Ageless Amazing Women

​Arlyn Goldsby, Santa Barbara’s answer to Helen Mirren, is our newest woman of interest, and rightly so.
 
She is hip. She is current. She is interested and interesting and if that’s not enough she is also involved. She is out and about, dressed to the 9’s, totally immersed in whatever is happening around town.
 
Arlyn, who is a Cleveland girl through and through, came from an artistic family on her father’s side. Her father’s family was always involved in the arts and thus ballet became her love early on in her life.  When she was a child, her aunt was a prima ballerina for he Metropolitan Ballerina and the Ballet Russe. Thus began her love of this beautiful form of dancing. Her mother’s side was the sweetness she inherited, Arlyn says with a smile.
 
She started her business career with Phyliss Sues as a dress designer in the 60’s. Phyliss was very influential in the fashion industry and as her partner, Arlyn did too.  When Phyliss retired, Arlyn became a consultant and eventually struck up a friendship with a model named Riki Van Dusen. Together, they opened a dress shop in Studio City on Ventura Blvd. At first, they were upstairs in a little office selling samples of well-known designers by appointment only. It immediately became a huge hit.
 
 At this point in her life, Arlyn was divorced and a single mother of two young children, a girl and a boy.  It was not an easy time in her life to juggle everything but because of the new business, it was an exciting time. They were so successful they decided to open a storefront and Van Dusen Green became a household name to women all over Los Angeles!  That success story lasted 17 years. Her partner wanted to take a step back from the business, and so they decided it was time Van Dusen Green closed down.
 
Arlyn went back to consulting and it was during this time she met the love of her life, Marlowe Goldsby. They just had this thing between them that couldn’t be denied. There were other men chasing her, but it was Marlowe all the way! They had a beautiful love story. Marlowe was in the furniture business and excellent at it. Somewhere along the line they decided to move to Santa Barbara and that’s when her next chapter began. She fell in love with Santa Barbara.
 
At first she went back what was familiar to her and bought into an existing business called Objects on Coast Village Road. She immediately tripled the business. Here again was another big success for her.
 
Also Arlyn started mentoring young women in business in a group called Women’s Economic Ventures She enjoyed that for many years. They bought a beautiful glass walled house on the beach, remodeled it and it is the house Arlyn still lives in today even though she lost her beloved Marlowe.

​It was time for the second love of her life to take over and that is the Ballet. Not only is she a board member of the State Street Ballet but a mentor to the young dancers, even inviting them to come live with her.  She adores them. Two of the dancers from the ballet met and fell in love and Arlyn is throwing the wedding at her house. This is where her heart and soul remains.

---

“Always take good care of yourself. The greatest thing in life is your good health”

​Her children, her FIVE grandchildren, and the ballet all find room to live in Arlyn’s big heart. Always looking forward she is planning to get “American Tango,” an original ballet musical about the dancing couple named Veloz and Yolanda, made and presented at the Wallace theatre in Beverly Hills. I love that she is always planning ahead.
 
Her advice on aging? “Always take good care of yourself. The greatest thing in life is your good health,” she said.  
Her closing words to me were “God Damn, I’m lucky”!!!!
  
Oh by the way, on her next birthday this happening lady, will celebrate turning 90!!!

---