As the wildly popular designer gears up for her first New York runway show—and new Madison Avenue store—she tells O about her love of live music and gazpacho, and the letter she's been writing for 13 years.
Best Weekend Ritual
My boys [twins Henry and Nicholas, 13, and Sawyer, 10] and I curl up in bed and watch CBS News Sunday Morning with Charles Osgood. The show does such great stories: the history of Peeps marshmallows, or a profile of Paula Hayes, an artist who creates spectacular terrariums. That episode inspired me to make one with my kids.

Best Wardrobe Staple
I never go out during the day without sunglasses. I have a pair with ombré lenses that fade from purple to olive. And there's nothing like a bold piece of jewelry, like the charm-covered cuff bracelet I often wear. It was a gift from my mother—it means the world to me.

Best Memory
I grew up on a farm in Pennsylvania, where my parents raised German shepherds—we had about 30 dogs at any given time. I remember my dad relaxing on a giant tractor out in our fields as I played with all the puppies. I loved that.

Best Meal
I could eat gazpacho three times a day. This year we put in a garden at our house on Long Island, and I can't wait to use our fresh tomatoes, red onions, and peppers in my recipe, which I shared on my blog recently.

Best Gift to Myself
I've been writing an ongoing letter to my children since they were born, full of recollections of their childhoods. I've filled two journals. It's a great thing to do as a mother—you forget a lot as you go along, but reading over what you've written brings all the memories back.

Best Mood Booster
Music! I go to concerts about once a month. Recently I went to see Mos Def, and my boys and I saw a Welsh singer who calls herself Marina and the Diamonds. Her voice was so powerful, and she had fantastic energy.

Best Recent Read
I just reread One Hundred Years of Solitude. If I had to read only one author, it would be Gabriel García Márquez, because I love the mystical, magical quality of his writing.

Best Vice
I love red licorice, but any bright candy—tangy taffy, Fruit Roll-Ups—does the trick.

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