Daily Front Row

2011 April 5

A Moment With...Author Bianca Turetsky

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Bianca Turestsky
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For Bianca Turetsky, art imitated life—albeit in retrospect—on the pages of her first novel for vintage fashion loving, slightly wallflower-y teens like herself. Today's release of The Time-Traveling Fashionista marks a full coming-out of Turetsky's pet project for five years now – though it certainly hasn't been all café-squatting and writing in her pajamas. For the past nine years, Turetsky has assisted Julian Schnabel. But before heading to Schnabel's West Village studio each morning, Turetsky has tapped into her inner preteen in pursuit of a dress for the seventh grade semi-formal with an hour of fictional time travel back to the decks of the Titanic. 

So Bianca: what prompted you to write this book?
I got the idea about five years ago, when I was at this vintage store in New Haven called Fashionista Vintage and Variety. It's run by two amazing women who are such characters. They know the stories behind all the pieces there, so I tried on this pink dress that belonged to a woman named Mrs. Baxter, and the owners told me a bit about her life. I was so intrigued, and I just couldn’t shake it. I love how women’s lives and memories are still preserved in some way with vintage clothing. Then I started writing about a fictional Mrs. Baxter in the most extreme situation I could imagine—aboard the Titanic.

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2011 April 5

Roger Federer Is There For Our Anna

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Roger Federer Has Anna's Back!
Photo Via Patrick McMullan View Gallery

Federer to the rescue! Page Six reports that Anna Wintour's pal protected her from that notoriously pesky Miami paparazzi. The deux dined ensemble on Saturday night at Myles Chefet's Prime Italian to celebrate his wife Mirka's birthday. According to a spy, "Federer created a diversion so that Wintour could avoid the paparazzi in front of the restaurant. He and the group exited the side door carrying presents. The photographer ran to the side, but the queen of Vogue was nowhere to be found. One yelled, 'Where's Anna?' Federer took his time loading the car, smiled and went on his way. Anna walked out the front door unnoticed.' Did we just report on an item about absolutely nothing happening? 

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2011 April 5

Why You Are Not Likely To See Vivienne Westwood At A Yankees Game

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Tell us how you really feel!
Photo courtesy of W View Gallery

In a rare and tantalizing interview with W Magazine, designer Vivienne Westwood continues to say whatever comes to her mind. But this exchange reveals some absolute shockers! She hates New York? She loves California? She believes she moves too fast for a certain editor? Oh, Vivienne! 

On California: "It’s all related to this being the “Great West” – the land of milk and honey and oranges. When I first came here, I was surprised that almost all the buildings are just one or two stories high, and by how spread out everything was: you can take Sunset Boulevard all the way to the sea, passing all these haciendas as you drive along. To me, this gives the city its character. The place has its history: I associate California with The Grapes of Wrath, and Jane Fonda and Henry Fonda, more than anything. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s not governor anymore, is he? I’m glad he’s gone." 

On New York: "I don’t actually like New York. New York people are a bit stuck up and self important, and think that just the fact that they live in New York makes them better than anybody else. Sometimes there, you feel trapped by the concrete, and for me that means being trapped by the myth of Superman and American foreign policy and all these dreadful things that have done so much harm in the world. There’s just so much pressure there; it’s not nice. But I love the Met: they’ve got such an amazing, wonderful collection of Impressionist and Chinese art. I have spent as long as three days in a row just looking at the Met’s Chinese art. I really love that."

On her deceased ex-husband Malcolm McClaren and a certain editor: "Malcolm’s dead, and I can actually say things I wouldn’t have said if he’d been alive. I have such a loyalty to Malcolm, even though he was so horrible: he was good fun, and he really did get everyone moving. What I was about to say, which I shouldn’t… When Malcolm and I separated, I was pretty bored with him, and didn’t go along with much of what he was doing. I do criticize him because he was clever enough to have been a thinker, but he never wanted to go deep. He needed quick results and success all the time, and just wanted to take what he could; I don’t think he learned much because of that. He was always fast, and there are definitely a lot of people in the fashion world who want to find the latest idea and pretend it’s theirs before anybody else snaps it up. I will say I think there are one or two fashion editors – well, there’s one actually – who does not like me because I’m too fast for her. They like to discover you, and patronize you."

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2011 April 4

Guess the Prom Queen!

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Who Could This Be?
Courtesy of Teen Vogue View Gallery

Teen Vogue got its hands on the 1958 prom picture of former (and, actually, current) prom queen Betsey Johnson, and she sported one hell of a dress! At Terryville High School in Terryville, Connecticut, Johnson "wore hoops and petticoats to make sure her princess gown stuck straight out—it had to be big, big, beyond bouffant big!" Mission accomplished.

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2011 April 4

Situations and Salutations On The West Coast with Emily Current and Meritt Elliott

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We love these girls!
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Emily Current and Meritt Elliott are Los Angeles-based stylists also known for cult-favorite denim line, Current/Elliott. Now, they're Chic-ing with us on a weekly basis. Joy! This week, they write a love letter to Vivienne Westwood, who opened her Los Angeles boutique last week.

"Dear Dame Vivienne Westwood,

Welcome to the West Coast! Isn't it warm and beautiful here?! Your store is divine. We are smitten with the stunning rooftop deck, the unapologetic pink neon sign, and the simple fact we can walk there from our houses. We perused your new mecca and relished in your signature, oh-so-flattering corseted dresses with draping and gathering that is so mindfully strategic! You are a master at dressmaking. We marveled over the different iterations of your iconic pirate boot and texted ourselves reminders to come back over when the registers are open! It was also a treat to check out your collaboration with LEE jeans. We really must say the store opening was brilliant, but the private after-dinner at the Chateau was even better! It was a cacophony of wondrous things—your tangerine-colored hair and floor-length crochet dress (drool), the decadent lemon tart that was served for dessert, the fragrant fuschia sweet peas as centerpieces, and a perfectly styled Dita Von Teese sipping rosé and adjusting her lace-brimmed hat (with a dapper male friend saddled up on her arm.). Sigh...the sweetest sort of a Thursday that lifelong Vivienne fans could ask for.

With Love and Style,

Your new friends and neighbors,

Emily + Meritt

Follow us on Twitter and Facebook and our website!

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2011 April 4

Let Naeem Entertain You!

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The Expert Tells All!
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The elegant designer Naeem Khan is known for throwing some of the best dinner parties in New York, so naturally, he was the first choice to come aboard Team Chic to share his ideas and rules on entertaining. 

HOW TO CHIC CHAT: "People are always interested in your life. You don't want to talk about yourself all the time, but you need to know the interests of your host or hostesses—where they've been, how they are doing. Keeping it simple and casual and not too heavy is most important. Gloomy or heavy subjects can really bring a party down. You need to make sure that whatever the conversation is, try and keep it a happy one. Travel is a great topic—if you've been somewhere. You have to be well read, too. I like reading. I'm up-to-date in what's happening in fashion and politics. I read The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal....If you are well read, party conversation is easy.

TOPICS TO AVOID: "Religion and politics should be kept out, definitely. It's spoiled many moods at parties, whether you're a Democrat or a Republican. People takes sides, and it can become nasty."

PICK APPROPRIATE MUSIC: "Some of my friends are young party people who love having fun, and when we're not at the Boom Boom Room, I play up-to-date, happening music at my home. But certain friends, like Iris Apfel, enjoy music from the fifties or sixties. We put on Doris Day, Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland...I always make a playlist when I'm entertaining. And have dance music ready, too. Most of the time, somehow, we all end up dancing after dinner. But keep the music at a certain tone during the meal—it can't be too upbeat. Jazz would be amazing, but I wouldn't play rock for Iris."

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