I have interviewed many individuals for the INTIMATE APPAREL JOURNAL, but I must say this was one of the most difficult, just because I knew at the time that I would be saying goodbye to Walter. But in a good way. You see, he was planning to leave the Intimate Apparel industry for his new life (a new chapter). Not re-inventing, but just fulfilling a yearning to do something else and to add to his many accomplishments within the industry. Knowing Walter for so many years, and interviewing him, brought back lots of memories that we shared. Of course he was one of my favorite lace salespeople (loved his expertise) but we also shared fun times being members of two clubs, THE UNDERFASHION CLUB and PROJECT HELP US GIVE.
Why do we call him MAYOR of MADISON AVENUE? That’s easy. He was always around. For years, Madison Avenue was the “hub” of the intimates companies and one could always run into Walter. So, one could literally bump into Walter on the street, and he was there for many of us in many other ways, always lending a helping hand, always getting involved and being a great friend.
For this interview I have asked a few of his friends to speak about Walter in addition to my Q&A. But first, let’s see what the “Mayor” has to say.