Saturday, July 25, 2009

Robert Isabell


In the hubbub of daily life, I missed the obituary of Robert Isabell HERE and HERE .
Say what???? He was 57 and died of heart attack. Good looking and fit, he is the last person one would think of this happening to.
Robert started his event design career slightly ahead of me. He started out fresh from Minnesota working for another well known talent named Renny Reynolds, and shortly thereafter started his own business.
Robert was someone I respected, and someone who inspired me. As my business grew, we bid on some of the same events, though his roster of clients was the stuff of stars and society and celebs.
He was also good buddies with Ian Schraeger one time co-owner of Studio 54, the place where I misspent and enjoyed my youth at. He also did the wedding of my dear friend and mentor Marcy Blum, who has just started what is sure to be a fabulous new blog HERE. Her first post is about Robert.
Robert set the standard for a new kind of event design that encompassed the total picture: florals, lighting, room decor. Many of us have him to thank for paving the way for us including mega designers Preston Bailey and Colin Cowie.
I am very sorry to hear of his way too early passing.
Condolences to his family and his friends and his business associates and his clients and his fans, of which I was one of many.
There is another article written about Robert in 1996 that is bittersweet. You can read it HERE

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's so hard to watch the players in one's personal history disappear. I'm sorry for this untimely loss in yours, Valorie.

Pamela Terry and Edward said...

Such an untimely loss. And such a talent. Didn't he do Caroline Kennedy's wedding??

Oh, all the best, belated, birthday wishes to you!!

Helen said...

Oh! I am so sad to learn that Robert Isabel has died. I'm going to have to wrack my brain to recall who -- but during the 24 years I lived in Minneapolis he was somehow connected to a friend of mine. His talent was immense!!!

Unknown said...

Untimely indeed, we are loosing lots of talent this summer. And the beat goes on.

Bette

vicki archer said...

So sad - he was really a very talented individual, xv

Linda@ Lime in the Coconut said...

Oh! He was beautifully talented.

On an aside...he made my favorite candle in the whole world. I cannot find it anywhere.

Anonymous said...

"Studio 54, the place where I misspent and enjoyed my youth at"

Yeah, right.

Visual Vamp said...

Dear Anon.
Where you there?
Perhaps on your knees in the rest room?
xo xo

mastercainb said...

I was Robert's Masseur for quite a while in the 90's he was gracious generous, gorgeous, shy...we lost contact over the years but he will be sadly missed by me. His enormous talent and that incredible house of his. God Speed Robert, I was really fond of you!