A Sad Day: Losing a Bright Beauty & Fashion Light, Charla Krupp

It is a surprising and sad announcement that Charla Krupp passed away today from breast cancer at the age of 58. Surprising because it seems that most of us were unaware that she even had breast cancer. And very sad because she was an exuberant ball of fire who followed her passion of fashion and beauty and fun into the publishing business, with the notable and best-selling titles of "How Not to Look Old" and "How to Never Look Fat Again".

We hosted perhaps the best attended and most over the top party in Ylang 23's history for Charla at our Dallas store several years ago, honoring her beauty tips to "wear pink lipstick to look 10 years younger" and spritz on Jo Malone Grapefruit cologne to smell younger too. She had us at "If it's on your body and going South, it's time to take a U-turn".

The turnout of the Dallas Fashionista crowd was overwhelming and the number of signed books was giving the Mojitos a run for their money. Everyone loved Charla. She was always the life of the party, instantly connecting to every woman who craved a beauty tip delivered in a devilish package of humor and hope.

I was excited when she returned to Dallas and was keynote speaker for the Heart Association Luncheon, inviting me as a special guest at her table. She had the hundreds of ladies in fits of giggles as she bounced across the stage and tackled topics of importance, like Spanx and pulling ourselves up by our bra straps. 

And when our daughter Alysa interned in New York during college, she offered herself as a mentor, and eventually hired her part time to help with Social Media.

Charla asked me for help with Dallas sources for her book, and I was surprised when it was published to see my name as a credit, along with Dallasites Tracy Hayes and Jean Ingersoll. There is nothing we wouldn't have done for her and we didn't need the thanks.

My condolences to her husband Richard Zoglin, her mother Esther Krupp and her family. I am most sorry that she will not continue to live out her battle cry: "We are not going to grow old gracefully, or gratefully". That will be up to the rest of us.

A beautiful piece was posted today by Christina Binkley (WSJ).....