Dream Ball

2011 DreamBall Honorees
 

Linda Wells is the founding editor in chief of Allure––the only magazine dedicated to beauty. Since its inception in 1991, the Condé Nast magazine has been widely recognized for its intelligent, groundbreaking, and much-imitated coverage of beauty. Combining a strong journalistic rigor, a highly developed aesthetic sense, and a unique ability to understand the informational needs of women, Wells has helped redefine the once highly traditional genre of women’s magazines.

As a result, Allure is often cited among the most successful and innovative publications. The magazine’s circulation, initially 250,000 in 1991, has soared to 1,100,000. In addition, the magazine has received numerous awards, including the National Magazine Award, the Editorial Excellence Award (from Folio), the Circulation Excellence Award (from Circulation Management) and a spot on Adweek’s “Hot List” five times.

Allurehas also been recognized by the industry it covers for the strength and quality of its reporting. It has won 32 awards from the American Academy of Dermatology, ten journalism awards from the Fragrance Foundation, and the Excellence in Media Award from the Skin Cancer Foundation.

As the “Beauty Expert,” Wells is a regular in national media, including Today, The New York Times, The View, Entertainment Tonight, NPR, CNN, the Associated Press, and others. For three seasons she has been a guest judge on the Bravo television series Shear Genius.

Allurefocuses on issues that probe beneath the surface of beauty, fashion, and women’s health. At a time when thousands of women were undergoing what they believed to be a safe surgical procedure, Allure was the first magazine to write about the health risks associated with silicone breast implants. Long before the national outcry concerning “heroin chic,” Allure was the first magazine to report on the widespread use of this drug among fashion models. And as a particular hair-straightening treatment was gaining popularity, Allure tested the formulas and found dangerous levels of formaldehyde in many salons’ preparations. The magazine also warned against widely popular fat-melting injections that were not FDA-approved and had caused dangerous side effects.

At Wells’s invitation, many of the finest writers and authors have contributed to Allure. Among them are Arthur Miller, John Updike, Jhumpa Lahiri, Michael Chabon, Kathryn Harrison, Frank McCourt, Isabel Allende, and Francine du Plessix Grey. Elizabeth Gilbert’s essay in Allure was the precursor to her international best-selling book, Eat, Pray, Love (Viking).

Wells’s “Letter From the Editor” has been widely praised for tackling a variety of topics with refreshing honesty. Women’s Wear Daily gave her an A rating in its “Editors Report Card” column, acknowledging her “backbone.” A recent letter was hailed for taking the beauty industry to task on excessive and wasteful product packaging, prompting one well-known cosmetics company to create a highly publicized recycling program.

In 2006, Wells wrote her first book, Confessions of a Beauty Editor (Bulfinch), which reveals all the best beauty tricks, tips, and secrets that she has learned on the job. The narrative style is friendly and conversational, reflecting Wells's easygoing approach to everyday beauty.

Wells began her journalism career at Vogue, where she wrote and edited stories about beauty, health, nutrition, and fitness. In 1985, she joined The New York Times as a reporter, ultimately becoming the beauty editor and the food editor of The New York Times Magazine.

Wells served on the Trinity College Board of Fellows and the Board of Visitors of the Mary Institute Country Day School of St. Louis. She has chaired several benefits for the New York City Ballet, the National Breast Cancer Coalition, and the New York University Interdisciplinary Melanoma Cooperative Group.

Wells is a graduate of Trinity College, where she received her B.A. in English. She and her husband, Charles Thompson, live in Manhattan with their two sons.

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Born in Toulouse in the south of France, Jonathan Zrihen joined the Clarins Groupe in 1993, directly after graduating from Paris Superior Institute of Commerce, with majors in Marketing and International Affairs.

Jonathan began his Clarins tenure in the International Marketing Division at the Clarins head office in Paris. He was subsequently sent abroad to gain more international exposure and held various sales positions in both Spain and Australia over the next two years.

In 1996, upon his return to the Clarins head office in Paris, he was named Export Director of the International Division, overseeing activities in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Ireland and Canada.

His passion to grow the brand internationally allowed him the opportunity to relocate to Singapore in 1999. Appointed Vice President, Asia-Pacific International Division, Zrihen was charged with guiding the expansion of the Clarins Groupe throughout the Asia-Pacific region.

After five years in Singapore, he moved on to become President of Clarins Canada Inc. and in January 2007, Zrihen was named President & CEO of Clarins USA Inc., putting him at the helm of one of the largest subsidiaries for the brand worldwide. In June 2009, the presidency of Canada was added back to Jonathan’s portfolio as President & CEO, Clarins Groupe North America.

Jonathan speaks French, English and Spanish fluently. He resides in New York City with his wife and three children.

His interests outside of Clarins include windsurfing, skiing and tennis. Also passionate about cinema, Zrihen founded a short film festival in Toulouse.

Jonathan has been a member of the Foreign French Trade Advisors since 2005, and serves on the boards of PCPC and The Fragrance Foundation.

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2011 DreamGirl

Shannon Miller remains The Most Decorated American Gymnast, male or female, in history. She is the only American to rank among the Top 10 All-Time gymnasts and is the only female athlete to be inducted into the US Olympics Hall of Fame – Twice! (Individual (2006) and Team (2008))

Shannon has won an astounding 59 International and 49 National competition medals. Over half of these have been gold. She is the only US gymnast to win 2 World All-Around Titles. Her tally of five medals (2 silver, 3 bronze) at the 1992 Olympics was the most medals won by a US athlete. At the ’96 Games, she led the “Magnificent Seven” to the US Women’s first ever Team Gold and for the first time for any American gymnast, she captured Gold on the Balance Beam. 

Shannon now hosts her weekly talk radio show dedicated to women’s health and fitness. Shannon launched her company Shannon Miller Lifestyle: Health and Fitness for Women along with her series of fitness books, cookbooks and a “Fit Pregnancy” and “Body After Baby” DVD in July, 2010. In 2011, she launched the Shannon Miller Walk-Fit program: a free online tracking and incentive program. She continues to travel the country as a highly sought after motivational speaker and advocate for the health and wellness of women and children. 

Shannon and her husband welcomed their first child, John “Rocco” on October 28th, 2009. In January of 2011, Shannon was diagnosed with Stage 1a Ovarian cancer. She had the tumor removed successfully and followed up with 9 weeks of preventative chemotherapy for this rare germ cell malignancy. Shannon has been remained open and public about her diagnosis and treatment through the media and her blog “My Journey.” Shannon continues to be a strong advocate for making health a priority. Her message with regard to annual exams and screenings: “Do not delay, do not reschedule, early detection saves lives.