Men We Loved: Anthony Bourdain

 
Can I write a piece about the late Anthony Bourdain under the aegis of a fashion blog?

I once wrote a post called, "I Write, I Shop, I Dress, and I'm Hungry for More" and thanked him for his catch phrase on "No Reservations" that I had co-opted. I mentioned that "Someday I must write about your amazing cool middle-aged dude look. You are AllWays in Fashion." That was six years ago. I never did get around to it.

Now comes the sad tribute to that very cool dude. He had one true determination of style: presence. Anthony Bourdain fairly jumped off a page or screen. Oozing intelligence and charm, fueled by curiosity and joy, he touched all of us in such personal ways. He always seemed a head taller than everyone and moved like a cat. He was able to be more unfiltered and "real" than we allow ourselves to be, especially in public and with strangers. Oh for an ounce of that self confidence!

This goes beyond what Anthony Bourdain taught us. And yes, weren't we along to learn something? I couldn't care about eating duck's eyeballs in Hong Kong, but I wanted to know what made that city tick, and I wanted to learn with the most remarkable of guides.

The fact that at 61 Anthony Bourdain was on his way to becoming the most impossibly cool old guy dude ever? Don't laugh, Anthony, though you may be looking down on us all and laughing just a little bit. We will miss everything about you.