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[title]RECOMMENDED: Most stylish New Yorkers
Gaby Basora, 41, Greenwich Village; designer and owner of Tucker (355 West Broadway between Broome and Grand Sts; 212-938-0811, tuckerbygabybasora.com)
Her personal style: “It’s eclectic: a little gypsy, a little preppy, a little French schoolgirl and a little crazy granny. I like to play around with accessories; small bits make a big difference to me.”
Her style inspirations: “A beautifully orchestrated look, a feather in a hat, too many accessories, special socks, a story in a book, a character in a film, a song, drying flowers in the trash, a shadow on the street and architecture.”
About her store: “Tucker has a salonlike, step-into-my-living-room vibe. We sell mostly Tucker [label items] but have shoes from Jerome Rousseau, Loeffler Randall and Bionda Castana; jewelry from Ann Dexter Jones; photography books from Dashwood; vintage glassware from La Maison Supreme; and bespoke leather belts from Golden Bear Belts.”
Favorite stores: “Three Lives & Company (154 W 10th St at Waverly Pl, 212-741-2069) has great titles, beautifully arranged windows, aged-wood paneled floors and feels like a library in a lodge. The kids are often begging me not to go in again, as we have been in the day before, but I read a book a day sometimes. A Détacher (262 Mott St between E Houston and Prince Sts; 212-625-3380, adetacher.com)—Mona, oh Mona! [The owner Mona Kowalska] is a pioneer of Mott Street. She has a very specific, particular and wonderful aesthetic; it’s very inspirational. She is always in the shop and makes beautiful things. Selima Optique (locations throughout the city; visit selimaoptique.com) has a super mix of retro and modern [glasses]. Owner Selima Salaun is a treasure collector. Her quality is top-rate in terms of design and fabrication.”
Favorite NYC designers: “Victoria Bartlett (vplnyc.com) of VPL does the best knits, hands down. Her sweaters and tank tops have a special texture and weight. She is completely original. Johanna Methusalemsdottir of Kria (kriajewelry.com): Her handmade jewelry is made for tszujing—to look good in so many different ways. With her earrings, you can wear one on a chain as a pendant or through a lapel as a pin. Satya Twena (satyatwena.com) hand-blocks her hats, and the fit and scale is perfect.”
Her New York style icon: “It changes all the time. Patti Smith, Iman, a woman I met on Election Day at Bel Ami Café named Helen but called Helen of Troy, Jackie Onassis, Carolina Herrera, Debbie Harry, my neighbor and photographer Virginia Thoren, and Selima Salaun.”
How her style has evolved: “I have gone through tomboy phases. A white-T-shirt-and-high-waisted-skinny-jeans phase. I have loved Little House on the Prairie full skirts and high-necked, lacy blouses. I like to play around with new looks; sometimes they stick and sometimes I have to move on quickly.”
Favorite salon: “Yann Varin at Varin Salon (762 Madison Ave between 65th and 66th Sts; 212-734-9055, varinsalon.com) brought me back from a bad hair funk. And I use Tressa Di Giorgi on set or for house calls (212-518-7143, tressadigiorgi.com).”
Follow Rachel LeWinter on Twitter: @Rachel_LeWinter