Object Lesson: Poetic Justice

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.

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.

From Tucker's first blouse, a designer is born.