When Gaby Basora, the mastermind behind the statement-making line Tucker, was a kid, her mom owned an art-house theater in Seattle’s Pike Place Market. And when Gaby and her sisters weren’t running around among the vendors—“not causing trouble, but definitely making our appearances,” as she puts it—they were tucked into the cinema seats, taking in films far more thoughtful and high-minded than the cartoons most grade-schoolers were consuming. This triad has had the biggest influence on her and her aesthetic through the years. The Fugitive Kind“It’s a movie with Marlon Brando, Anna Magnani, and Joanne Woodward. They’re a trifecta—they’re all so phenomenal. It’s one of those movies where you know that things are going to end terribly. When I first saw it, I was like, ‘What is Anna Magnani doing with Marlon Brando and Joanne Woodward in this movie set in the South in the fifties?’ But it works so well.” A Hard Day’s Night“Walter Shenson—a producer on the film—had come to Seattle to meet my mom and do some projects with her. I didn’t go see concerts until later, so there was a real allure to the movie. My mom and dad dated since they were fourteen, and she would tell us stories about my dad taking the family car and driving to Detroit to see Motown bands. So I felt a real connection with this band movie—it was really intoxicating to see them on the road, with all their fans.” Peppermint Soda“I have a VHS copy. It’s extraordinary. There’s no fancy filmmaking or anything—it’s just this poignant, coming-of-age story. At the time, it felt very relevant. It was about two sisters whose parents are divorced, and, although my parents didn’t divorce until later, the sisterly connection really spoke to me. The girls just looked so impeccable—they were these French girls in Paris wearing trench coats and ballet flats to school.” The edition Gaby made just for us is available! There are just 25 bright-blue silk tanks, and they have awesome printed piping.

The designer in an awesome sweater jacket from her fall collection. There is nothing subtle about the prints that Gaby Basora creates for her line, Tucker. But the designer manages to give every pop of color and in-your-face pattern a certain glossy sophistication and a burst of playfulness—a combination that translates to full-blown confidence for anyone who slips into one of her trademark blouses or flowy maxis. Here’s a look at how she does it. “This print is called Tea Sponge Cake. The fall collection was inspired by Sarah Moon’s photographs—she’s an amazing French photographer. Even though she has these very bright backdrops in many of her photographs, there’s also a somber quietness to her work. Fall is largely inspired by that, but there were also times when it was very frivolous—like when you look at a print and think, ‘That looks like sponge cake.’”“I walked past a jewelry store in Paris where they had this necklace made of a bunch of shells. I took a picture for my friend who’s a jewelry designer. When I looked at the pictures from that trip, I thought those shells would make a beautiful print. I played around with it on the computer, and the Smiling Fan print is a processed version of that.” “My sister was living in Kenya for six months, studying and working. She brought me back all these little mementos and pieces of fabric she found. This print was taken from a picture she took of the ground, marks in dirt.” “We wanted to do polka dots, but there’s something unexpected and whimsical about Tucker—if we’re going to do a polka dot, then we’re doing it slightly differently. We gave it a little bit more flexibility with the shadow element, which adds another color.” Gaby used a super-cool print to trim the silk tank she made for us—check it out here.

Lots of things go into the creation of a Tucker piece—hard work, sweat, and many, many inspired moments among them. We challenged Gaby Basora to round up the things that have struck a chord with her over the last couple of weeks to give us a sense of where the designer unearths the gems that might shape the design of a print or define the fall color palette. Speaking of creating pieces, score the tank that Gaby designed just for Of a Kind. Only 25 of them in the world! “My youngest son really loves birds. We were at a wedding in London, and they had a live bird show with falcons and owls. This feather is from an owl at that show. I learned some of the tricks from this bird trainer, so if all goes terribly I could be a falcon or an owl trainer.” “This was some weird thing on the sidewalk, but I loved the colors of it—it’s totally arresting. I think I have this child-like curiosity—maybe it’s because I’m short and so close to the ground.” “We had a studio fire recently, so this really describes my life right now.” “I saw it in the window of a store in the Cotswolds. For somebody like myself who makes everything in New York City, it felt very relevant. It was nice to see this support from others.” “This was from the magazine Art Forum. It’s a painting by Sigmar Polke. I thought the colors were really beautiful, and I like the juxtaposition—it feels kind of tropical, but it’s so dark and moody.” “A stylist had these from Lola Hats at a shoot. She’s in Brooklyn. I want to go to her studio. I’m just obsessed with hats.” “City, Uncity is this magnificent poetry book by Gerald Huckaby. The woman—Corita Kent—whose prints are in the book was quite well-known in the sixties. I think she was a nun for years, and then she left the sisterhood.”