Elizabeth Taylor, the iconic actress with a fiercely glamorous lifestyle and a love for precious jewels, visited NorthPark Center twice during her lifetime.

Photo credit: The DeGolyer Library, Southern Methodist University

The initial visit was in October 1987 to Neiman Marcus. Taylor was promoting her first fragrance, Passion. It was the first of 13 fragrances she would go on to produce, including White Diamonds in 1991 – which is still one of the top-selling celebrity fragrances of all time.

Photo credit: William Snyder of The Dallas Morning News and Park Cities News

The second visit was almost ten years later in April 1996 to Dillard’s, for the launch of Black Pearls, her seventh fragrance. Over 1,000 guests greeted Taylor and her pup, Sugar. Dillard’s set up a Q&A with the actress, and fans were able to ask her about such topics as her AIDS charity work, her new fragrance, and of course, her famous films.

An article by Alan Peppard from The Dallas Morning News listed off a few of the questions, and Taylor’s quick-witted responses:

“Liz, why didn’t you go on David Letterman’s show?”

“I think I’m probably as fond of David Letterman as he is of me.”

“How old are your grandchildren, Liz?

“My youngest grandchild is 2 and my oldest is 24. So I might be a great-grandmother any second now. Of course, I’ve told her to keep her legs firmly crossed.”

“Liz, will Black Pearls help me get a man?”

“Honey, I think you and I will find out at the same time.”

For more From the Archives, click here.