Ali Basye is an editor and writer and the publisher of On This Day In Fashion, a daily website delivering the Stories Behind the Styles. She authored The Long (and Short) of It: The Madcap History of the Skirt, co-authored The Newlywed Kitchen and contributed to two other books. Ali was the editor of Seattle Bride Magazine from 2006 to 2010 and the associate editor of Seattle magazine from 1999 to 2004. She has appeared on The History Channel and TV shows such as Evening Magazine and Northwest Afternoon, discussed fashion and skirts on a number of radio stations, including NPR, and frequently talks about fashion, travel and journalism at conferences, trade shows, colleges and businesses. Ali writes biannual style forecasts for Textile View magazine and contributes to dozens of others, including Los Angeles, Sunset, Lexus, Virtuoso Life, Seattle and Alaska Airlines magazines.
Yes, Ali is multi-talented and I am also very proud to call her my friend. She is a native of Delaware and a graduate of Moore College of Art and Design in Philadelphia, What I haven't mentioned is she is one of the most fashionably dressed women I know here in Seattle. Meet Ali!
What is your greatest extravagance?
Art, whether it’s visual art or decorative art or fashion designs created the old-fashioned way: beautifully by hand. My most recent extravagance is two paintings I bought and absolutely treasure from Judy Hoines, an artist I discovered in Bend, Oregon.
Another, the Gary Graham dress I wore for my wedding last summer. It was a splurge, but I’m going to shorten and alter it and wear it forever.
What career would you pursue if you weren’t doing what you do now?
I’m doing it! But I think it would be wonderful to be a scientist of some kind, just sitting in a lab doing research and testing ideas. I also really admire dancers of all styles—I’m especially a fan of the Pacific Northwest Ballet—and I’d love to come back in another life as a Broadway triple-threat singer/dancer/actor!
Which living person do you most admire?
In terms of celebrity I am a bit obsessed with Patti Smith. I’ve seen her in concert three times and once on tour with her book last year. To me she projects everything I love about women: strength, brains, beauty, empathy, creativity, compassion, humor, style. Oh, and she totally rocks.
What three things can’t you live without?
My friends, art (beauty) and time in nature.
What is your guilty pleasure?
Water. I think clean, accessible water will be the planet’s next crisis, and yet I still take way longer than showers than I should. I seem to get all of my best ideas in the shower, so sometimes I stand in there forever. When I wrote my first book I sometimes took three showers a day to get my inspiration and creative voice going. (Please don’t tell Al Gore!)
What is your favorite color combination?
I always like mixing cool and warm tones. Lately I love plum and pale grey paired with chocolate and aqua. For clothing, though, it’s almost always grey tones and black (I live in Seattle, after all).
What is the favorite room in your house, and why?
Definitely the kitchen. My husband I love to cook together, and our airy kitchen is open to our living room, which in turn extends out to the patio.
I really like when friends stop by and we can just spread out over those three areas and just chill, cook, drink, eat, relax—repeat! I definitely want comfier kitchen chairs, though. My husband is the primary decorator, and he likes things minimalist (aka hard and uncomfortable).
What is the most memorable event you’ve attended and why?
Can I name my own wedding? I got married in August after working at a bridal magazine for 10 years and I thought planning a wedding would be a piece of cake. Little did I know how challenging—emotionally, financially—it would be to put together a “simple,” small, DIY gathering. The satisfaction I felt from walking down the aisle to do what I came there for—say my vows—was like a pure high. After that, I just had a great time enjoying the party and relishing in the love from our families who traveled so far to be there.
What would people be surprised to know about you?
That I don’t like shopping! People often equate fashion and shopping, but my appreciation of fashion is more akin to art: It’s for purchasing only when you know its something you want to commit to and live with. I’m very, very eco-conscious, and mindless consumerism depresses me, so I try and consume as few resources as possible to cut back on all the garbage polluting our oceans.
What is your biggest pet peeve?
Intolerance. The world is getting far too small for people to hold onto to bigoted, fear-based belief systems. We need to celebrate the beauty and uniqueness in all of us, enjoy diversity and put an end to judgment!
In close second (and kind of tied into that first thought) would be so-called “fashion police,” the snarks who criticize outfits on the red carpet at awards show. People laugh when I say this, but I think those people have done more to quash creative sartorial expression in our culture than any other fashion force! Developing personal style is about discovery, and sometimes that means not looking perfect at every single event. It used to be fun to see what celebrities wear and now they all look like perfectly styled, very adult and mature clones—no matter what their age or personality they are all dressed alike. That’s not style, that’s not fashion, that’s just… clothes. People should not be afraid to wear what is pretty to them and what makes them happy!
3 comments:
I thought the fashion police were cruel. But, I had never thought of them in the light of squashing creativity. I sooooo agree with Ali. Maybe her comments will create a movement to end the madness. Thanks for sharing her insight!
I thought the fashion police were cruel. But, I had never thought of them in the light of squashing creativity. I sooooo agree with Ali. Maybe her comments will create a movement to end the madness. Thanks for sharing her insight!
Hi Denese,
I just saw your comment—thanks! I've noticed this awards season seems to be a teeny bit more tolerant of outside-the-box dressing. Maybe it's just me but the tide might be turning? :)
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