Giveaway of the Time-traveling Fashionista On Board the Titanic, and Interview with Bianca Turetsky

Giveway extended till midnight tonight (Sunday, April 22)!

100 years ago today (at 11:40 pm), the Titanic hit its famous iceburg. With unusually impeccable timing, I'm pleased to share with you today a giveaway of a Titanic book that is both beautiful and fun--The Time-Traveling Fashionista On Board the Titanic, and an interview with its author, Bianca Turetsky.

Here's a quick summary from my original review: Louise marches to her own drum when it comes to clothes--not for her the racks of the new and never worn. She's drawn to the vintage, and is fascinated by the name brands and designs of the past. So when a fancy invitation comes in the mail, inviting her to a vintage fashion show, she's thrilled to have a chance to do just the sort of shopping she loves, and maybe pick out a dress for the middle school dance while she's there.

And indeed, there is a dress waiting for her, a beautiful pink one (shown at left). But when she puts it on, she's not in Connecticut anymore. Instead, she's on board a luxurious ocean liner, on of the White Star line, a hundred years in the past. And she's not her plain old 12 year-old, braces-wearing self anymore; she's a glamorous young film star, with enough beautiful dresses to make glad the heart of any fashionista.

"The White Star Line" seems to offer all Louise could want...except for one small detail--she's on the Titanic. Which, of course, is about to hit an ice berg and sink.

It's an enjoyable story, made more so by the lovely illustrations. And today, not only do I get to give away five copies (just leave a comment to enter, perhaps sharing your own favorite vintage possession!), but I'm honored to have had the chance to interview Bianca Turetsky.

(my questions are in bold)

What I really loved was how Louise had set herself to the serious study of fashion; it isn't just a passing fad, but a real part of who she is, and I appreciated her interest and expertise. Were you a vintage fashionista yourself when you were Louise's age?

I was a lot like that when I was Louise’s age. Actually the “Shopping For Vintage: Definitive Guide to Fashion” book that Louise considers her vintage fashion bible is a book that I own and refer to all the time. When I was younger the shopping I did was definitely more “thrift store” than vintage, but I did love reading about and looking at pictures of all the great designers.

The paintings in the book are gorgeous--could you talk a bit about the illustrations, and how they became part of the book?

The illustrations are done by this amazingly talented fashion illustrator from Barcelona, Spain named Sandra Suy. It’s funny, I’ve never met her in person but after seeing her drawings and the way she interpreted my text I felt like she knew me so well, because they were just like I imagined and hoped they would be. I feel so lucky that she agreed to work on my book, and I am so excited that she will be illustrating the second one as well!

(to which I, Charlotte, say--"me too!")

Are there more dress pictures that didn't make it in?

No, we used everything. It was too hard to chose because they were all so beautiful. I didn’t want to leave anything out.

Which of Louise's dresses in the book is your favorite? Are any of the dresses ones you yourself actually own?

Good question, that changes all the time for me! Right now my favorite is the white silk evening gown embroidered with gold and jeweled dragons that Lucy Duff Gordon is wearing on page 141. It’s one of the more subtle illustrations, but I think it’s gorgeous.

As far as my personal wardrobe, I do own a long pink ball gown that I bought at the fashionista sale that inspired the story (Fashionista Vintage & Variety in New Haven CT). It isn’t from the early 20th century like the one in the book, it’s probably from the 50’s or 60’s. I would LOVE to own all of the dresses though.

I'm looking forward lots to Louise's next adventure at the palace of Marie Antoinette -- which I feel is probably a much more challenging era for time-traveling fashionista (do you think that's so?) . Were you able to dress up in actual 18th-century clothes to get a good feel for them?

I wish I was able to play dress up in some clothes from that era! Unfortunately, clothing that old is generally kept locked up in museums, so I’ve never personally been able to try on a 18th century dress. But I did do a ton of research on the clothing, and read a lot about what it would be and feel like to wear those gowns. As far as a more challenging era, I’d say it was definitely a fabulous moment for fashion if you were part of the aristocracy, but it was certainly a dangerous moment to be living in as well. Louise got to experience a bit of both sides of the coin there, and I’m not sure if she’d opt to go back!

And finally, if you were going on board the Titanic yourself (not knowing it was going to sink), what item from your own personal wardrobe would you take?

Well if I did know what we know now I would definitely take a wetsuit- that water was freezing! But otherwise, I suppose I would bring the one dress that I own from that era, so that I could at least try and fit in. It’s a long white linen dress with tiered scalloped trim. It’s from the early 20th century and really beautiful, and I haven’t quite found the right place to wear it in my real life.

Thank you so much, Bianca! I'll look forward to Louise's next adventure!

To enter the giveaway to win one of five copies, just leave a comment by 11:40 pm on April 21st! (no PO Boxes, US only)