I am a fanatical collector and curator of “stuff” and have always cared about my everyday choices to the point of insanity. My taste for everything I surround myself with ranges from the sublime to the ridiculous. I view shopping as an editing challenge and apply the same intensity to my purchases and at the supermarket or on eBay as I do when I edit stories or magazines. So much of my stuff tells the stories of my amazing friends (I collect people, too), like the leopard dress Joey Arias bought me from Fiorucci that I wore every night to Studio 54, or my Braun coffee pot that Kenny Scharf completely fucked up with his Day-Glo paint, or the plastic figurine of Michael Jackson dangling his baby off a balcony that John Waters got me for my birthday. After decades of obsessive collecting and brutal editing, I came to realize that the objects I chose to keep told the best stories of my pretty crazy life so far.
Hastreiter will be signing copies of her new book on Friday, March 14, from 6 to 8 p.m., at Bookmarc New York (400 Bleecker St.).
Collections
How I Shop
I Often Wonder Is It Fabulous …
… Or Horrible?
Years ago, I found myself at the 26th Street flea market staring at these three bad amateur-looking portraits of Presidents Lincoln, Washington, and Kennedy. I left and came back a couple of times, torn about buying them. Were they fabulous or horrible? The $10 price tag threw me off even more. After walking away from them for the fourth time, I ran into my friend Todd Oldham and asked him to take a look with me. He did and informed me that if I didn’t buy them that instant, he would snatch them up himself. I instantly purchased them.
Sometimes …
I’ll Obsess Over Something For Years.
When Jeff Koons produced his limited-edition porcelain “Puppy” vases in 1998, I thought, Ooh, I like these. They were moderately priced, but for some reason, I didn’t buy one. Years passed and every so often I’d think, Why didn’t I get one of these dog vases? They were so good. This went on for six years. I’d forget about the vase and then I’d see it in a magazine or in someone’s home and feel the pang. One day, I was at a Chicago gallery when I saw one on sale at twice the price that it was years ago. I shook my head and left the gallery empty-handed. Thoughts of the vase kept recurring before I slept and when I woke. It finally began to drive me nuts, so I emailed the gallery my credit-card number and bought the fucking dog vase. Of course, when it arrived, it nestled into my home as if I had owned it for years. And in my mind I had.
My Philippe Starck Sippy
A $10 sippy cup from his Target collab. Art should be for everybody.
My Mona Lisa Plates
I lusted after these tourist dishes sold on Rue de Rivoli (I called it “Rue de Ravioli”). Ted Muehling bought me ten for my birthday.
My COVID Collectibles
DEVO made these incredible hat-shields.
My Joey Arias Self-Portrait
He made this of his face using M.A.C makeup wipes.
My Mudd Club ID Card
In the late ’70s, I threw out my disco clothes and changed my look to punk, and the Mudd Club became my second home.
My Crazy Computer
I found it on the street in 1986 — kind of a precursor to the first laptop. I schlepped it home, and it still sits in my closet today.
My Glasses
I own eight of these Robert Marc glasses in shades of red and ten more in an assortment of jelly-bean colors.
My Favorite John Waters Gift
Yep, that’s Michael Jackson dangling a baby off the balcony. John gave it to me decades ago with a note: “Thanks for looking after the cat.”
My Millennium Gift
One of my favorite gifts was this print from the L.A. artist Ashkahn.
My Jackie O. Phone Number
In 1976, I worked at Betsey Bunky Nini. Jackie was my favorite customer. She once asked if navy blue was “in,” LOL.
My Keith Haring
I talked my mother into loaning me money to buy three of these at $150 each. It took me four years to pay her back.
My First Collab
Vivienne Westwood wanted to work with Keith Haring, and I explained to him she was doing something really radical and he said “okay.”
My Antidote to Evil
I gravitate to art made by people whom some call “outsiders,” like macramé clown dolls made by the elderly.
My Underwear Invite
One of my favorite invitations ever from Aaron Rose’s Alleged Gallery, where a lot of my art comes from.
My Shoes
My all-time favorite Nikes with my signature tassels from the store RTH.
My Slippers
I love fashion humor, especially my tomato bedtime slippers.
My Krink Markers
I’ve always loved the work of street artist Krink. He’d dribble paint on buildings, doors, and mailboxes.
My OMG Necklace
I got this made on 125th Street to wear to the Obamas’ Christmas party at the White House.
My Schlep Bags
I never go out of the house without a big bag. This was my all-time favorite bag — day or night, I carried this until it had holes in it.
My 401(k)
I bought this Chanel shopping tote for $35 in 1997, and it’s worth about $30,000 today.
My Stephen Sprouse Glasses
Ted Muehling told me about this kid designing amazing Day-Glo clothes. I wrote the first article about him, and he never forgot it.
My Sprouse Vuitton Bag
I grabbed this in Milan many years ago and knew it would end up in Sotheby’s someday (it did).
My Fakes
I’ve always loved a fake. In the ’70s, the kids uptown used knockoff status symbols as a big fuck-you to the wealthy who bought the real thing.
My Supreme Gloves
I met James Jebbia in 1984 when he was selling clothes at Parachute with Ruben Toledo and David LaChapelle. (What a sales team!)
My Drug Paraphernalia
I got this on Canal Street in the ’90s when everything for sale had pot leaves on it. We did an issue of PAPER called “Pot Is Hot!”
My Duro Olowu Pin
The Nigerian fashion designer is one of my longtime amazing friends.
My Lisa Yuskavage Shower Curtain
Ever since I first saw her work, I’ve been a superfan. Christina Topsøe introduced us, and we bonded big time.
My Rugs
I have a collection of eccentric hand-hooked rugs from Creative Growth. This is by Regina Broussard, who is obsessed with food.
My First Manolos
I met Blahnik in London in 1977. He came out to meet me when I bought four pairs of these shoes, which no one else would buy.
My Studio 54 Dress
Joey Arias had a job selling clothes at Fiorucci and got me this dress. I wore it every night to go dancing at Studio 54.
My Dad’s Ass Pad
He believed that a magazine trimmed to 4.75 by 6 inches and placed under his left “ass cheek” would relieve his back pain.
My Coffee Maker
Kenny Scharf was obsessed with “customizing” all his friends’ appliances with his Day-Glo psychedelia.
My David Wojnarowicz
So many of my friends died from AIDS. I bought this sculpture David donated to raise funds for a mutual friend of ours who was dying.
My Greek Coffee Cups
I have a collection of artist-designed Greek coffee cups. This one is by Suzanne Sullivan.
My Salvador Dalí Cosmetics
Joey and I once had dinner with Dalí and his wife at the Plaza. We showed up to find Gala trimming her husband’s mustache.
My Pride and Joy …
is my giant ceramic-peanut and potato collection. Once you start collecting things, people will keep giving them to you as presents. At one point I had to say “stop.”
My Ted Muehling Earrings
I met Ted in 1977, not long after he finished art school at Pratt. We’re like family. His perfect nature-inspired earrings have always felt like they grew on my ears from seeds. When I see a woman on the street wearing his work, I know this person is a member of my secret club.
My Mom’s Dansk
I inherited much of this from my mother, Gloria, who used it every day. Now, so do I.
My Uniform
When I turned 40, I decided I was getting too old to continue dressing like a clown. Loosely inspired by my all-time favorite uniforms, the classic Mao suit and the French workers’ suit, I’ve worn the same full, softly pleated skirt and clean, loose boxy jacket made by my Garment District production friend David Wolfson for the past 30 years. He’s made more than 100 of them.
My Big Mouth
By the artist Jeff Canham. I’m very opinionated and do in fact have a big mouth and often get myself in trouble for it.
My Papaya
I’ve always collected tons of stuff depicting food. This is by Katie Stout.
My Coasters
I don’t know where the hell these came from, but I love that they look like lunch meat.
My Hot-Dog Radio
I collect hot dogs and keep them on my windowsill. This radio I bought on Canal Street. I even secretly love to eat hot dogs.
My First Paper
New York needed a new stylish paper to cover the huge shift bubbling downtown! David Hershkovits and I teamed up to start our dream publication.
My Paper
When PAPER turned 15, I curated a show and had artists do PAPER covers. My favorite was this Erik Brunetti one.
My Gucci Toothpaste
I love collecting weird status items.
My Trump Hats
I became obsessed with all the crazy Trump merch and the crazy MAGA-spoof red hats.
My Trump Toilet Brush
Objects can be opinionated without saying their opinion. I couldn’t resist.
My Bed
I snagged this in 1993 at a flea market in California and still sleep in it today.
My Ingo Maurer
“Hello, my name is Ingo, and I make light!” Forty years ago, this is how my upstairs neighbor greeted me. He was an artist. And his medium was light.
My Chris Johanson
I got this a few weeks after 9/11. It reminds me of that moment when it seemed everything (including time) had stopped.
My Doormat
I’ve had this doormat outside all my apartments.
My “Stupid Watch”
My favorite watch in the universe, designed by my late friend Tibor Kalman.
My Funny Mug
I got a set of them at Fishs Eddy many years ago. It’s fun to bring them out when people come over for breakfast.
My Geoffrey Beene Interview
One of the many I did with my longtime fashion hero and friend, Mr. Beene. That’s what everyone called him.
My Michael Stipe Tape
A gift from my “philosopher-friend”: a series of analogue electronics sculptures he made in 2008.
My Yard-Sale Ceramics
When we were living in L.A., Joey Arias and I collected artist ceramics, which we nabbed at yard sales on weekends.
My Dandie Dinmonts
They’re the sweetest, goofiest lowriders that have the best haircuts. I’ve had five in my life. This painting of Romeo is by Scott Lifshutz.
My Fancy Face Towels
They’re from Leontine Linens. I designed them using their crazy fonts. They were so expensive. I love a Wasp item.
My Y2K Glasses
The only disaster that happened during Y2K was the invention of these glasses.
My Skateboards
I’ve collected artist skateboards for decades now. These are by Gilbert & George. By the way, I’ve never skateboarded in my life.
My Geoff McFetridge
One of my favorite paintings I own — people are always trying to buy it off me. I’ll never sell it.
My Pepper Mills
All designed by Jens Quistgaard for Dansk. I think they’re beautiful.
My Soup
Every February for ten years, I’ve thrown a soup party as an antidepressant. They’ve become urban legends at this point.
My Stickers
In the ’80s and ’90s, I amassed a huge collection of artist stickers. These are Shepard Fairey’s.
My Laurie Rosenwald
She lived upstairs from me on Lispenard Street. I loved that she poured swimming-pool-blue plastic over her chic wood floors.
My Cancel-Me Hat
Ikram Goldman gave me this fox-fur hat, but it’s now in the back of my closet.
My National Enquirers
I collected these for years. I actually gave subscriptions to my most glamorous friends one year for Christmas.
My Phyllis Diller Painting
We’d drink martinis at Phyllis’s table, and I’d buy her paintings every single time. Maybe that’s why she loved me so much.
My Triangle
Thomas Lauderdale taught me to play it in the bathroom at the Hollywood Bowl, where I played with his band Pink Martini.
My Glockenspiel and Melodica
Over the years, I’ve expanded my repertoire with Pink Martini. I once played “White Christmas” on the glockenspiel with the von Trapp siblings.
My Jack Lenor Larsen Sofa
My mother worshipped Jack Lenor Larsen, and I grew up with his crazy printed sofas. I recently bought this large Larsen sectional.
My Gold Coke Straw
By the late Tobias Wong, one of my favorite artists. I also own his McDonald’s coke spoon.
My Plate
My friend Christina Topsøe made this for me one year for my birthday.
My Me Doll
Sent to me by a talented PAPER reader.
My “WTF Earrings”
A recent birthday present from my wonderful friend the jewelry designer Gabriella Kiss.
My Rose Bowl Lamp
I bought this with Joey Arias in the mid-’70s for 15 bucks. It still lights my living room today.
My Hip-Hop Star of David
A 40th-birthday gift from Isaac Mizrahi, who designed it.
My Basquiat
His gallerist was furious at him and had a fire sale to get rid of all his stuff. My mom and I ran to Prince Street the next day.
My Andre Walker Blanket
I met him when he was 16. I went to one of his fashion shows at Danceteria and almost died. His silhouettes were true genius.
My Rei Kawakubo
In 1980, a woman from Charivari showed me this sweater. It was totally fucked-up looking, and I went nuts for it.
My Obama Shirt
My friend Ford Wheeler, who had the Soho store Craft Caravan, brought this back from Africa.
My Typewriter
I received this industrial-green typewriter for my 16th birthday. I edited PAPER on it until I got my first Macintosh SE/30 in 1989.
My Piano Shawl
Since the ’80s, I’ve hosted dinners for Pedro Almodóvar when he comes to town. He gave me this when I hosted one for Live Flesh.
My Treasured Nakashima Table
My mom loved Nakashima. The week after he died, I ordered this table. I picked the tree from his stash.
My Birthday Invites
Nothing makes me happier than celebrating my birthday like a 6-year-old every year.
My Bongwater Bottle
Right before pot was legalized, I found this. I loved it because Ann Magnuson in the ’80s had a band called Bongwater.
My Strawberries
I spend an hour and a half every single morning taking care of my terrace garden. It’s better than any therapist.