Jeanne Beker has been at the forefront of pop culture since the mid-70s. She was a founding member of MuchMusic and the iconic host of Fashion Television, which ran for 27 years and established her as Canada’s face of fashion.

In her new book, Heart on My Sleeve, Jeanne delivers an uplifting and inspiring memoir that walks readers through a wardrobe of memory, one article of clothing at a time. A natural storyteller, she shares her recollections of specific pieces of clothing and jewelry and how these precious items made an indelible impact on her life, while introducing us to star-studded cast, including Paul McCartney, Madonna, Karl Lagerfeld, Kate Moss, Oscar de la Renta, Beyoncé, and Keith Richards.

Bold, colourful, and authentic, this is Jeanne at her very best and brightest. We recently sat down with her to talk about her new book, and the people and fashion items that have defined her life.  

Building a Wardrobe of Memory

Speakers Spotlight: You describe your new memoir as a “wardrobe of memory.” How did the idea of connecting clothing with specific memories come to you?

Jeanne Beker: In my initial discussions with my publisher, they suggested writing a book that would explore life lessons I’ve learned along the way — nuggets that people can easily digest.

What really makes me nostalgic about my life is when I look through my jewelry box. As I child, I would rummage through my mother’s jewelry box and I would see gorgeous pieces, each with their own story. I would imagine where my mom got them and wore them. Now it’s my jewelry box that has special pieces that represent times gone by or interesting people I’ve met in my life.

I thought that would be an interesting premise for a book — a jewel box of memories. But, of course, I expanded it to my closet as well. So many people associate me with fashion, so that’s why I made it integral to the book. Everybody has a wardrobe of some sort and will have sentimental attachments to some of those pieces. So, I’m hoping this book will inspire people to look at their own wardrobe and see their clothes through a different lens.

SpSp: Do you have a favourite story that popped up while you were writing this book?

I’ve told this story a couple times, about me dancing with Ronnie Hawkins back in 89. I was wearing a yellow bikini top with pom poms and Ronnie spotted me in the crowd and invited me to dance. I was 17 — the original dancing queen. That was my first brush of greatness, I got my picture in the newspaper, so it’s a very fond memory. But really there are so many others.

The premise for this book is to see your life through the lens of your wardrobe, but you don’t have to care about fashion to appreciate the book. It’s a collection of stories well told.

Jeanne Beker’s Fashion Icons

SpSp: You’ve had an incredible career in fashion, interviewing many famous designers and icons. How did your personal style evolve as a result of those interactions, and who influenced your fashion sense the most?

JB: My mother influenced my fashion sense the most. Even my dad said the first thing people judge you on is how you’re dressed, for better or worse. So clothes were always important in my family. My mother had an incredible appreciation of gorgeous garments. We didn’t always have the money to buy them, but she bought her own sewing machine and made her own clothes for herself, me, and my sister.

People and Moments of Impact

SpSp: In Heart on My Sleeve, you speak about the impact of your parents, both Holocaust survivors. How has their resilience and life experiences shaped your life?

JB: My parents were survivors. My father’s motto was, don’t be afraid and never give up, so there has always been a toughness and tenacity in the way they navigated the world. They weren’t hardened people, even with the hell they went through, they always remained open-hearted and open-minded. That has always stayed with me. They showed me how to find light in the darkness — to keep going no matter what, putting one step in front of the other, that even if you’re going through fires, they will subside and get better. That’s been the greatest gift.

SpSp: You’ve been very open and honest about your cancer journey. How did this experience influence your new book? And the way you live today?

JB: When writing this book, I felt it was important to include a couple of stories that related to this monumental experience in my life. It did make me a bigger, better, braver, wiser, stronger, more compassionate person. I took it as an opportunity to not only prove to others I can get through this, but to prove to myself that I am all those things I always say I am.

I pride myself in being fearless, positive, and that I can get through anything. So when this horrible darkness descended on me, it was a matter of remembering who I was and proving to myself that I was who I thought and proclaimed I was.

It was the most extraordinary year of my life, filled with fear, pain, discomfort, and inconvenience. But it also restored my faith in humanity because the love and support that came back to me was heart swelling. I believe the most precious gift we can give is our own personal stories so I’m glad I had the nerve to share my experience and be authentic.

Lessons from a Life Well Lived

SpSp: What do you hope readers will take away from Heart on My Sleeve?

JB: I hope it will help them see their wardrobes in a new and appreciative way and explain why they hold on to certain things. I hope they understand how powerful of a tool fashion can be in empowering us, in communicating messages to others and ourselves about who we are. There is so much you can learn about yourself from examining your wardrobe.

There’s also all kinds of life lessons peppered throughout the book. I hope that people see my vulnerabilities alongside my triumphs. I worked very hard. My life might sound glamorous but there was a lot of pain and sacrifice that went into it. I felt like I owed it to my parents, whose youth was nipped in the bud. I owed it to them to have a fabulous life to make up for the hell they went through. And in some ways my parents were living vicariously through me, especially in the early days when my star was rising, and I was brushing shoulders with the most creative minds of our time. My book humanizes those iconic figures.

So I hope people can see that at the end of the day, we’re all just people with wardrobe choices to make. And while fashion isn’t the most important thing that drives us, it certainly makes life more colorful and fun.

A Canadian icon, Jeanne Beker speaks on how she rose to the top of arts and culture media in Canada and about the passion and resiliency it takes to be a trailblazing, successful entrepreneur. As the child of Holocaust survivors, Jeanne’s take on courage and tenacity runs deep, and her recent cancer journey has given her a new purpose and platform for sharing wisdom and inspiration.

If you’re looking for an inspirational or motivational speaker to wow your audiences, look no further than Jeanne . Her fascinating life lessons are matched with her effervescent personality, guaranteeing an uplifting and memorable event. Contact us for more information about Jeanne and to book her as a keynote speaker.