What a day at The Plaza! As I waltzed into The Palm Court tea room in the famed hotel on New York City’s 5th Avenue, fuchsia was everywhere. The event was in honor of the one year anniversary of Betsey Johnson's creation of the “Eloise Suite.” Most young women know about Eloise, the magical little girl who reigned in the Plaza for years. I got to experience it firsthand with Betsey Johnson, the quirky and fun fashion designer, as my guide!
Grinning like a 5 year old, I ventured over to the two press tables set up with Eloise dolls as the centerpieces. Betsey was sitting at the head of one table holding an Eloise doll in her hands. The table was filled with bright smiling young women who chatted while tea and crumpets were served. Luckily, I was granted the honor to sit next to her and had the opportunity to interview her one on one.
Margot Becker for Life&Style: I know you are very close with your granddaughters, were they your inspiration in decorating this room?
Betsey Johnson: Actually no. It was all me. I just wanted to have fun and put all the pink and zebra and fun that I felt into the room. My daughter or grandchildren haven’t even stayed in the room yet! I’m waiting for the fall to have a reunion and we can all stay in the room together.
LS: Did you read Eloise as a child?
BJ: I didn’t. I grew up in Connecticut in a pretty lower class area and we read more books like “The Velveteen Rabbit”. Eloise was too “high class” for us.
LS: Did you only hear about Eloise when you were asked to do this project?
BJ: No, I’ve been in NYC since 1964 so I have since learned about it. I’m one of those people you would see sitting in the big velvet green chairs in the front foyer.
LS: What makes this room special to you?
BJ: You will see a pinky, zebra-y, punk rock, rock and roll-y room. It is also connected to a regular Plaza room for the parents so you can see how we transformed Eloise’s room.
LS: So you have the best of both worlds!
BJ: Yes! It’s like ying and yang.
Also during our interview she mentioned Charlie Sheen, the troubled actor. She said, “I was told he had trashed the Eloise room! Thank goodness he was in the room across the hall but Denise [Charlie Sheen ex-wife] and her children were in the Eloise room.”
After eating finger sandwiches and drinking pink champagne, I was taken on a tour of the iconic Eloise room. The outside of the door is bright pink with white stripes. Once opened, you are flooded with pink, pink and more pink. Oh! And a zebra carpet! Beautiful French doors enter the bathroom where every towel is graced with the Eloise logo. In the bedroom, it's impossible to miss the bright pink neon Eloise sign above the bed. In front of the bed are two gorgeous armchairs with the famous Betsey Johnson pink floral embroidery. A boa and fairy wings hang on a coat rack in the back corner ready for dress up. Everything is “ravishing” as Eloise would say.
It is Eloise’s dream room and ultimately a girl’s paradise.
A special note from Betsey herself. She even applauded my Eloise nail polish.
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