Scatter My Ashes At Bergdorf’s is a fun, frilly look at one of the most important department stores in the world; Bergdorf Goodman – chronicling it’s history, it’s design, change of ownership and it’s importance both in fashion and throughout the retail world. Unfortunately, whilst easily accessible, it is that ease, which makes the film seem like a big advert for the store itself, simply more interested in the surface image rather than what really made this store work. Rather than get involved in the real history, Matthew Miele’s film is simply a collection of designers, shoppers and the bourgeoisie having their chance to wax lyrical about a world that few really get to fully experience.
The history of Bergdorf Goodman is one that does warrant a film and Miele does lightly look at the different elements that make the store what it is today but there is very little conversation surrounding the bigger picture; what did this store do drastically differently to other department stores and what were the repercussions of it’s importance throughout the world? Rather the history in this film is a light passage through time; skipping briefly through what the store previously was in comparison to it’s work today in American society. The audience are treated in depth to histories and stories about Barbara Streisand or Elizabeth Taylor but when it comes to something a little more serious, for example the repercussions of the world’s economic collapse on BG, the audience are briefly told that it affected them before spinning infomercial type information about how they have survived and returned back to the top. The film’s main journey follows the creation of the window’s for the Christmas season; the most luxurious of the year and whilst this was chosen, probably because of the excitement the world round to see these designs, it further highlights the importance placed on looks rather than depth in the film.
Other films in the past have managed to look somewhat more interestingly at the fashion world; for example, R.J. Cutler’s The September Issue,
which looked at the process and lead up to publication of American Vogue’s September issue (the largest and most important of the year). What Culter does interestingly is make a film, which showed the work, hustle and bustle of the industry rather than simply the prettiness and fabulousness of those involved. Miele’s film spends far too long emphasising the fact that designers shouldn’t bother if their work doesn’t get into BG and oddly seems to preach about the conformity of the brand; whereas it should in fact be influential stores like BG, which champion new, innovative and unique designers.
The list of interviewees is impressive; ranging from designers (including Oscar de la Renta, Tom Ford and Karl Lagerfeld) to cultural icons (like Susan Lucci and Joan Rivers) to those integrally involved in BG’s themselves (including window designer David Hoey, fashionista Linda Fargo and hilarious personal shopper Betty Halbreich). They chat about what the store means to them and whilst us mere beings can only dream of this designer world that they chat off, for an hour and a half, it’s shimmery glamour is pretty entertaining.
Scatter My Ashes unfortunately in parts pretends to be something more than an advertisement for the vanity, fame and fortune. Whilst it’s message screams about the loveliness of consumerism, it seems all to clear that whilst most of the world is still getting over the repercussions of an economic climate, which left huge amounts of people crippled, the rich will always have those special places in their hearts that they continue to support and of course Bergdorf Goodman’s is one of them.
