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MARKET MARKET Sissy Farenthold OCCUPATION: 2 Lawyer, activist, and citizen CURRENT LOCATION: 3 Houston, Texas You were the first woman ever formally nominated for the US vice presidency, and the first chair of the National Women’s Political Caucus. You’ve been short-listed for an Oscar, have shattered political glass ceilings, and have been a tireless crusader for the rights of women throughout the world. But what do you consider your greatest accomplishment? At 85, I’ve learned that accomplishments only become clear with time. What seems like a failure today might prove to be a strategic victory tomorrow. So keep working, and time will reward you. My Queen, a film that does such a fine job of contrasting Marie Antoinette’s life at Versailles with the lives of the peasants on the streets. So, all in all, I’m willing to settle for now. Sissy’s Classic Go-Tos 1 O pium Eau de Toilette by Yves Saint Laurent: $70–$92; Neiman Marcus L ime Basil & Mandarin Bath Oil: $100; Jo Malone Brushstroke-Print Twill Dress by Carolina Herrera: $1,690; Neiman Marcus K rug Champagne Truffle Collection in Dark Chocolate: $39/12 pieces; Vosges Where do you feel most inspired? Strangely, at places where I’ve been reminded of tremendous loss and what people have managed to endure and overcome; for instance, the mass grave in St. Petersburg. There, you can see the wastefulness of war, and it gives you a drive to try to do something about it. 2 3 4 What is your most prized possession? If you were banished to a desert isle, what items would you bring with you? The New York Review of Books. And maybe a fur, depending on the climate. Some of Sissy’s old campaign materials as well as her 1972 cover of Ms. magazine! Certain things that I’ve discovered while on my travels, like a beautiful stone with a painting on it that I bought in Croatia. And then, we won’t go into my jewelry . . . What would you tell young women? I never did it myself, but put some planning into your life. One of the biggest changes of our century is the increased life span of women. Girls used to be told, “Be pretty and get married.” “Until death do we part” used to mean 25 years. Today, it’s a long life, and you get to decide what to do with it. Who is the person who most embodies “style”? The Empress Elisabeth of Austria, who was also called “Sissi.” Years ago, Diana Vreeland curated an exhibit of her clothing at the Met’s Costume Institute. The gowns by Worth, the mounds of luggage—she had the most magnificent taste, loved to travel, and possessed a real social conscience. Who are your heroes? Eleanor Roosevelt; she had such great moral courage and overcame such a sad upbringing. And then, who can help but marvel at Joan of Arc? There’s a statue of her outside the cathedral at Reims that I’ve always found extremely poignant. What is the greatest advice you’ve ever received? Cheer up. What is your greatest source of inspiration? The sun coming up. It’s always another day. Also, you never have just one source of inspiration. You can get it from what you see people overcome or from a piece of music. In what historical period would you most like to have lived? It would very much have 1 4 depended upon my role. I just saw Farewell, 26 Lonny AUGUST 2012 2012 AUGUST Lonny 27