In the beginning, there was only one blouse. A peasanty, billowy, carelessly elegant top that designer Gaby Basora draped and sewed for herself. As the compliments began to pour in, so did Basora's experimentation, playing around with a range of different fabrics until, suddenly, she had over 50 blouses and a bona fide clothing line: Tucker.
"Tucker came to me in a dream," she reveals. "I had the shirts and an upcoming meeting with Barneys, the first to carry the line. I was looking for a name, and I woke up with Tucker on my mind. I looked it up in the dictionary, and one meaning is actually a piece of cloth draped over the bosom." Since this serendipitous start, Basora has moved on to four additional shapes, including a dress modeled off the original blouse, a tunic, a camisole, and a sleeveless spring dress, each available in vibrant silks, cotton voiles, and floral patterns Basora has taken to designing on her own.
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But the initial starting point for the line is still its crowning glory. Describing the blouse as "part poet/part Ukranian folk dancer," Basora says she loves the fit and how it plays up "the décollétage in a subtle way." A glamorous, somewhat seductive drape that's shaped into a trapeze cut gives the top a carefree hang. The shirred collar, cuffed 3/4-length sleeves, and button-down front, add to the shirt's kick-back attitude. And with the wide range of fabric canvases to choose from, you'll have to admit that sometimes, too much of a good thing isn't all that bad.
The Tucker blouse (starting at $278) is available at Steven Alan, 103 Franklin Street, 212-343-0352, and at Butter, 389 Atlantic Avenue, Brooklyn, 718-260-9033. For additional store listings go to www.tuckerbygabybasora.com.
From Tucker's first blouse, a designer is born.