On the Waterfront

“I was in Venice for work recently, and I desperately wanted a gondolier hat—a real one, not one of those souvenirs they sell on the street corners. I went to Giuliana Longo, a store that makes them, and bought four. I wore them the whole time I was there. Maybe I can persuade Mayor Bloomberg to put a gondola in the Central Park reservoir so I’ll have an excuse to wear them in New York, too!”

“While in Venice, I went to the Palazzo Ducale and was blown away by the beautiful ceiling. It looks like embroidery. I wish I could wear it as a dress.”

“The famous Italian writer Gabriele D’Annunzio lived on Lake Garda, and his house, Il Vittoriale degli Italiani, is now a museum. He was a big playboy and one of the first dandies in Italy, so of course he had an amazing shoe collection.”

“My mom came to visit me in New York, and I took her to Top of the Rock. I wore an Andrea Incontri dress to feel like a chic tourist.”

“I’ve always liked parrots—they’re so funny and bizarre. A real life one would never work in my life, but these prints from an old book are great in my bathroom.”

“After seeing the Claes Oldenburg show at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, I fell in love with the hot dog pencil cases and peanut butter and jelly wallets at the museum shop. I can’t wait to use the hot dog as a clutch during Fashion Week!”

“In D’Annunzio’s unfinished bedroom, there’s an embroidered sign that says I DON’T GIVE A FUCK in Italian. I think everybody should have one.”