Emilia Petrarca Can Sniff Out Your Google Doc
Plus a Vanessa Friedman cameo.
What do rats do? They forage. Burrow. Dig. Relish.
Invading New York is a rare breed that’s sartorially inclined. They’re scavenging for designer garbage bins. They’re nibbling on cake from Alaïa and lapping up Uniqlo iced coffee. They’re sneaking around Naples finding the secret fifth-generation glove makers. Pfft. Classic aristoRAT.
Yes, it is the clan of Shop Rat.
I tapped top dog
—formerly a Senior Fashion Editor at NYMag turned Substack maven—to talk ChatGPT and going Boom Boom.
Eloise: Any favorite Fashion Week shows you went to?
Emilia: I’ve really enjoyed seeing the work of smaller brands that I shop personally. I loved Kallmeyer. They had a show that was one of their strongest yet and I went to see Colleen Allen. I've already pre-ordered a couple of pieces. I got this velvet dress and a purple fleece jumper. She convinced me to wear purple. I also ordered something from Zankov, Henry Zankov, he won the CFDA award last year. He does really beautiful knitwear. He’s sort of the Dries Van Noten of New York right now, very colorful. I mean, it’s less French, more American, very practical. Usually, I’ll go to a couple bigger shows just to stay in the mix. Fashion Week is mostly a social event, it’s not so much about the clothes. I try to get the gossip at least.
Eloise: Actually, that’s one of my questions. Whenever I do interviews, I want to know gossip. Did you receive any inside tips about like, new spas, or a great new bar?
Emilia: Oh, yeah. I’m traveling to Venice in a couple of weeks, and I was chatting with Patricia Voto, she’s a designer of the brand One Of, and she works with a lot of deadstock fabric. She recommended a fabric factory I could visit. I’ll be in Liguria in the summer, and I reached out to Xavier Donnelly, he’s the creative director of the Ash Hotels group. He has fabulous taste. I asked him for his recs, and he graciously sent me his Google Doc. I uploaded it to my own crazy Google Doc.
Eloise: Out of all the brand events, which has the best hors d'oeuvres?
Emilia: Anyone who does stuff at Gem Wine knows what they’re doing [RIP]. This is an annoying answer, but anyone in Italy. Brunello Cucinelli does this lunch every season in Milan. It’s like the highlight of the season. I posted a video once of someone stirring a huge pot of pasta, and it got more likes than anything. It’s heavenly.
Eloise: You spend a lot of time in Italy. You’re Italian?
Emilia: I have to emphasize I’m Italian American, my great-grandmother came to America. I love it there. I can’t stay away. I’ve become the Lady Gaga Italian meme. I know the French are known for hospitality, but I really don’t feel that there. I travel alone a lot, and Italians are so warm, they take really good care of me.
Eloise: Agreed, I was alone in Bologna for a week last year, and it was so wonderful. But back to my questions! I just read your article about the Boom Boom trend. Fascinating and horrifying. Have you made any Boom Boom purchases recently?
Emilia: Whenever I’m sad or bored, I just look at Judith Leiber bags on The RealReal. I found this bedazzled gold one—it’s like an ’80s brick of a mobile phone made into a purse. My eyes lit up. It’s the most ’80s object-turned-accessory you could possibly find. But it was $6,000, so I didn’t buy it. Someone else did within a week. I was like, damn.
[Boom Boom] is not something you see on the subway. It’s more like a dress code for an event like “corporate baddie” where you can cosplay in an event scenario. I’ve always loved wearing a tie. I have a Kallmeyer shirt or two, but I don’t think that’s Boom Boom. I’m not going full Boom Boom yet.
Eloise: For context, I kind of horribly live in Dime Square, and in the past two days, I’ve seen Gabriette and Matty Healy twice. I interviewed Gabriette about a year ago, very briefly. I was looking at everyone you’ve profiled, and when you see someone you’ve interviewed in public—like Charli xcx, Gwyneth, or Chloë—would you say “Hi,” or keep moving?
Emilia: Good question. In the past, I haven’t, but it’s something I’m trying to get better at. People have called me Emily my whole life, and I haven’t done a very good job of correcting them. I had a hairdresser for almost a decade who called me Emily. Once you go down that path, you can’t really go back. I’ll meet people, and they’ll say, “Nice to meet you,” and we’ve already met. I’ve learned it’s actually more awkward if you get a certain way into a conversation and then it inevitably comes up that you’ve already met, so I’m trying to be better about just saying, “Oh yeah, I interviewed you for XYZ.” But me being me, I’d probably add, “But if you don’t remember me, it’s totally fine!”
Eloise: What’s your favorite question to ask at a fashion dinner party?
Emilia: Oh my God, I’m looking out my window right now, and I see Vanessa Friedman walking down the street. What’s my question? It’s the most boring question, but everyone in fashion is always traveling, so, "When and where are you traveling?" I’m also always the person asking, "Can you send me your Google Doc?"