The Miller Family 1: March 2003-July 2008

[misselle]

Originally Posted by CaliforniaDreamin

Bella he is about 52 I think...I would not be surprised if Alexandra marries this one, even though I sort of hope she doesn't.

I hope she doesn't marry this guy,either!

[Emily]

Doesn't Robert Miller own Sephora? I'm quite sure he does, so Pia can probably work however much or little she wants to. However, even with nannies, she has four kids, the youngest of whom must be about 6, so I'm sure she has plenty to do.

[Odette]

Originally Posted by Emily

Doesn't Robert Miller own Sephora? I'm quite sure he does, so Pia can probably work however much or little she wants to. However, even with nannies, she has four kids, the youngest of whom must be about 6, so I'm sure she has plenty to do.

I believe Bernard Arnault owns Sephora. He also got DFS from Mr Miller in (If I remember correctly) a sort of a hostile takeover.
When it gets to that level, the name recognition and appearance at parties and PR they produce is their "job". Still having 4 children is hard work.

[Meg]

Link to an scan of an article about Clara Pesantes origins:

MARIECHANTAL MILLER - Página 12 - Cotilleando Punto Com

[Bella]

Originally Posted by Meg

Link to an scan of an article about Clara Pesantes origins:

MARIECHANTAL MILLER - Página 12 - Cotilleando Punto Com

Awesome find, Meg. But I don't read Spanish. Can someone translate?

[Odette]

Yes please. The photo is of Pia but the writing is about her mother......

[Meg]

There is also a photo of Clara as a little girl.

I have made an extract. Sorry for my bad English.

The information is based in an interview to Blanca Pesantes Chiriboga, Mrs. Miller´s father. Dario Elías Pesantes was a merchant, He moved to live to Guayaquil and met Leonor Palacios a humble girl from Tungurahua. She used to sell bread, eggs and other products. Clara was born in South Guayaquil in a rented apartment. Dario sold some propieties to buy a little house. They had a shop and also used to lent money to earn interest. Clara was known as “little bird” because she eated very few. She was a kind girl. Her older sister Anita was the first to travel to the USA. She went to Long Island and married a lawyer. Clara followed her before finishing school and also the rest of her siblings. They changed their names:
Ángela – Linda
Inés – Janeth
Jorge – George
María Clara – Chantal
The sisters used to visit their parents dressed in expensive clothes. Dario and Leonor never travelled to the USA. They built a four floors building, paradoxically when inagurating it Leonor died falling and hitting herself. The last time her relatives met Clara was in her mother´s burial in 1974. She told them that She lived in Hong Kong and her husband was a millionarie. She said “ I travelled to India and a woman told me that I will be related to royalty, so You can be talking to a Queen to-be”. Her father died in 1980. Pesantes sisters took every family photo album, even They borrowed their aunt´s ones., but never returned them.
Her childhood friend Margarita comments that Clara was known as Mery at school. She liked to go to the movies and knew how to design and make dresses. She confirms Clara travelled to the USA before finishing school sent by her father. “Once her mother show me beautiful Mery and her daughters´ pics. They were like dolls. I don´t know anything about her for a long time ago. She must have forgotten me”.

[Odette]

Meg, a million thanks.
There is nothing wrong -in my view- for anyone trying to better themselves. However Maria Clara/Chantal went farthest than most. At one point she was touting herself as being the "last Inca princess"
However if she went from Guayaquil to New York how did she end up walking dogs in Paris? There is a lot more to that story, and I cannot say I blame her for blurring the lines.

[Bella]

Originally Posted by Meg

You´re welcome.

Thanks alot, Meg!! Very interesting. I have a feeling that Mrs. Miller hasn't seen her siblings since 1974 because she is trying to distance herself from her past. That's too bad, if that is indeed the case. I wonder if the Miller girls have any sort of relationship with their aunts, uncles & cousins on their mother's side. That whole last Incan Princess thing stems from a party the Millers threw back in the late 70s/early 80s where Mama Miller arrived in traditional Incan garb. The press dubbed her that, I don't think she did. She has come a long way since her youth and I agree w Odette that's not a bad thing, as long as she remembers (and respects) her roots and heritage.

[Meg]

Originally Posted by Bella

Thanks alot, Meg!! Very interesting. I have a feeling that Mrs. Miller hasn't seen her siblings since 1974 because she is trying to distance herself from her past. That's too bad, if that is indeed the case. I wonder if the Miller girls have any sort of relationship with their aunts, uncles & cousins on their mother's side. That whole last Incan Princess thing stems from a party the Millers threw back in the late 70s/early 80s where Mama Miller arrived in traditional Incan garb. The press dubbed her that, I don't think she did. She has come a long way since her youth and I agree w Odette that's not a bad thing, as long as she remembers (and respects) her roots and heritage.

I think Mrs. Miller has lost contact with her aunt Blanca and her relatives and friends living in Ecuador. However, her brother and her sisters went to live to the USA at the same time than She did. I think it´s possible they keep in contact, specially with her older sister who seems to have married a lawyer.

[Odette]

I remember another interview (a different one) with MC where she said that she never met her maternal grandparents since they died when she was very young.
Then I remember (may be wrong) reading that the Equadorian grandfather died in 1974. At that point MC was about 6 years old. Do you suppose a 6 year old would not remember a grandparent if she ever met him? even once?

[Zonk]

Originally Posted by misselle

Pia divorced very quietly a year and a half ago. If it weren't for W Magazine having an article about the divorces of the very rich,I would have never found out. Christopher Getty had been cheating on Pia for years. She no longer could keep up false appearances and gave up.
Unfortunately, many marriages don't last these days;too many people enter into marriage not honoring their vows "through richer and poorer,in sickness and in health...til death do us part."
They have no intentions of being faithful.
Alexandra has had a difficult time emotionally. She's had the anorexia problem;I remember reading in Vogue how she had gone to a spa to lose weight and that her husband complimented her on having the body of a sixteen year old...I wonder if his comments pushed her over the edge...she had just had one of her children and was never fat....Von Furstenberg must have been very difficult to please,but I had read in Vanity Fair,before their marriage, that it was she who had wanted to break up and date other people,then eventually returned to Alex VF.

By chance do you remember the month that article was published.

I have always been fascinated by the Miller girls but they are definitely low key now....marriage/children and divorce will do that to you. Alex is WAY better off without Boy Alex. Body of a 16 year old indeed. And in regards to his engagement..doesn't the fiancee look like a younger Alex and wasn't he involved with her prior to the divorce?

[LauraMCS]

Originally Posted by Zonk

By chance do you remember the month that article was published.

I have always been fascinated by the Miller girls but they are definitely low key now....marriage/children and divorce will do that to you. Alex is WAY better off without Boy Alex. Body of a 16 year old indeed. And in regards to his engagement..doesn't the fiancee look like a younger Alex and wasn't he involved with her prior to the divorce?

Alex von likes 'em young. Ali Kay (the new fiancee) looks just like Alexandra did when she was a teenager. Ali was indeed involved with Boy before the divorce and was the catalyst for same divorce.

Originally Posted by Odette

I remember another interview (a different one) with MC where she said that she never met her maternal grandparents since they died when she was very young.
Then I remember (may be wrong) reading that the Equadorian grandfather died in 1974. At that point MC was about 6 years old. Do you suppose a 6 year old would not remember a grandparent if she ever met him? even once?

My grandmother died when I was 6 and I saw her every couple of weeks but my memories of her are vague at best. The attention span and long term memory of a 6 year old aren't that well-developed.

[Odette]

Originally Posted by LauraMCS

My grandmother died when I was 6 and I saw her every couple of weeks but my memories of her are vague at best. The attention span and long term memory of a 6 year old aren't that well-developed.

But you still remember she existed. You may even have pictures of hers with you. MC mentioned that she never met them because they died when she was really young.
Funny thing I remember things as far back as when I was 3 years of age. Then I forget where I put my keys half an hour ago...........strange...LOL

[LauraMCS]

Originally Posted by Odette

But you still remember she existed. You may even have pictures of hers with you. MC mentioned that she never met them because they died when she was really young.
Funny thing I remember things as far back as when I was 3 years of age. Then I forget where I put my keys half an hour ago...........strange...LOL

Maybe she did never meet her grandparents because her parents didn't take her and her sisters to Ecuador to meet the grandparents and the grandparents didn't travel to Hong Kong. Maybe they thought there would always be time to see each other soon.

[Odette]

Maybe she never met them because her mother had no reason to take them over to visit the old neighbourhood.

[Zonk]

Originally Posted by LauraMCS

Alex von likes 'em young. Ali Kay (the new fiancee) looks just like Alexandra did when she was a teenager. Ali was indeed involved with Boy before the divorce and was the catalyst for same divorce.

Hmmm...thats never a good way to start off a relationship. Karma and all.

[pamk]

Mama Chantal and Robert are very private --- I believe that Chantal devotes her time to going to fashion shows and her family. I've never seen any publicity about her or her family doing any charity work at all. She seems to buy the most expensive and extravagant items in the fashion shows. I do remeber seeing photos of her at a family get-together of Boy Alex in Austria --- maybe one of the kids was being christened. Girl Alex and Chantal were wearing dirndls and dancing. Quite a site!

As to the "job" issue --- please! The Miller sisters may say that they have "jobs" but it is not work in the sense that they are punching a time clock and putting in a solid 8-hour work day!
The dabble --- at Sephora and at designing furniture.
Yes, Marie Chantal has her baby clothes designing business and shops, but I am sure that there are anonymous designers doing all of the hard work: designing, overseeing the manufacturing, handling the stock inventory,etc.
With nannies, cooks, maids, butlers, etc. - none of these Miller girls has to work but I am sure that their "jobs" give them a sense of self-worth and something to brag about among their social sets.

[LauraMCS]

Originally Posted by Zonk

Hmmm...thats never a good way to start off a relationship. Karma and all.

Ali should keep in mind the old adage: how she got her fella is exactly how she is going to lose him.

When the mistress becomes the wife, the position of mistress becomes vacant.

[Mandy]

Time to close this thread. Thanks every for posting!

The new thread can be found here.