Brooke Shields Book Signing Event at Barnes and Noble Americana Glendale

Growing up I have always admired Brooke Shields for her beauty and talent. She was my ultimate model/actress idol. I vividly recall when the movie “The Blue Lagoon” was showing at the theater. I could not see it because I was too young. After a couple years, I finally saw it with some of my classmates at my friend’s house who was one of the few who had betamax at that time.

I bought every fashion and teen magazine that had her photos. One thing that sticks in my mind is this McCall’s catalogue/magazine where every page had her picture. It was surreal to finally meet her at a book signing event at Barnes and Noble  Americana in Glendale last November 24th. Her latest book entitled “Brooke Shields There Was a Little Girl The Real Story of My Mother and Me”. The book is an honest memoir about her life growing up in the spotlight, her rise to fame, her relationships and her mother as a manager and her mother’s problems with alcoholism.

I’ve been a fan of hers since I was a little girl. Ironically I was named after her and then I discovered her. The magazine is a Vogue from summer 1987. It was a gift for me from my dad. It was in my stocking and I saved it all these years.And I hope she’ll sign it. It’s a collectible. It’s a great issue and she looked really pretty in it.” – Brooke, Beverly Hills

Getting back to the book signing event, what was fun was chatting with fellow Gen X-ers while I was in line. We shared all our Brooke Shields moments growing up in the ’80s. The first person I met while I was waiting in line was Juan Kandarpa from Orange County. Kadarpa, said, “I grew up liking her back in the 80s when I was about 10 or 11. Spent my allowance buying magazines and becoming a member of her fan club.I spent my allowance buying Teen magazines instead of a sandwich.”

Another fan named Audrey who grew up in the Philippines was very excited to meet her in person, “I have been a fan since I was a teenager. She came to the Philippines a long time ago and I really wanted to meet her. I watched her first movie ‘Blue Lagoon’ and ‘Endless Love’. I really want to meet her in person and I bought her book too.”

One fan with the name of Brooke from Beverly Hills brought a copy of Vogue magazine with Brooke Shields on the cover from 1987. When I saw the magazine I was really impressed of how the magazine was still in top shape. Brooke mentioned, “I’ve been a fan of hers since I was a little girl. Ironically I was named after her and then I discovered her. I’ve been following her modeling and acting career. I thought it would be fun to meet her in person. The magazine is a Vogue from summer 1987. It was a gift for me from my dad. It was in my stocking and I saved it all these years. And I hope she’ll sign it. It’s a collectible. It’s a great issue and she looked really pretty in it.”

As she arrived, I was blown away by how beautiful she looked and carried herself. At 50, she still looks stunningly gorgeous. She donned a denim wide leg pants, beaded black jacket over a black sleeveless shirt with a pair of flat shoes. When it was my turn, I mentioned I remember back in the ’80s when I saw her photo on the newspaper as one of the guest celebrities at Manila International Film Festival in the Philippines. She replied, “I still have the trunk dress.” She was describing it with her hands and pointing to her shoulders. For those of you who don’t know what she was referring. It’s the Philippine national dress called a Terno or a Filipiniana. 

Even though Brooke and only I chatted for a bit, it was indeed a memorable experience.

A fan named Brooke too from Beverly Hills was kind enough to let me take a photo of her Brooke Shields memorabilia. She mentioned her dad put it on her Christmas stocking. Vogue 1987

Received this Brooked Shields Fan Club Application in 1984