I had an assignment to interview Lapo Elkann, the grandson
of one of Fiat’s founders and a man known for, well, just about everything:
drugs, transvestites, crazy wealth, being on best-dressed and sexiest lists,
and so on.
This is so obviously my beat. I mean, don’t you think of me
when it comes to Italian playboys?
Of course the obvious question was what to wear. I decided
that since I was in China,
where there are no rules, not even for a Women’s Wear Daily stringer, I would
bling it up.
Okay, I mean bling it up the way a middle-aged small-town
girl who’s possibly gained a few pounds since eating her way across China and
much of Asia can bling it up.
Here’s what I wore: a cute LBD from Talbots, a tiny bit
form-fitting but as long as I didn’t breathe when I looked in the mirror, I
think it worked. Black tights. Black Nine West pumps with a giant buckle on the
top that I call my Minnie Mouse shoes. A cute pearl bracelet, courtesy Susie.
And to top it off, my piece de resistance: a sheepswool
jacket with a dramatic fur collar, found in the Coxsackie, N.Y. antiques
center. Smokin.
As I walked out to grab a taxi, pick up the photographer,
and make my way to the art district of Beijing, I did get a few looks. But
getting looks in China
is more the norm than the exception, even in an expat-centric part of town, so
I didn’t mind.
The interview went well. Lapo (he told me to call him Lapo),
kissed me on both cheeks in greeting and in farewell, sat close enough that I
could smell the smoke from his favorite Marlboros on his breath, and seemed
impressed with my outfit, even if he didn’t say so directly.
Lapo wore a pale blue suit and white shoes, making me feel
just a bit somber. I guess I could have gone even further on the bling.
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