From Glamour to Gleem: The Rebirth of Marlene Wallach
You would find it nearly impossible to find someone who didn’t have a love/hate relationship with time. We’re pleased when there seems to be an abundance of it, miserable when we realize that we don’t have as much as we thought we had. Time is at once our closest ally and our deadliest of adversaries. But not all of us see it that way. Take Marlene Wallach, for instance.
Here is a woman who manages the time in her life much in the same way one would manage their day. When we say “one thing leads to another”, I don’t think any of us realize that we’re sort of talking about evolution, a natural progression of events. However, while Marlene’s ventures may have naturally evolved from one thing to the other, it wasn’t as haphazard as one may believe. Marlene is, after all, an architect of dreams and a fabricator of opportunity. She leaves few things to chance.
On the other hand, none of us can claim to be the true arbiters of our fate and there have been a few instances of tragedy in Marlene’s life. While on her way to a record store one day, a young Marlene was in a car accident that left her in a month-long coma and practically destroyed a hand that had gone through the windshield of the car. Then, years later, she would lose her husband. She would win her battle with cancer, but it was a victory hard-won. Her ability to thrive after having experienced such hardships is one of the things that I have come to admire about Marlene. She has a get-it-done attitude you can see in her eyes when you’re talking to her about her latest business venture, Gleem Beauty™. It is the culmination of all of her labors, each having led to this very moment in time.
Marlene Wallach is the Founder and President Emeritus of Wilhelmina Kids & Teens, Just Ask Marlene, the author of a series of books aimed at young models, and the founder and CEO of Gleem Beauty™. This is her story.
Legend has it that one day you set off for California in search of a dream and on the second day after your arrival in Los Angeles, you would meet the man who would eventually become your husband and business partner. What were the two of you doing there?
It's called “short-ends”, where we would buy and sell from the back end of a big film and sell to low-budget filmmakers. The film roll would be used and whatever remained was taken care of so that it could be resold. We would test it and make sure everything was okay and we had a good reputation. We kept our film in the old Aaron Spelling film vault on the Warner lot. So I guess you could say that I was in the film business, like literally.
It must have been quite an adjustment, having moved from New York’s frigid embrace to California’s warm, welcoming arms.
I lived in the Pacific Palisades when I first got there. I was living with someone and it was like every day was a holiday and it was gorgeous. I lived right near the water and it was fabulous! I would ride my bike 20 miles a day along the ocean. How could you not love it?
Marlene would remain in California for seven years, taking over the short-end business after her husband died from a brain tumor. Marlene would eventually return to New York in search of a new venture.
When we first met, I had assumed that you had been a model based upon your work with Wilhelmina. I was obviously wrong, but how did you come to be a vital part of that agency?
I'm very flattered that you thought that.
No, actually, I bought an interest. What happened was through a strange set of circumstances, I was put in contact with the then-president of Wilhelmina. We had a mutual lawyer in common. When I moved back to New York, I wasn't thinking of the modeling business although I had been in the movie business. I called every business broker in the book, I just wanted to be in business. You know, that's what I like. So I called every business broker in the book, it was a different time, it was the 90s. I spoke to some of them and they’re selling laundromats and garages and you know, whatnot. Then one called me back and he said that it's not his normal MO. I was just happened to have dinner with my lawyer who was at the same firm that represented Wilhemina and he said let me find out what's going on over there. He put me in touch with the Wilhelmina lawyer who put me in touch with the owner. One thing led to another and I had bought my way into two divisions over there. So we had a partnership.
Did you actually have to work with children at Wilhelmina Kids & Teens?
It was really about dealing with the parents. It really wasn't dealing with the children. It was about having a good sense of the children, meeting with the children, and observing their potential. I had to evaluate them for the business. There were a lot of very beautiful children, but if they were too shy, it didn't work, or if they (or their parents) were too crazy or difficult, it didn't work. There are a lot of reasons it doesn't work. I like kids. I mean, way back when, I was licensed to teach and I student taught back in my college days. So I love kids. I was a counselor in camp as well. So that was never a concern. I was never afraid of any part of my job. I loved every part of it. I also had a talent arm.
You’ve met Marta?
Yes
So I had someone who handled the kids and then I had Marta open a new division for representing the models in on-camera commercials, etc, etc, etc. Music videos were new then and back in the 90s everybody wanted to be in a music video. Marta “plucked” Amanda Seyfried, who is nominated for an Academy Award this year. She'd been with us since she was nine and Marta booked her in Mean Girls, which was her first movie. We had some stars, some real stars. Natalie Portman was there for a short time. We have an ambassador from my Just Ask Marlene brand who has like 2 and a half million followers on TikTok. We have a lot of people that went to the next level.
What were your duties as president of the company?
My job was to run the show; to make sure everything ran smoothly, to make sure that we were finding good talent, to make sure that everything was getting done, and that we were picking the right kids, and that we were profitable. I managed our finances. When there was money outstanding, I would call the client, or accounts receivable would call the client. Everyone's a very slow payer in that business.
I was the go-between, all I did was solve problems. That's your job [as president]. Everyone's your client: the client’s the client, the model’s the client, etc. Every problem of each and every one of them is your problem. You are a problem solver. That's your job.
During my research of your career, I stumbled upon a few books that you’ve written. How did you come to be an author?
Well, at one point, I had a friend who worked for the publisher who brought Harry Potter over and she was taking a break. She represented like a handful of books each year. We discussed the books because I felt that sitting where I was sitting, we have all these beautiful, beautiful young talented young women, but they still have the same insecurities as everyone else. They still have the same problems as everyone else. You should look at some of the YouTube videos where they interview these young girls. It's astounding how sophisticated they are in that they know they have to be on time and they know they have to look a certain way. They know! I don't even mean it in a negative way, I mean it in a positive way. My books help them. Because everyone has to have has to feel good about themselves to book jobs. If you don't feel good about yourself, you're not going to make the other person who's going to hire you to feel good about you, and you're not going to book jobs.
What topics are addressed in each book?
My Look: A Guide to Fashion & Style is fashion. My Beauty: A Guide to Looking & Feeling Great is beauty. My Life: A Guide to Health & Fitness is about physical and emotional activity, in the most positive way.
There's a crossover between My Life and My Self: A Guide to Me because My Self is all about self-esteem and the fact that everyone is beautiful.
That's how I got to the name “Gleem” for my product, incidentally. I don't know if you had a chance to read it, but on my website, I say whether you're struggling down the runway or walking down the street, we all want to feel the gleam. Your skin is the first thing that anyone sees. So when you have that gleam, you're starting off from a wonderful place, and you feel good about yourself. On my website, at the bottom of the first page, there is a woman who is 70. She said that since she started using Gleem, her neck is smoother, it's not as wrinkled. She feels better when she leaves the house. I mean, how much better does it get than that? If you can do that for someone? Is that amazing?
I’d like to back up a bit because there was a point in your life while you were at Wilhelmina that you discovered you had cancer. Your recovery took place during a very stressful and terrifying period for Americans.
Yes, I had breast cancer six months before 911 happened.
I wasn't afraid that I was gonna die, I just sort of put on my blinders and did what I had to do to get through it. It was really interesting, because my partner at Wilhelmina said to me, you know, you don't want anyone feeling sorry for you, so just stay home. Do whatever you want. It's okay with me. What ended up happening was I connected with so many people who I either represented or who were at the agency, who had been diagnosed and were completely beside themselves, not knowing what to do. I became the first line of defense for these people, though I may only have spoken to them one time. Just having someone, someone who's had breast cancer say something to them that other people can’t say. It was heartwarming! Whether my words were comforting or actionable it was a great experience. It really made me feel closer to people in the agency, as well as to my models.
So, you’re being treated for cancer and then 9/11 happens. It must have been overwhelming for you.
I couldn't take that in, I couldn't take in 9/11 because I was still dealing with my surgeries, and all that. The impact of walking up Seventh Avenue after the attacks, and everyone walking up Seventh Avenue in silence… That's what I remember. No one was talking. People were just walking because they couldn't take it in. I couldn't take it in. I think your body knows what you can and can't take in and I was just trying to take in other things. The chemicals that I had inside of my body, for instance. But I was just so, so pleased to be able to give a comforting word to everyone, even if I never spoke to them again. Maybe they felt better.
Despite it all, you forged ahead with your recovery.
I had reconstruction and because of the surgery, I had to have physical therapy for my arm to be able to lift. The kind of surgery I had injured my back. I had to have physical surgery for my arms that lasted quite a while. the whole thing lasted maybe two years from the time I was diagnosed, to the time when I was physically in good shape. I always wanted red straight hair, so I got a wig that was red straight hair because I didn't want to freak out the kids. Then at some point, I donated it to a children's hospital, which was sort of passing the torch for me.
What prompted your departure from Wilhelmina?
I was in a partnership with Wilhelmina, which meant that every time there was a new president, I had a new partner. I was up to my fourth partner and I had been there almost two decades. I sold my interest. I just wanted out of the business and wanted to start something new. It was time.
What inspired you to start Gleem Beauty™?
After Wilhelmina I thought, well, maybe I'll open a med spa because it was a natural kind of progression. So I got certification for aesthetics and for LED light therapy and for acne, and I actually worked in a medspa. You have no idea how I had to kill myself to convince these people I wasn't trying to take over their business. They were like what the hell are you doing here, being an intern?
So anyway, after that experience, I realized that I did not want a medspa. But in the course of that time, I started experimenting with different products. I said to myself, I've got to create a product because these things are either too strong or too or this too that. I'm susceptible to allergies, so I wanted something that was soothing, and yet effective.
An endeavor of this kind would require you to do research on various ingredients to ensure that your product is not only hypoallergenic but also won’t damage the skin. How did you come to decide what you did and did not want in your products?
The idea of a base of aloe vera was very significant to me because first of all 90-99% of products have water as the base that dilutes ingredients. Aloe Vera helps to ignite the ingredients and so I wanted something that was aloe vera-based. I looked around and I saw what was on the market, and I met different people who had formulas that were interesting to me in terms of trying them and seeing what they did to my skin; giving them to friends, seeing what it did to their skin. Lots of tweaking things, and coming up with the products. I'm not a chemist myself, but I knew what it was I wanted to have happened. I learned that aloe vera has 75 different ingredients that do any number of things, whether it's helping with acne, whether it's stimulating collagen, whether it's helping with hyperpigmentation, brown spots, whether it's an anti-inflammatory for rosacea, et cetera. I could go on and on but the point is that this way, whether you're 18 or 80, there's something in there that's going to deal with your issue. How much better does it get than that? Right?
What purpose does each of your products serve?
The Dynamic Duo consists of two products: the exfoliant which is a leave-on exfoliator and the moisturizer, which is a soft immersion moisturizer. Those two together are a regimen in and of themselves. Originally, I thought everyone could use whatever kind of cleanser they want to use and use whatever kind of sunscreen they want to use. Because when you use an exfoliant, you really should have sunscreen because it makes us hypersensitive to the sun. Everyone has to wash their face, so they need a cleanser. I thought that I should just start with two, but then people were persistently asking me about a cleanser and sunscreen. So I did it. Now I have a very simple regimen that you can do.
You’ve been involved with numerous ventures, yet you bring the same enthusiasm to each one. Unlike most people who dump their old jobs for better ones, you simply close a chapter on one part of your life to begin another. You have no regrets.
Absolutely! The really lovely thing is, this is the first time where I bring a lot of my recent chapter into my current chapter.
Marta worked for me at Wilhelmina for almost ten years, and somehow she found me when I was starting Gleem. I hadn’t seen her in (maybe) a decade. When we caught up, I proposed the brand ambassador idea to her and she loved it. Because you know, we have all brand ambassadors or models, basically. Well, not all models, but the core group of models that are my brand ambassadors.
Marta Michaud with Marlene at New York Arts Movement
So let's talk about your art. How long have you been an artist? And did anyone know? Like, were you keeping it a secret?
I wasn't keeping it a secret. I just wasn't promoting it in any way. What happened was a clothing designer was coming to fit me for an appearance I was making and he complimented my art because I have it hanging in my apartment. I told him that it was my work mine and he said that he happened to know someone who was putting on a show at a gallery in Soho. We've got to get you in there. That was the New York Arts Movement.
Had you been a painter during your childhood years?
Well, from a very early age, my mom used to take me to museums, that was my treat. At some point in my life, I would cut school and meet my boyfriend at the Museum of Modern Art. I would often go to visit my favorite [works of art].
I remember saying to my mother when she when we used to go to the Museum of Modern Art, I would say I could do that. Simple. You know, I've looked at Jackson Pollock and I said, I can do that. (laughs)
I've been told that I’m an intuitive abstract artist
Which artists do you hold in high regard?
Interestingly enough street artists hold my interest.
You seem like the kind of person who gets satisfaction from everything she sets her mind to do.
For some working at age sixty is a necessity. For me, it's a calling.
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Photography by Eugene Manning, except art gallery photos. Special thanks to Sam Lavey at Doien, Marta Michaud, and Dyllan White.