Profiling Peter Davis of The Daily Front Row

Merriam Webster defines man–about–town as:  noun, a man who goes to many popular parties, clubs, etc. or a man who goes to many popular parties, clubs, etc.

The Urban Dictionary defines man about town as:  A sophisticated, suave male urban dweller; one who knows which bars to frequent, where the fashionistas dine, and which shows one must see.

Lastly there is this: a fellow who can often be seen around the city; particularly in the right places or with the right people …. Dapper, sociable, and fashionable.

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You might be asking yourself who is Peter Davis and the answer is quite simply that he is the man about town on an international stage, an editor, a writer, a social fixture or just a ubiquitous presence at so many social and fashion events. Nevertheless, Peter is a man on the move who has recorded and reported for the likes of Vanity fair, Vogue, Details, Wall Street Journal, Paper, Avenue, Interview and Scene, just to name a few. Catching up with Peter Davis is no small feat considering he is currently the Editor at Large of the Daily Front Row.

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Rather than detailing his duties at the Daily Front Row, this interview deals with Peter Davis, the force of nature, the unstoppable social workaholic and the man who has put his stamp on style upon the world of fashion and style. Depending on what events you attend or where you dine, you might run into him in any part of the world and ask him something that’s not covered by my questions. This is your opportunity to learn more about what makes Peter Davis tick as well as who is the real Peter Davis. So, in his own words and without further ado, here he is in his own words:

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Jeffrey Felner: You have an affinity with leopard so can we speak to that subject?

Peter Davis: Leopard is a neutral and really goes with anything. My leopard print Supreme denim jacket is a go-to and I bring it whenever I travel. I also almost always wear leopard slippers with black tie as I have three pairs by Stubbs and Belgian Shoes; leopard makes black tie a little less boring.

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JF: You’re having an intimate dinner party for five and who would you invite and why?

PD: Dinner parties are all about the mix. I’d have Banksy, so I could see who he really is, Martin Margiela, my favorite designer and also like Banksy, Cindy Sherman, my favorite artist, Hillary Clinton as it’s always good to have a power person at the table and my sister Minnie Mortimer who is my best friend and the person I’d recap the dinner party with the next morning.

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JF: You have had various positions involving publications online as well as on paper; what was your favorite, and how do you envision your future?

PD: I was a teenage intern at Paper and it changed my life as I never thought about working in media since I was a painting major in college. After I graduated from Bennington I met Kim and David from Paper and they had me write some stuff which led to assignments from Vogue and Vanity Fair. I didn’t know how to type and I still don’t, but I had so much fun writing and running around NYC interviewing cool people. My first full time job was as Editor in Chief of Avenue and then I left that to start Scene with Observer Media. Doing my own magazine with a skeleton staff and a miniscule budget was beyond challenging but I learned more than I would have doing anything else. The biggest skill I now have is how to make a cover look like I spent lots of money without actually really spending any. Right now I’m focusing on writing, in particular a book. I have a great agent and a great idea. It will take me 6-9 months to write but I am ready to get it done.

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JF: If you could live anywhere in the world ... where and why?

PD: I grew up in Manhattan and moved to Williamsburg just 3 years ago. I never want to leave Brooklyn. The creative beat of NYC really has jumped the river and now lives in Brooklyn.

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JF: Let’s talk fashion now, so what do you love and why; any pet peeves about fashion?

PD: I love style more than I love fashion. Runway shows are often amazing, but street style is what really inspires and intrigues me. There are designers I love; I adored Martin Margiela up until he actually left his own house and the same thing applies to Helmut Lang. These days anything exciting on the catwalk happens in Europe where fashion is more art than commerce. In the states, Thom Browne and Marc Jacobs are two designers that are consistently surprising and fascinating for me to follow. Personally, I only wear Thom Browne button downs which is a pretty pricey choice to have made but they fit perfectly and age well. On my wish list is anything custom. My tailor in London Timothy Everest makes the best suits for me so I am always wishing I had more. Nothing is better than picking out everything right down to the interior pockets.

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