Barbara McLaughlin, by the summer begonias, is President of the Park Avenue Fund, which provides the colorful displays of flowers along Park Avenue! Photo Credit: Daphne Youree Photography
What clothing store can you expect to find on just about every charming Main Street in over 140 towns across America? J. McLaughlin! It was founded in 1977 by Kevin and Jay McLaughlin and excels at offering classic clothes with current relevance.
When I walk my Jack Russell, Miss Zsa Zsa in Palm Beach, I enjoy passing by their Worth Avenue store. One morning, as I was admiring the cheerful clothes in the window, I was inspired to learn more about Barbara McLaughlin, the wife of CEO Kevin. I thought you would too. As the saying goes, "Behind every successful man is a great woman!"
Barbara and Kevin at their NYC house, taken by Francesco Lagnese for Frederic magazine.
When you married Kevin, did you know you would be in the fashion business?
I did not, but I knew of J. McLaughlin in Minnesota because I worked in a similar store. The owner used to talk about J.McLaughlin a lot! I moved to NYC, and my first job was at Christie’s East. I started shopping in the J. McLaughlin store on Third Avenue, and that is where I met Kevin! After working at Christie’s for thirteen years, I became the Executive Director of The Society of Memorial Sloan- Kettering Cancer Center. (See, I knew she was an accomplished woman!)
What part do you play with input for the designs and seasonal color themes?
I am partial to anything with a lemon on it. My love of lemons may influence the designs a tiny bit! No official design input, but I often describe myself as an “end-user,” and my closet is filled with J.McLaughlin items to prove it! Kevin says that my daughter and I are his “muses.” I love colorful prints and simple monochromatic looks. J.McLaughlin has them both in spades. My “go-to” look for work is a sleeveless sweater under a “vintage” JMcL blazer and a pair of jeans.
Barbara has a fondness for lemons in her wardrobe ( top from J.McLaughlin ) and also grows Meyer lemons to make her own marmalade! This was taken at Citrovia in NYC.
I admire your dedication to The Fund for Park Avenue, which plants trees and flowers in the medians (the islands in the center of Park Ave) between 54th & 86th Streets! As the President, what is your biggest challenge?
The Fund for Park Avenue was created in 1980, and more than three million tulip bulbs have been planted, more than one million begonias and almost 600 trees. The Fund is one of the city’s first public-private partnerships. Our mission is to plant, light and maintain the trees and flowers on Park Avenue. All of the work we do is made possible by the contributions we receive from the community. In addition, The Fund manages (and fundraises for) the Avenue’s seasonal plantings and the annual Park Avenue Tree Lighting. Initially, there were two seasonal plantings – spring tulips and summer begonias. In 2016, we added chrysanthemums in the fall.
Barbara photographed with Michael Scully at a “Tulip Party” he hosts each year in his iconicScully and Scully store, to celebrate the blooming of the Park Avenue tulips. Photo Credit: Annie Watt
The Park Avenue Fund is a treasure to behold on Park Avenue. Tell me more!
While the plants don’t change, the colors of the tulips and begonias do each year. When possible, I like to link the color of the tulips to an important anniversary or event in the city. For example, in 2009, the tulips all over the city were orange to commemorate the 200th anniversary of Henry Hudson’s arrival in New York Harbor. In 2020, to celebrate The Fund’s 40th anniversary, we had a mixture of ruby red tulips. To New Yorkers, the blooming of the Park Avenue tulips is the signal that spring has arrived!
Where do the tulip bulbs come from?
Since the 1950s, the tulips have come from Holland and are ordered by Van de Wetering Greenhouses on Long Island.
What happens to the tulip bulbs after they blossom?
Afterward, tulip lovers are granted access to harvest the bulbs for future replanting in personal and community gardens in and around New York City. What was once a little-known tradition, “The Park Avenue Tulip Dig,” has become quite popular. Last year, nearly all 60,000 bulbs were removed by the intrepid “diggers!” We love it when people send us photos of the Park Avenue tulips blooming in their new home. We even have a video of the entire process made by two “veteran” diggers on our website.
And, what about the Christmas decorations?
Preparations for the “Park Avenue Tree Lighting” begin in the fall, as soon as the tulip bulbs are planted! Over 100 fir trees are installed between 54th and 97th Streets. The Tree Lighting is one of the highlights of the city’s annual holiday display. The trees were first lit in 1945 by a group of Park Avenue families who wished to honor the memories of loved ones lost in World War II. Today, the illuminated trees honor all who have lost their lives in our nation’s wars. This meaningful tradition is also made possible by contributions from the community.
What aspect of The Fund for Park Avenue would you like others to know about?
The Fund for Park Avenue is privately funded! We rely solely on annual contributions from the Park Avenue buildings, individual donors, residents, foundations, and corporations. While most of our donors live around Park Avenue, people all over the country contribute to The Fund. In addition to the plantings, the contributions cover all the maintenance required: mowing, weeding, tree care, watering, and trash removal.
Kevin and Barbara are committed to their philanthropic endeavors, and with a home in Boca Grande, they are proud of J.McL support of The Everglades Foundation. So, the next time you enter a J. McLaughlin store in a charming neighborhood, spy a lemon-motif outfit, or marvel at the flowers on Park Avenue, you’ll know a wee bit more about the impressive woman behind her husband’s J.McLaughlin brand!
XX,
Holly