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Jennifer Moluf seems to lead a normal life in DeKalb, with three grown daughters, seven grandchildren to dote over and a job at a local bank. But then there’s that parallel life – being supermodel Cindy Crawford’s mother.
Jennifer is a DeKalb native, attended high school locally and married young the first time, having daughters Chris, Cindy and Danielle in her early 20s. Chris now lives in the Chicago suburb of Kildeer and has two sons, ages 12 and 14. Cindy lives in Malibu and has a 10-year-old son and an 8-year-old daughter. Danielle lives in Steamboat Springs, Colo., with three children, ages 11, 9 and 6.
All three daughters and mother Jennifer appeared together in a TV infomercial for the skin care line called Meaningful Beauty a few years ago. Jennifer said it was shot right here in DeKalb. Asked about a quote Cindy used in the product brochure, Jennifer said the comment must have stuck with Cindy from earlier years.
Cindy said: “My mother told me that the face you have at age 25 is the face God gave you, but the face you have after 50 is the face you’ve earned.” And Jennifer assured me the mole or “beauty mark” above her daughter’s upper lip is real.
In a way, Jennifer has been involved in the fashion world herself. She worked part-time in a dress shop in downtown DeKalb known as the Clothes Horse, which featured smart women’s wear. She eventually bought the business and operated it for 10 years until 2005, when she decided to close it. Since then, she has worked at Resource Bank for nearly four years.
Asked about the large mural that includes Cindy on Lincoln Highway, she said they drove by to see it and Cindy “thought it was cute.” I mentioned local people reporting “Cindy sightings” when she is spotted around town and the last one I heard about was at a furniture store on Sycamore Road, where she bought a set of stools. Jennifer confirmed that and said they were for a house Cindy still maintains in DeKalb.
Jennifer said the whole family always manages to get together at least once a year and she is planning a trip to Southern California for a visit later this year.
Checking out some of Cindy’s ventures online, I found a multitude of products and specialty lines that she has been involved in creating. Along with her popular Cindy Crawford Home Collection of furniture, she has just signed a multi-year contract with J.C. Penney to promote her home decor line, making its debut later this summer at the Penney’s Manhattan store. This fall, the entire chain of 1,100 stores nationwide will offer a mix of moderately priced furniture, bedding, tableware and window treatments under her name. This is according to a recent article in Wall Street Journal.
The 43-year-old supermodel continues to be a big attraction on magazine covers and in photo spreads in many popular publications. She can be found in Vanity Fair’s September 2008 issue, in Allure for August 2008, in Michigan Avenue last October, and in the French Vogue November issue. So far this year, she appears in the April issue of Harper’s, the April issue of Allure and is on the cover this summer of the Australian edition of Men’s Style magazine.
Meanwhile, back in DeKalb, I asked Jennifer how many times a week she meets people or sees old friends who inquire "And how is Cindy doing these days? Jennifer said, "Quite a bit, and I usually reply saying 'Oh she's just great.'"
• Barry Schrader served as editor of the Daily Chronicle from 1969-'72 and later edited and wrote columns for three newspapers in the San Francisco Bay area. He and his wife are now retired and living in DeKalb. He has a Web site at www.dekalbcountylife.com where readers can find an archive of many previous columns. He can be reached via e-mail at barry815@sbcglobal.net or through P.O. Box 851, DeKalb, IL 60115.