I had been out the night prior in Williamsburg for dinner with my dear friends Adrian and Emerald. They own the gallery Olsen Gruin that you see me posting about all the time on Orchard Street and are two incredibly special friends of mine. As I basically hijacked the entire dinner to talk about myself and a few stories that were taking over my mind’s existence (which I cannot tell you, because they may end up being screenplays someday), I looked at my calendar to see what my Monday had in store and quickly realized that I had eight meetings over the span of thirteen hours on the books. That’s an insane Monday morning, even for me.
Monday morning started off hectic. I was late for a meeting, which I get total anxiety about since I absolutely cannot be late for things (it’s really one of the only things that gives me anxiety), and my espresso machine stopped working, my steamer decided to explode all over my dress, forcing me to wear a suit that I thought was dry-cleaned but wasn't, and then to make matters worse- my Uber, which was on 2.4x surge, was also late. Pillows tumbled on the hardwood floor and I didn’t make my bed. Is this a typical day for me? I think not.
Usually when a day starts as backwards as mine did, a trend seems to form and I can only hope to stay alive and make it through the end of the day. But on this particular day, I some how managed to pull it together and make all my meetings on time, except I ended up canceling my dinner, but for the most part I was successfully on my game. I also somehow managed to do a photoshoot on my lunch break and make a pit-stop to see my very close friends uptown, because on this particular day no matter how busy my life seemed to be, I cared more about being a good friend than any of these work meetings.
I’ve received a number of questions about my suit that I am wearing, which is both surprising, since I don’t always wear one and also that I didn’t think there would be such a demand for women’s tailored suits in my subscriber-ship. It’s actually Vintage Escada for those that would like to know. The first owner of this suit is unknown to me since I bought it second hand at a thrift store on the Upper East Side not too long ago. This women must have had taste, since it’s a wonderful piece that was even fixed with additional snaps to hide any bits that could have the potential of, how should I say, popping out. I suspect she was a former successful banker who has traded in her tailored suits for yoga pants and her flashy Park Avenue apartment for a house in Greenwich and as all good things must come to an end, realized that she didn’t need to hold onto this former life of hers anymore, so she decided to donate it. Well, I say her loss is my gain! Maybe I’m totally wrong here, but I like to believe there is a bit of history behind anything that I own. There are a few holes in the sleeves that are probably from moths that have eaten away the wool from being in storage for a few years, but I don’t mind. I still think it gives it a little character.
Suits as a sartorial front aren’t usually very interesting; sorry, they aren’t. They are banned from creative social clubs like Soho House and labeled as “douchey” to just about any tech person that you talk with *insert eyeroll now*. However, I believe that a woman in a nice tailored suit offers up a sense of androgyny that is both incredibly sexy and rather refined. There is a sense of nostalgia that I get, while wearing a suit that brings me back to my childhood in Oklahoma. I had just started the 9th grade and opened my first business and I was watching the film, “Wallstreet”. I thought to myself, “New York.” Yes, that was the only thing on my mind- New York. The men in suits, the women in suits, the power, the Capitalism! So suits to me have a seductive appeal that made me first fall in love with my favorite city; so whenever I get to wear one, I always opt for an interesting cut or something different than what you’d see other women wearing. A briefcase is also probably not the norm for women, but I believe it’s a rather chic way of making a statement.
All these suit questions got me thinking about the items that I own that have significant shelf-life. I still carry the same Prada bag that I bought seven years ago, while I worked at Prada Corporate. It's my favorite bag for a number of reasons and I've gotten it fixed at least 2x, because I treat my handbags like they should be carrying a pile of bricks inside of them. If you've ever seen me during the weekday, I usually am trotting around my MacPro, a pair of heels (or flats) depending on where I am and what I am doing (and which one I actually have on my feet), my hairbrush (because I'm secretly Rapunzel, but the brunette version; also please don't get me confused with my sister-wives: Belle, Pocahontas, or Jasmine), my external battery chargers (plural, because I would die without connectivity), my taser to keep away the sexual harassers, my Canon 5D Mark III with my 50mm lens (for blog shoots in the middle of the day; unless I am meeting Dana like on this particular day, because she comes fully prepared without the need of hand-holding), a book (because smart people read), a magazine (either Kinfolk, The Gentlewoman, Wallpaper, or any other wonderfully crafted piece of fine editorial), my sunglasses (because I need to hide Coco Zaza from the public), a bag full of random stuff that I probably don't need (i.e., lipstick, chap-stick, headphones, cords, charging cube, the only pens I write with, Paris keys, etc.), my wallet that fits my passport (equipped with domestic and international stamps for my letters and all those wonderfully obnoxious punch cards that you get from your local massage parlor, your local coffee shop, your local sex shop, your local nail salon, your local juice shop; basically, your local everything), card holder for easy access to metrocard, umbrella, journal- you get the point. BRICKS I TELL YOU!
In my mind, a great luxurious piece, like my vintage Escada suit or my beloved Prada handbag, will only get better with age; that’s why it’s always my number one rule to invest in things that hold value and trade those that don't. Everyday I wake up and wonder what is going to happen today. We are living in such strange and exciting times that sometimes it’s nice to stay grounded with what you know. With luxury, you use it and then love it, not the other way around.
Coco wears: Derek Lam Green Coat with Fur, Vintage Escada Black Suit, Prada Heels, Gucci Briefcase, Ippolita Pearl Ring (similar), Cartier Earrings, Chanel J-12 Watch. Photographer: Dana Ferraro. Location: Midtown East, New York City. City Guide: New York City