Heart on My Sleeve: Stories from a Life Well Worn by Jeanne Beker

On a few Saturday early evenings in the late 80s and early 90s, I often looked forward to watching Jeanne Beker’s Fashion Television. It wasn’t the over-the-top couture that drew me in. The show opened with Animotion’s iconic “Obsession,” the song with the driving beat, a determined runway strut. Why were these fierce looking women so confident? Why are all these designers so important? At the same time, I was also highly entertained by MuchMusic and gradually made the connection that Jeanne was part of that Toronto-based New Music scene. My impressionable younger self watched Jeanne take the lead and fearlessly interview big names in fashion and music, placing Canada (well, mostly Toronto) on the map for “smart interviews.” People sought her out and she made it look easy. Her questions had substance, and it looked like celebs were keen to be interviewed by her. I watched a lot of American TV as well, but never saw anything comparable to what Toronto was pumping out via the Moses Znaimer universe. Jeanne made Canada look cool, instead of the self-conscious poor cousin perched atop its brash older relative to the south.

These stories are rich and heartfelt.

Throughout Jeanne’s superb autobiography Heart on My Sleeve, she pieces together interesting and at times tea-spilling stories in a uniquely non-chronological way. She uses favourite and meaningful garments and accessories collected at various points in her life in recollecting something of significance in her eventful timeline. It’s very much like how our olfactory senses can trigger a memory from the past, for better or worse. These stories are rich and heartfelt.

In “The Black and White of It” chapter, a very famous designer (think dark glasses and hand fan) warmly gifts Jeanne with a maternity dress that defied the era’s unflattering, form-hiding whale costumes. It remains in her closet to this day, partly as a reminder of the kind friendship that evolved between them over the years.

Jeanne also includes a juicy recollection of a very well-known, (now almost always shirtless, crepey chested) Michigan punk rocker who needlessly gave her a hard time for likely no other reason than what she was wearing. She had interviewed him before, when she was clad in skintight black vinyl jeans, and had been warmly-received by his slithery nibs. For this particular interview, she happened to receive the unexpected call to interview while attending Sabbath dinner. After reading “Dressing the Part,” I promptly search the youtube clip with the cringey interview, and witnessed a class act on Jeanne’s part. She couldn’t have handled it better, then. If it happened now, she’d probably have a wider arsenal of things she could say to him on TV.

One may tear up a bit with the story about her newsboy cap, a cherished item that made Jeanne feel connected to her dear mother. Jeanne recently endured a bout with cancer, finding strength and comfort in hats.

One might also confirm the aloofness of a famous actress and singer best known for her strikingly controversial poses and oddly anti-aged face in “Fancy Pants.” It’s another piece that Jeanne still keeps in her closet, intriguingly so as it evokes strong feelings of awkwardness.

If you want to get the inside scoop on one of the O.G. Canadian female rock journalists, this is a must read. Jeanne pairs her closet with major life events like the first taste of freedom as a teenager, the ascendancy of her TV journalism career, marriages, divorce, children, and much more. She of course name drops all of the “very famous” musicians and designers. I won’t tell you in this review though. You’ll need to read her book and find out yourself. My favourites are the ones with Leonard Cohen and Gordon Lightfoot. Happy treasure hunting to you during this memorable and captivating read.

Jeanne Beker was the host of the hit show Fashion Television, which aired in over 130 countries for twenty-seven years and was one of the most successful shows in Canadian TV history. Prior to that, she hosted the groundbreaking show The NewMusic and was a founding member of MuchMusic. A seasoned newspaper and magazine columnist, Jeanne was editor-in-chief of FQ and SIR magazines from 2003 to 2009. Currently, she is a frequent keynote speaker and style editor for TSC, where she hosts her eponymous show Style Matters. Jeanne has received honorary doctorates from St. Mary’s University and OCAD University. She was named to the Order of Canada in 2013, inducted into the American Marketing Association’s Hall of Legends in 2015, and received a star on Canada’s Walk of Fame in 2016. Jeanne lives in Toronto, Canada.

Publisher: Simon & Schuster (October 8, 2024)
Hardcover 8″ x 6″ | 256 pages
ISBN: 9781668035207

Mala Rai is a poet, drummer, psychology student, and technical writing hired gun on the West Coast. Her most recent poems have appeared in Eclectica Magazine, High Shelf Press, and Anti-Heroin Chic. You can follow her on Instagram @malaraipoetry

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