We love Covent Garden…
I was so very sad to hear that Milton Glaser, the most important graphic designer of our time (who designed the ‘I heart NY’ logo over 40 years ago, founded New York Magazine and created countless iconic images) passed away on 26th June 2020 in Manhattan on the day of his 91st birthday.
I had the privilege of meeting Milton Glaser twice. The most recent visit was three years ago in 2017 to ask for advice on The Covent Gardener. This meeting was very special for many reasons and not something that I’ve shared with a lot of people.
I was at the lowest point in my life and was in NY with my brother to recover from the worst heartbreak I have ever had to endure. My meeting with Milton turned out to be a pivotal point in my career. We chatted about The Covent Gardener, Donald Trump unsurprisingly not paying a bill for work Milton had completed and most importantly Milton spoke about how every project he had ever worked on was fundamentally connected to the next. At the end of our time together along with the excellent advice of finding a publisher, allowing me to focus on my design strengths, (someone I am still on the look out for) Milton told me that I was doing a good job with The Covent Gardener. This one line meant the world to me and was exactly what I needed to hear, my meeting with Milton was the beginning of a new chapter in my life.
Before departing I took the opportunity to ask again, in person if Milton would create a cover for The Covent Gardener. The answer was a firm NO. However I only had to wait patiently for another 3 years before Milton finally relented. His response to me after asking for the 100th time was ‘Dear Jeannine, I have had a thought about your next cover, this is what I have for you, you do not need to visit me again as this is all you will get. I wish you all the best with your excellent endeavour. Milton’
Most of you reading this will have your copy of Milton’s ‘I heart CG’ cover, this issue is part of design history now and I suggest you keep your copy very safe.
I have my memories of Milton and will be forever grateful for the time he spent with me, his kind words about The Covent Gardener and the iconic cover he created just for us Covent Gardeners!