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I first saw Poppy King a few years ago at a Fashion’s Night Out event at Kerri
Pamer’s West Village boutique Castor and Pollux. Poppy was there to help women choose lipsticks from her eponymous line, Lipstick Queen. I use the word eponymous because Poppy herself is truly the “Lipstick Queen.”
Ever since she could remember, Poppy had been obsessed with lipstick. Eventually she found she had exhausted the possibilities of the commercial marketplace, and realized that to have lipstick that met her ineffable standards, she would have to create them herself.
I was already a fan of her lipsticks. I loved the colors and the packaging. I was so drawn to the lipsticks with names like Rose Saint or Wine Sinner. I was instantly intrigued by Poppy’s style and fascinated by the questions she asked the women as she aided their selections. Her passion for lipstick was evident. She asked each woman about her life, and matched colors not just to her skin tone or outfit, but to each woman’s intrinsic character and personality.
Some time later, I saw Poppy and her beau at one of my favorite downtown restaurants. She was so elegantly attired and they both looked as if they stepped out of a 1930s film, not because they were wearing clothes from that era, but because they exuded a sexy, timeless and radiant charm. They seemed to exemplify the deeply personal style that I enjoy and admire.
There is an expression: I start as I mean to go on. With that in mind I chose to present Subject Eye with an interview with Poppy King, a woman who embodies the spirit of this venture.
What were you thinking?
Pamer’s West Village boutique Castor and Pollux. Poppy was there to help women choose lipsticks from her eponymous line, Lipstick Queen. I use the word eponymous because Poppy herself is truly the “Lipstick Queen.”
Ever since she could remember, Poppy had been obsessed with lipstick. Eventually she found she had exhausted the possibilities of the commercial marketplace, and realized that to have lipstick that met her ineffable standards, she would have to create them herself.
I was already a fan of her lipsticks. I loved the colors and the packaging. I was so drawn to the lipsticks with names like Rose Saint or Wine Sinner. I was instantly intrigued by Poppy’s style and fascinated by the questions she asked the women as she aided their selections. Her passion for lipstick was evident. She asked each woman about her life, and matched colors not just to her skin tone or outfit, but to each woman’s intrinsic character and personality.
Some time later, I saw Poppy and her beau at one of my favorite downtown restaurants. She was so elegantly attired and they both looked as if they stepped out of a 1930s film, not because they were wearing clothes from that era, but because they exuded a sexy, timeless and radiant charm. They seemed to exemplify the deeply personal style that I enjoy and admire.
There is an expression: I start as I mean to go on. With that in mind I chose to present Subject Eye with an interview with Poppy King, a woman who embodies the spirit of this venture.
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| Poppy King in front of her Julia Ciccarone painting Photo Robert von Leszczynski |
What were you thinking?
The same thing I am always thinking: “Do I really get to have this much fun with clothes?" I am basically a 7 year old trapped in an adult body. Every day for me is like enacting my little girl fantasy of what it means to be a glamorous woman.
List of the items you are wearing in your photo?
Dress: vintage dress from Australia.
Belt: from Debut New York on Mulberry Street, NYC.
Shoes: Sergio Rossi.
Bracelet: lavender Hermes enamel “H” cuff.
I always try to wear something with leopard print, always something red, always a statement handbag, always high heels and always lipstick!
Favorite music played while getting dressed?
NPR (National Public Radio). I am obsessed with NPR and I listen to any NPR program while getting dressed…that, or Grace Jones’s Island Life.
Your inspirations: icons, fictional characters, shapes or eras?
I’m inspired by the X chromosome. I love everything hyper-female.
Shopping tactics:
My shopping tactics are totally impulsive, utterly obsessed and wonderfully insane.
Avoidance tactics:
My tactic is to adhere to the Oscar Wilde quote “The only way to resist temptation is to yield to it.”
Do you rock, shock or think about matching socks?
I do a little of each. I rock with lots of color and pattern, I shock with my dedication with glamour always and I think about matching socks with my fastidiousness for coordinating everything with a curator’s eye.
How do you keep or lose your figure?
I’ve kept my figure thus far with Bikram yoga and a penchant for choosing nutrition over empty calories.
Do you think you're sexy?
I think I am sexy when I feel sexy. I believe it comes from the inside. I judge my sexiness by my sense of self, not others opinions. Some days I am feeling it more than other days, but it is my job to keep defining it for myself.
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| Poppy King. Photo Robert von Leszczynski |
What do you collect?
What don’t I collect! Mainly shoes, books, handbags, dresses, coats, the Three Wise Monkey statues and entrepreneurial ideas. Disparate I know, but there is method in my madness.
Most desired item-if anything?
As cheesy as it sounds, it is happiness. The things I own can only animate my happiness, but cannot create it.
Are you designer label happy?
I am not so much designer label happy as I am in awe of artistry. The Azzedine Alaia boutique for example is like a shrine to me.
If you could be reincarnated as a piece of clothing, what would you be?
It would be a handbag. Inside women’s handbags are their tools for living.
Is your skin in? (What is your skin care regimen, if any?)
My skin care regimen is sun block.
A night to remember or forget regarding your clothing?
It would be a night to forget. It was on my first official date in the mid-80s. I was wearing stirrup pants, winkle-pickers, a red paisley shirt and an oversize electric blue v-neck sweater.
Any advice for future generations?
To not get too obsessed with technology. It cannot replace anything truly worthwhile.
Past, current or future projects?
My past, current and future projects are and always will be the same…to show women that glamour is a form of self-expression and not homogenization. Everything I do is my way of showing that we can all be glamorous. It is a mind- body connection to make the most of your self, inside and out.
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| Poppy King with Erika Belle Photo Robert von Leszczynski |
