Many rich and famous people are not ashamed to show off their wealth. One of the surest ways to show off a bit of opulence is to go cool. But while flaunting shoes, dresses, suits, and other designer items will turn heads, where do you keep it all after it’s been worn or out of style? When aristocrats discover that their wardrobe surplus overflows from everyday bedroom closets, they turn to custom closets to store their clothes. These are some of the most exaggerated and extravagant houses for clothes.
Mariah Carey Monument in Manhattan
Mariah Carey is a singer, songwriter and actress with a firm place on the Mount Rushmore of divas. In his three-decade career, he has walked more red carpets than can be counted. Fortunately, you have a place to store all the dresses from those finery. In her 10,000-square-foot Manhattan triplex, the butterfly diva has installed one of the largest custom cabinets in a private residence, befitting its status. The space is presented with bleached wood floors that have been polished to a high shine, giving it the appearance of marble but the warmth of wood, perfect for walking barefoot and trying on outfits. Accents are presented in gold leaf and shelves containing shoes and accessories are backlit. All the shiny, reflective surfaces mean the star gets studio-quality lighting every time it comes out.
Wardrobe without skeletons by Imelda Marcos
Ms. Marcos was the wife of former Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos, who ruled the country for more than twenty years. While Ferdinand was famous for her iron fist, Imelda was known for the softer materials she accumulated, especially shoes. Born into poverty, Imelda Marcos became obsessed with buying all the ornaments her new status could afford. While the rest of the country suffered deprivation and starvation, the Marcos family looted and stole everything they could get. Imelda kept her clothes inside a pair of custom cabinets she had built inside the presidential palace. The rooms were huge and climate controlled, with the kind of escalators one would associate with libraries. When the soldiers of the People’s Power Revolution broke into the presidential residence, they were surprised by the wealth they found hidden. At the time it was reported that she had more than 1,200 pairs of shoes before she and her husband went into exile in Hawaii. Later, Imelda was interviewed about the revolution and the assault on the palace: “They went to my closets looking for skeletons, but all they found were shoes, beautiful shoes.”
Custom cabinets can be signs of wealth, on both the good and bad sides. These ladies represent the line between success and excess.
