Profile: Rita Konig

Rita Konig and friend


prized possessions

Who would you most like to meet and how would you spend the day?
I would love to meet the Duchess of Devonshire, mostly I like sitting and chatting, that is always a bit of a scary thing to do with someone you haven't met before, but in a fantasy world, I would adore to spend the day hanging out at Chatsworth with her, going through the attics and poking around that amazing house and hearing stories. I hope that doesn't sound too weird and stalker of me. She is one of the old guard wonderful English women and I think rather a national treasure.

What is your favorite CD at the moment?
I am loving the soundtrack from ONCE, have you seen the movie yet, it is amazing.

What personal characteristics do you most dislike in a person?
Laziness, mean-ness and duplicitousness, I also can't deal with lying.

If you could vacation anywhere in the world where would it be?
I would love to go to the Middle East, Syria - Petra - Jordan, with an insider.

What is your favorite luxury in life?
Laundered linen

Where is your favorite place(s) to shop?
Alfie's antiques market in London, Louis Boston (a new find), Sag Harbour in Long Island and Porthault and also Balenciaga – I am assuming this is fantasy shopping!

What is your most prized possession?
Not sure, my apartment I guess, but that is rather a group of things - when I moved house I brought my mercury glass match striker with me and a pink glass ashtray, they are two things that I like to have around and they feel like home.

Who are your style icons?
I suppose Diana Vreeland is one, Charlotte Scott is another, she owns Trasierra in Spain and is one of those women who just can make chic out of very little, Carole Bamford is another, she has tremendous style I think and she is one of those perfectionists who I would love to be, but just don't have the attention span to ever be, Bryan Ferry who has wonderful and unexpected great taste and Mark Birley who started Annabels, harry's Bar in London and Mark's Club - he has taste coming out of every pore in his body. When men have good taste they have the best taste I think, Julian Metcalfe is another - he owns Pret a Manger and has great style. Oh and the Duchess of Devonshire.

What inspires you to write?
Finding something new and exciting that I immediately want to tell people about, I love writing most when I feel like I am writing a letter to a friend, that is how I feel about writing a lot, I can't really write any other way, or at least I find it quite hard to do.

What is your idea of a perfect party?
That wonderful combination of old friends and new, being outside and dancing all night with a healthy dollop of flirtation.

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