DEREK Blasberg seems well positioned to dish the dirt on The Real Housewives of Vancouver, set to air this spring on the Slice Network.
The author of New York Times bestseller Classy and Manhattan man-about-town has seen the good, the bad and the Botoxed, according to the liner notes on his latest release Very Classy (Razorbill, $21), an expanded edition of the original.
Sitting in the Platinum Suite at The Room, The Bay downtown's high-end designer showcase, Blasberg is getting ready to welcome Vancouver's society ladies to an invitationonly cocktail event to promote his new book.
Alas, the man who has penned the modern girl's etiquete guide hasn't met any of the ladies on the reality TV show and, for now, has only good things to say about Vancouver and its women.
"Vancouver is very classy. Everybody is so nice here!," enthuses Blasberg, clearly modelling the good manners he advocates in his book.
Born and raised in the American Midwest, Blasberg moved to New York City as a teenager, bringing with him his old-fashioned sense of values and boyish charm. He landed a job at Vogue magazine after graduating from New York University, and went on to write about fashion and the arts for Interview magazine, Style.com and Harper's Bazaar among other top publications.
A friendship with MaryKate and Ashley Olsen led to a gig editing the twins' 2008 autobiographical book on style, Influence. And it was during this time that Blasberg had the idea for a guide that would entertain and inform young women about style, etiquette and social interactions.
Reality TV is great entertainment but it doesn't make for great role models for today's youth, says the New Yorker, adding he'd like young women to know: "You don't need to be the drunkest girl in the room to be popular."
Blasberg has packed his latest tome with witty essays, fun Q&A's, and illustrated photos of what and what not to wear. His advice covers the gamut, from tips on overcoming jet lag to good guest etiquette, and even extends to acceptable Twitter use. His missive to dinner party guests who just can't put their phone down: "I don't think you should be live-tweeting at the table."
Blasberg decries what he sees as "a lack of respect for common sense" among today's youth, who are beset by what he cheekily calls trampisms - "unladylike actions ... that may result in humilliation, notoriety, and/or a ruined reputation." And he aims to gently steer modern gals back onto the right path.
Of course, his book is all in good fun, and Blasberg keeps his tone light and upbeat, but it's clear that Blasberg, who mixes freely with Manhattan's social and fashion elite, knows his stuff.
Which of today's young celebrities have class? Emma Watson, says the author. "She's smart, she's sophisticated - and she sends thank-you notes."
