TUESDAY 6:20 PM OCTOBER 22, 2024 SOHO
Before there was Blondie the band, there was Blondie the bag. Gucci debuted the beloved purse in 1971, and three years later, Debbie Harry– the frontwoman of Blondie– burst onto the new wave scene. But don’t be fooled; there was no correlation. “I really didn’t know that there was such a thing as a Blondie bag,” says Harry. “They came up with that long before anybody ever heard of me.” 50 years later, the two Blondies—each now iconic in their own right—finally crossed paths in Gucci’s new campaign, shot by Nan Goldin, which stars Harry with her namesake purse in tow. To celebrate, the brand threw a small dinner party in Soho earlier this week, where our fashion director Dara caught up with the rock legend amidst a sea of interlocking G’s. After a few drinks and laughs, Harry told us about 1960s New York, her craziest experience in the backseat of a car, and what she loves most about the Blondie bag. (Hint: it’s in the name.)
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DARA: Hi. How are you?
DEBBIE HARRY: Okay. How are you?
DARA: I’m doing well. Thanks for chatting with us today. What are you wearing tonight?
HARRY: They’ve asked me to wear what I was wearing in the campaign.
DARA: Oh, fabulous. How was shooting the campaign with Nan Goldin?
HARRY: Oh, Nan is wonderful. I like her. I’ve always liked her work. I’ve always heard good things about her, and I think I’d only met her briefly before the shoot. I loved working with her. She was a consummate professional and artist, and I couldn’t be happier about the results.
DARA: It’s really beautiful. I feel like she taps into an intimate personal experience when photographing, and that really shows in all of the pictures for the campaign, too. How did it come about? Did Gucci reach out to you?
HARRY: I had nothing to do with that. That was Arthur, whoever that may be, and she was hired for the job.
DARA: Oh. What do you love about the handbag? The Blondie handbag?
HARRY: Well, of course, I love the name.
DARA: [Laughs] Not a bad name.
HARRY: No, I think it’s a nice bag and it’s one of those things that stood the test of time. I really didn’t know that there was such a thing as a Blondie bag. Everything was revealed as I became further involved with the Gucci corporation. They told me that their bag was named before I ever did the band, so they came up with that long before anybody ever heard of me.
DARA: What are your handbag essentials, by the way?
HARRY: Oh, money. Money, lipstick, keys, credit card.
DARA: All the basics. Is it very organized or are you messy? I’m very messy.
HARRY: Well, I start out nicely and then I end up like you.
DARA: What makes a great night out in New York City?
HARRY: I think it could be anything. I mean, going to a show, taking a walk, having dinner, going o to a movie, seeing a band, visiting friends, any of those things. It’s nice to have a good time and have a few laughs. I think that that’s what people in New York generally look forward to when they’re going out. They’re going to see friends and have a few laughs or a few drinks, or a few drinks and then a few laughs.
DARA: Usually they go together. What are you currently listening to? Any good music you’re really into right now?
HARRY: No, I haven’t been out to see any local bands recently. Some of the musicians I work with, they throw bands together and then they jump out and they play in a club. I know that they’ve been playing over in Brooklyn, I can’t even remember them because they keep changing the name anyway. But you know, I’ve always liked that. It’s always been part of my world, part of my thinking, part of the reason that I came to New York in the first place. It’s about communication and the arts. People come here to meet people like themselves, to have experiences and to learn. Everybody’s a student.
DARA: Was there an early moment for you that was like that?
HARRY: I think there’s probably thousands of moments like that. I mean, I’m sort of embarrassed to say that I arrived in New York in 1965. Things were quite a bit different, but it was very exciting. I couldn’t wait. I think it was the best thing that I ever did.
DARA: I feel the same way. One last question. The campaign takes place mostly in the backseat of a car. What’s the craziest experience you’ve had in the backseat of a car?
HARRY: Well, I guess a funny one would be when I was a teenager and the backseat was not attached properly and it fell into the trunk.
DARA: Oh my god.
HARRY: My god, if you’re from outside of New York, cars are a big part of your life.
DARA: Wait, so did you fall into the trunk when you were driving?
HARRY: I guess so. We were fooling around and acting crazy, bouncing around in the back and the top half of the seat fell into the trunk and we all tumbled into the trunk.
DARA: That’s scary. What color are you wearing tonight, by the way?
HARRY: I think I brought the black.
DARA: I have the sort of signature red tone.
HARRY: I love that.
DARA: Are you a crossbody girl, or are you a top-handle?
HARRY: I think for tonight I’ll be using the top handle because I’m wearing that sheer blouse, so it might disturb the material.
DARA: We don’t want to mess up the neckline.
HARRY: What are you wearing?
DARA: I am wearing this little striped shirt and some jeans and a big platform.
HARRY: Oh, good.
DARA: I’m nervous about these platforms.
HARRY: Just be graceful. That way, even if you fall, you’ll look fabulous.
Debbie Harry, photographed by Dara.
