You know your Brooklyn-based brand has made it when the Florida home-shopping show Showcase Marketplace calls you up to ask you to be on their “Christmas in July” special. And this is exactly what happened to the well-deserving Ellen Van Dusen, happy home-décor and womenswear designer, this July.
At first, Van Dusen was skeptical, and mostly surprised that Showcase Marketplace had found her brand Dusen Dusen in the first place. (You’re more likely to spot Dusen Dusen products in Jessica Williams’s new Netflix movie, The Incredible Jessica James.) But when they mentioned that she could send a someone in her place to Fort Lauderdale, Van Dusen hatched the dream of getting comedian and actor John Early to do it instead. She got in touch with him through some mutual friends, and sure enough, he said yes.
Early, who has recently landed roles in Fun Mom Dinner and Search Party, also does a stand-up character named Vicky, who you can see in his episode of The Characters on Netflix. Van Dusen thought Vicky would be a perfect fit for Showcase Marketplace, as she’s a strong, opinionated southern woman who has lots to say about duvet covers.
For the Showcase Marketplace bit, Early did the entire thing in character with the actual host of the show, who happily plays along with Vicky. It aired across the United States this week, so we can only hope that all of America’s bed sheets will look much cooler now.
