Marilyn Miglin
Marilyn Miglin (née Klecka; 18 October 1938) is an American entrepreneur, inventor and longtime host on the Home Shopping Network.[1] Miglin has been referred to as the 'Queen of Makeovers.'[2][3]
Marilyn Miglin | |
---|---|
Born | Marilyn Klecka 18 October 1938 |
Spouse(s) | |
Children | 2 |
Miglin garnered significant media attention as the widow of Lee Miglin, a business tycoon and philanthropist who was murdered in 1997 by the spree killer Andrew Cunanan.[4]
Biography
Born in Plzeň, during her early adulthood, Miglin emigrated to the United States and was a model and dancer in Chicago.[5]
Miglin started her beauty company and boutique in June 1963 in Oak Street, which grew to become a cosmetics empire. Miglin has since invented over 36 fragrances and perfumes through Marilyn Miglin Cosmetics.[6] Miglin has been a host on the Home Shopping Network for over 25 years, and her business is worth over 50 million dollars.[7] Miglin served on Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley's special committee on tourism, as an officer of the Chicago Convention, the State of Illinois Board of Economic Development and on the Board of Directors of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.[8]
Miglin is an advocate for individuals who are facially disfigured and burn survivors. She is a founding member of the University of Illinois' advisory board for the craniofacial center.[9]
Personal life
In 1959, she married Lee Miglin. He was murdered on May 4, 1997, by the spree killer Andrew Cunanan.
At the time of Miglin's murder, the couple had been married for 38 years. They had two children: Marlena (born 1968) and actor Duke Miglin (born 1971). Miglin remarried two years after Lee's death, in 1999. Her second husband died only months after the wedding.[10]
Honors
The City of Chicago designated “Marilyn Miglin Way” as the honorary name of Oak Street's shopping district.[11]
Miglin is a recipient of the Raoul Wallenberg Award and the Best Face Forward Award. In 1998, the City of Chicago proclaimed April 15 as "Marilyn Miglin Day".[12]
In popular culture
Miglin was portrayed by Judith Light in the 2018 miniseries The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story.[13] Light garnered critical acclaim and a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie for her performance.
References
- "Where are Marilyn Miglin and Duke now? Lee Miglin's family 20 years after his murder as Judith Light plays his wife in Versace". MSN. April 25, 2018. Retrieved January 18, 2019.
- Orth, Maureen (September 1997). "The Killer's Trail". Vanity Fair. Retrieved January 7, 2018.
- Schwalb, Stef (August 1, 2003). "Profile of Marilyn Miglin". Beauty News NYC - The First Online Beauty Magazine. Retrieved January 18, 2019.
- Chuck Goudie; Barb Markoff (May 2, 2017). "20 years after Cunanan murders, Lee Miglin's son talks". ABC7. Chicago. Retrieved January 7, 2018.
- Writer, Bonnie Miller Rubin, Tribune Staff. "YEAR AFTER HUSBAND SLAIN, MIGLIN MOVING FORWARD". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved January 18, 2019.
- "Marilyn Miglin's Makeover of Oak Street". michiganavemag.com. Retrieved January 18, 2019.
- "Yes, Marilyn Miglin Still Sells Perfume". www.thewrap.com. February 2018. Retrieved January 18, 2019.
- "About Marilyn". www.marilynmiglin.com. Retrieved January 18, 2019.
- "Spa Giving: Spa for Trauma Survivors". DAYSPA Magazine. July 2, 2013. Retrieved January 18, 2019.
- Rowney, Jo-Anne (April 25, 2018). "Lee Miglin's family 20 years after his murder - Marilyn and Duke Miglin now". mirror. Retrieved January 18, 2019.
- Maple, Taylor. "How Lee Miglin's Widow Refused To Let Andrew Cunanan Stop Her From Living Her Life". Bustle. Retrieved January 18, 2019.
- "Bloomberg - Company Overview of Marilyn Miglin L.P". www.bloomberg.com. Retrieved January 18, 2019.
- Elena Fernandez, Maria (January 31, 2018). "Judith Light on American Crime Story: Versace, Andrew Cunanan, and Playing Marilyn Miglin". Vulture. Retrieved January 18, 2019.