Coincidences that stay with you for the rest of your life

The samples were already approved and the finishing touches were underway: California 1960 was already a reality. That could only mean that the time had come for cameras. Little by little, the products began to be prepared for photographic production. Each object had to have its own space in the rooms, strategically placed so that its story could be conveyed in the best possible way. At the same time, they all had to look perfect, ready for individual product photography. Like actors in a movie, the linen, velvet and embroidery prepared for their moment under the lights.

And, along with all these preparations, I had made a promise to the team: the day of the photos would be the moment when I would tell them the outcome of my Californian story. However, before arriving at the Kaufmann house, the iconic location where the idea for this collection had emerged, my journey with Max had made a penultimate stop.

-Remember the bet we had made on the road when the Eagles' Hotel California song came on? - I told the guys about lunch.

-Was it him or was it you who didn't believe he existed? - asked Sofia.

-That was me. And before we got to the Kaufmann house in Palm Springs we drove to Beverly Hills to figure it out.

 

Los Angeles was a city dominated by cars. Streets and freeways were overrun by vehicles. The monotony of the asphalt was broken every now and then by the occasional palm tree. Max smiled more than usual and tried to hold my hand at any pretext. I didn't complain.

As we exited the highway, green began to invade everything. The houses became larger and larger and more exuberant. Bushes began to cover facades, denoting their owners' intentions of exclusivity and desire for privacy. We were crossing Sunset Boulevard when Max turned right and pulled into a small winding street. I recognized the green and white stripes on the driveway instantly. Max stopped the car and we got out.

-Welcome to the California Hotel," she said.

On the facade it read in a particular typeface that said The Beverly Hills. I pointed out the sign to Max and smiled.

-I think you made a mistake.

Instantly, Max took my hand and led me down the continuation of the path. The building was old, but very well preserved. The pink walls with green accents were reminiscent of an old Hollywood movie. He pointed out the main tower and a smaller one next to it.

-Those are the two towers that can be seen from the album cover," he said and repeated, in a mocking tone, those words that I had pronounced before our first kiss. - I'm getting tired of having to prove so many things to you.

I laughed and kissed him.

 

Sofia sighed, caught by my story, and we all started laughing. She didn't seem to mind.

-Did you see any celebrities there? - asked Joaquín.

-No, but it was a hotel full of history.

 

The lobby had a circular layout. Palm leaves decorated the flower pots and a large chandelier hung in the center of the room. Immediately below it a large bouquet of flowers was displayed in the exact center of the room.

The hotel was bustling with activity. Tourists and guests were constantly coming and going. A concierge approached us curiously and Max, who was less mesmerized by his surroundings than I was, asked for directions to the cafeteria.

It was not yet prime time at the Fountain Café Room. Although tables were available, Max insisted that we sit at the bar. The walls were decorated with palm leaf patterns, similar to those that decorated the main lobby.

Max ordered two orange juices and watched me marvel at my surroundings. After they were served, I asked:

-Have you ever stayed here? How do you know this place?

-I really like Frank Sinatra and I've read a lot about him and the Rat Pack.

-Whatis the Rat Pack?

Max looked at me, incredulous.

-You don't know what it is?

He paused dramatically.

-The Rat Pack was the name the press gave to Frank Sinatra and Humphrey Boggart's group of friends," he replied. - They were about five artists who used to meet here in the '60s when they weren't touring. Sinatra was a regular. He used to always book room 117, which had a piano, and he used to do private concerts for him and his friends. I would have loved to have been a fly during one of those nights.

We sipped our juices slowly, while we talked about the history of the place. Not only Sinatra and his band had passed through these walls. Grace Kelly, Marilyn Monroe, Katherine Hepburn and John Lennon had also stayed here. At the same bar we were leaning against, the band Guns N' Roses had signed their first record deal.

I was still mesmerized by him and the atmosphere. The stories of former guests made my ears ring. I tried to keep all the information in my memory, so that the memory would last forever.

Finally, on our way back to the car, I approached one of the waiters and asked:

-Who designed the wallpaper?

The waiter smiled.

-It's a very famous design. It was drawn by Dorothy Draper. Today she is known as the world's first interior decorator.

Ideas and sketches flew through my mind. As we climbed into the car, ready to get to the Kaufmann house, I grabbed my notebook and began to write.

 

-Many years later, when I traveled to Petrópolis to create our collection last year, I met Dorothy Draper again," I told the team. -And that's why California 1960 took the shape it has today. It was because of those coincidences that you never see coming, but that stay with you for the rest of your life.