rock music royalty, and embarks on jet-setting adventures his younger self hardly could have imagined.
Scattershot: My Journey from the Projects to Paris to Rodeo Drive tells the unforgettable story of a Jewish gay boy who leaves the oppressiveness of the Minneapolis projects to pursue a glamorous career in design among elite fashion circles in America and Europe. At times funny, wise, and heartfelt, this is a story of coming out during the repressive 1950s and of eventually finding true love. In this wryly candid and inspirational memoir, Larry proves that no dream is impossible with a little daring and panache—and, of course, a fabulous wardrobe.
The first Christmas season was busier than we’d anticipated. Swamped by hordes of shoppers, we hired a young lady to wrap gifts on a card table set up in a corner of the store. The poor darling was so overwhelmed that when the legendary singer Diana Ross came in and saw her, she said, “Move over, honey, and let me help. I know how to wrap gifts.” At the end of the day, Diana asked to use the telephone behind the cashier’s desk and called her mother in Detroit.
“Mama,” Diana said, “go next door and get Auntie. I am inviting both of you to my opening in Las Vegas.”
That would be her first big Vegas concert. We knew better than to be starstruck, but even so, it never ceased to amaze me when celebrities visited our store and felt right at home. It was that kind of store.
The celebrity clientele loved coming by just to be there, to schmooze with their friends and know they wouldn’t be bothered by the other equally affluent or famous customers. Popular Las Vegas stars Tom Jones and Engelbert Humperdinck often shopped together and teased one another about the way their new clothes fit.
Donald Sutherland was a size 42 long. I remember that because he was going to be acting in a picture with Julie Christie in Italy and came in to ask me to design his wardrobe. Much of the film would be shot in Rome, and even though he would ultimately choose the Italian fabrics and sketch ideas I presented, the clothes would be made there at Brioni, where he could have his fittings done in person. His role was a schoolteacher, and I highly doubt he could have afforded one piece of the expensive Brioni on a meager teacher’s salary. I wasn’t in the movie designer union, so I didn’t get screen credit, but it was fun working with Donald.
Our customer relationships often became personal, and Donald Sutherland was a warm and kind person. I once checked into a small boutique hotel in London. When Donald signed in after me and saw my name in the guest book, he called my room and invited me to dinner.
The inimitable Motown singer Isaac Hayes was another lovely customer. With his first royalty check in hand, he excitedly asked me to cash it instead of going to the bank. I happily obliged! How often can you say you got to cash the check of a man who made the movie Shaft a household name with its incredible soundtrack?
On any given Saturday, there were so many beautiful people shopping and engaging us in lively conversation that I would go home after work exhilarated and overly satiated by the experience.
About the Author
Larry Chrysler was raised in the bi-racial projects of 1930s Minneapolis before pursuing a career as a dress designer in New York and Los Angeles. He eventually established himself as a distinguished menswear clothier on the iconic Rodeo Drive. Currently, Larry lives in Beverly Hills with his husband Matthew. Scattershot: My Journey from the Projects to Paris to Rodeo Drive is his first book.
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