![]()
It's no secret: I wanna be Mickey Boardman (better known as Mr. Mickey!) when I grow up. I first met the famous face/editorial director of PAPER magazine when I was his nervous little intern. In true Mr. Mickey form, he made me feel all kinds of special by referring to me as the "deep v-neck wearing intern"... and the rest is history. With a zest for the fab, jet-setting life, a penchant for bright Lacoste polos and all things sparkly, and a mind full of endless pop-culture references and hilarious naughty quips, there's a lot to love about Mr. Mickey. And he just so happens to be the best mentor a gay could ever ask for (see PAPER's brilliant "Ask Mr. Mickey" advice column for proof). Since they say 'tis the season for giving and all of that fun stuff, consider my chit-chat with everyone's favorite New York Superstar a very special holiday treat. Ho, ho, ho!
What are your thoughts on vintage duds? Do you collect anything specific?
I love all clothing. New, old, vintage, whatever. I used to be a huge flea market and thrift store shopper, so over the years I've accumulated truckloads of vintage gems. As I've gotten older I'm more about a great vintage piece here or there and not so much about the massive volume or old clothes. I'm always up for anything sequined or sparkly. I love a ladies' three-quarter sleeved double-knit jacket or cardigan and of course fun drippy designer jewels are a favorite.
What's your sickest vintage find ever?
Several. I found a Rudi Gernreich two piece outfit at a rummage sale on the Upper East Side. That sale in general was a mother lode. Ferragamo boots, sparkle tops, tons of ladies-who-lunch pieces. I couldn't fit in the Gernreich ensemble so I gave it to my friend AsFour thinking it could be inspiration for them. I was in a big phase of believing that fashion was very karmic and you needed to give it away in order to receive it.
Also, I found a devastatingly gorgeous grass green Pierre Cardin jacket in mint condition at a flea market for $18. It was tight but I wore it for awhile and then gave it to my stylist friend Galadriel.
What are your top 5 PAPER covers?
Oh, it's hard because I look at them from a totally different point of view. There might be a gorgeous cover that was a nightmare to put together. So from a purely looking back on how fun it was perspective I love Mark Ronson, Mariah Carey, Rihanna, Lil Kim and our 20th Anniversary shoot which had a ton of my favorite PAPER people all shot Vanity Fair style- Johnny Knoxville, Chloe Sevigny, Eve, John Waters, Bjork, Jimmy Fallon, Drea de Matteo, Isaac Mizrahi, Joey Arias, Moby.
What's the best part about your job?
The best thing about my job is that it's never boring. Because PAPER is a pop culture-lifestyle magazine, it really covers all different stuff and I've always had an all-you-can-eat buffet approach to life. I wouldn't want to just work at a Fashion magazine or a Theater Magazine or a Gay Magazine (unless of course they really rattle the money!!!). I have super eclectic interests and so PAPER is perfect for me.
What are you currently blasting on your iTunes? Any holiday tunes?
I've been having a flashback to what the burn outs in High School used to play on the jukebox in the cafeteria so I've recently been listening to a little Boston, Black Sabbath (Children of the Sea!) and some 70s light rock like Nilsson "Everybody's Talkin' at Me". And I always need some Supremes, Carpenters, House of Pain, Tom Jones and Dottie West. And of course "Lucky" by Britney Spears followed by "Beautiful" by Christina Aguilera is always an irresistible combo for me.
What's the best part of the holidays in NYC? Any chic holiday parties you're sooo excited about?
Well, not to be a sour puss but I always say Halloween and New Year's Eve are my days off. I think every day in New York is like a holiday and we should act like it instead of bottling it all up to let it out on the official party day of the year. That's why I'm usually away from NYC during the holidays. My parents live in Daytona Beach, Florida so I go see them and then this year I'm going to Guadalajara, Mexico for New Year's. I usually go to Europe but last year went to Mexico City and fell in love with it so I'm going back down south of the border. And if any Republicans are reading this they should know I'll be encouraging every Mexican I meet to come to our country illegally! I love immigrants!!!
Do you make New Year's resolutions?
I make resolutions all year round but for 2011 I've resolved that all my friends, colleagues and I are going to make a big leap ahead in our careers. It's so easy to get distracted and busy with every day life but we only live once so if you're gonna write a book I say sit down and write it now. And I'm talking to you Alex.
I'm working on it! So, what can we expect from Mr. Mickey and PAPER in 2011?
You can expect sparkly jewels, cruelty-free handbags, jet set travel, vegetarian dinner parties. Also hopefully I'll be working on another Mr Mickey's Fitness makeover story. I'm ready to get back on the treadmill and jog my way into the hearts of What Goes Around Comes Around shoppers worldwide!
