Name:
Deborah
In what part of town do you live?
I live in Coral Gables.
How long have you lived in the area?
I grew up in Coral Gables in 33146. And I now live in 33134.
Would you tell us a little bit about yourself?
I was two when we moved to Miami from Chicago. I spent most of my life here, except when we moved to New York when I was 14. That was devastating to me because I thought the world revolved around 33146. I spent some time in Denver and South Carolina and moved back here, married one time, had three children, got divorced, and remarried two or three years later. And, lived happily ever after.
What keeps you busy during the week?
I own a French hair accessories business and they’re all handmade in the tiniest little town in France. They’ve been doing this since 600 AD. At that time, they were made out of wood or ivory or other materials and it evolved through the years.
What materials are they using to make them now?
It starts as cotton fiber. And then, they add a solvent to it and make it into a dough. Then it is rolled out and baked three or four times and then broken up and different color is added. Just today, someone asked for three or four more in ‘this color’. They just don’t understand that it’s like a sheet of granite. Once it’s gone, it’s gone. There are no formulas.
And then, are they molded? What is the process?
Some of them are molded. The ones that I’m doing right now are all carved by hand. I say, ‘I need an elephant, I need a turtle, I need a fish, or I need a bird.’ They’ll draw it, and I approve or say ‘make it look more like this…’ They send samples and then hand make them. It’s not done quickly.
How did you get involved?
My mother was chic and wonderful. She’d be working in the garden one minute and tie her hair up in a French twist the next and look like Katherine Hepburn. How I got involved…I bought my first one in France when I was there with my husband – maybe 25 years ago. They used to be in little apothecary shops and small boutiques but you can’t find them anywhere now. Then I met somebody at one of the trade shows in New York, and then I went out on my own, two or three years ago.
What do you enjoy about it?
I love the whole process and learning about it. I had no idea that it was so complicated and how much time is involved.
How do you decide what to make?
Sometimes, people say to me, ‘you really need a… French poodle or you really need this…’ Or, I’ll see what we can come up with. My husband and I sailed across the Atlantic (with your turmeric by the way!) on a Dutch sailing vessel – a clipper ship. We had internet access maybe for two hours a day. I took a picture and sent it to my designer and three months later I got hair clip clipper ships.
How often do you come to the Pinecrest market?
Almost every week.
What is your market ritual?
My first stop is you. Then, I go over to Pam (at V&B) and get whatever is in season. From there, I’ll go to the Jamaican guy, with the hibiscus drink, and we’ll sing ‘Shame and Scandal in the Family’.
What do you typically get at our stand?
I get the turmeric concentrate because as you know, I had some real serious problems with my feet and I could barely walk and I was having shots of cortisone. They, I met you and started to drink the turmeric. That was two or three years ago. I’ve never had any pain since, so that’s pretty awesome!
How did you travel with our turmeric concentrate on a clipper ship?
I went to the Container Store and bought these bottles that do not leak; they stand by that. When I travel, I put all kinds of things in their bottles. I pour my turmeric in the bottles and then I freeze it and then pack it. I didn’t actually even use all of the ones I took with me. I left it with the chef on the ship and you would’ve thought I had left him $1 million!
What is your favorite part about the market?
I love the people. I think we’re very lucky to have it.
What do you think would make the market better?
Make it bigger.
What restaurants do you all like to go out to?
We really love to cook, so it’s hard for us to get out of that box. We like to walk around in Coral Gables and see the new things that are popping up all over. We actually went to a restaurant that was excellent the other night, called T U R. It’s on Geraldo, but not on the closed off street. The food was excellent- but why do we have to have TV sets everywhere? That would be my only complaint.
What is Miami’s best kept secret?
The American Airlines office on Ponce. There are only a couple in the United States and we have one. It’s an old fashioned ticket counter. You walk in there with a problem and they fix it.
What is a worthy splurge for you?
A trip.
What’s a fun rainy day activity?
Going to see a foreign film.
What community groups are important to you that you might like to share?
My husband and I are big sailors so we support two yacht clubs. My father was a founding member of the Coral Reef Yacht Club. The other area that I would like to get involved in is the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Biscayne Nature Center.
Is there a question that you would like to ask us?
(DB) How did you come up with the formula for the turmeric concentrate?
Six years ago, Adena’s dad Marc starting growing turmeric. We thought he was crazy. And then – as soon as it was harvested, we started making products with it and learning about the benefits. The first product we made was totally different than what we have now. It has evolved so much. We changed it a little bit every week for two years until we got to where it is now.
(DB) When are you going to be able to ship the turmeric?
(A+W) We got our license to ship, however it’s so expensive to ship frozen or cold items. (If anyone is an expert in this, please be in touch.)
(DB) I know that you are also a jeweler. Would you tell us a little bit about that career?
(Walt) I’ve been designing for many years. I was one of the early ones, 20 years ago, to design jewelry in CAD and 3D print my designs. That landed me at David Yurman, where I designed many pieces that I see at the market each Sunday. From there, I went into eye wear, timepiece, and fragrance bottle design. And, I still have my own jewelry collection which I add to from time to time.
(DB) Let’s make a hair clip!
Where can we find pictures of your accessories?
FrenchTwistDesign.com
Do you have any final words?
(DB) Thank you so much for even doing this. My husband’s a lot more interesting than I am. He’s a harbor pilot. He’s out of retirement and he’s gone back to being a tug boat captain. He has a lot of funny and very interesting stories. You should really interview him.
( A+W) Sounds great! We look forward to it.