Christina Erteszek
Author Interview - Christina Erteszek
Author of The First Lady of Underfashions
This is a rags to riches family saga-like memoir about a couple’s escape from Nazi- occupied Poland to the United States where they built the legendary OLGA lingerie brand. Christina, a pivotal player in the evolution of her parents’ company, was sadly an observer to its gut- wrenching hostile takeover in the mid-1980’s. The book also takes an honest look at a daughter’s need to forge an independent path. Along Christina’s journey to self-discovery, however, she unearths family secrets that had never been brought to light.
Until now.
Author Interview - Christina Erteszek
Author I draw inspiration from: So many but as a developing writer in my twenties I’d have to say there were three that were most influential. They were Fyodor Dostoevsky, Anais Nin and Carson McCullers.
Author Interview - Christina Erteszek | Author I Draw Inspiration From
Favorite place to read a book: My bed!
Book character I’d like to be stuck in an elevator with: Ester Velasquez, the 17th century immigrant scribe for a blind rabbi in The Weight of Ink by Rachel Kadish. Such a formidable person. And within in a limited scope of landscape she had such a breadth of understanding. I would love that interlude.
Author Interview - Christina Erteszek | Book Character I’d Like to be Stuck in an Elevator With
The moment I knew I wanted to become an author: As I was driving my dying father up the Pacific Coast Highway in the spring of 1986 for his last beloved car trip. It was then–to my astonishment! – that he asked me to make sure I got his book written. Overwhelmed as I was by the request, the devoted daughter that I was felt honored and made a promise to him I would. Initially, this daunting task was focused on finding the right person to write the work, until my best friend, who happens to be an author, said to me, “Christina, there is only one person who can write this book and that is you. It is your story and only you can write it. That was twenty-seven years ago when it realized it was my destiny to fabricate the piece of work. So I’d say that’s the moment I knew I must be an author.
Hardback, paperback, ebook or audiobook: Paperback and ebook
The last book I read: The Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones
Author Interview - Christina Erteszek | The Last Book I Read
Pen & paper or computer: Pen and paper for journaling and free writing. Computer for composition and editing.
Book character I think I’d be best friends with: Maybe Frankie in Caron McCullers’s novel, Member of a Wedding, when I was twelve. She was wildly colorful and yet so sad and I’m sure we would have commiserated together. Much later it could have been (at least a very close friend) Mike in Memorial by Bryan Washington. Such a cynical complex character who’s such a contrarian
Author Interview - Christina Erteszek | Book Character I’d be Best Friends With
If I weren’t an author, I’d be a: Something in the non-performing arts. Sculptor. I love to make yard art!
Favorite decade in fashion history: I’d have to say the Eighties because as a new designer I helped pioneer the liberation of the way women dressed liberate The newly labeled Baby Boomers were getting fit and with the new stretch fabrics being developed, domestically and aboard, they became perfect vehicle to make this new active multi faceted woman perform from bedroom to boardroom.
Place I’d most like to travel: Santa Fe, New Mexico and Paris
My signature drink: Grey Goose martini, dry, up, with an olive and an onion. Yummy!
Favorite artist: Depends which discipline: Leonard Cohen and Chagall
Number one on my bucket list: Completing my father’s wish and I’ve completed that so feel pretty good.
Anything else you'd like to add: How much gratitude I feel
Find more from the author:
www.christinaertesek.com
Author Bio: Christina Erteszek is the daughter of Jan and Olga Erteszek, a Polish couple who narrowly escaped Krakow as the Nazis invaded their homeland, bravely moved to America and launched the wildly successful Olga undergarments empire. Christina came of age during the tumultuous 60s and 70s, where her fiercely independent spirit at times meant rebelling against her parents’ old-World values in order to make her own way. She resisted repeated pleas to join the company, instead opting to earn a degree in special education and teach at-risk youth in Los Angeles. To appease her beloved father, Christina finally joined the company in the late 1970s, working her way up to designer where her creativity and innate design sense led to the creation of her own label, the award-winning Olga’s Christina.
Her parents’ closest confidante, Christina was a pivotal player in the company’s evolution to meet the rapidly changing face of fashion in America. Sadly, she was also an observer to the gut-wrenching events that led to the company’s hostile takeover in the mid-1980s.
On a sunny afternoon in spring 1986, Christina was driving her then-ailing father down the Palisades bluffs toward Santa Monica Bay. They often took long drives together, yet this outing proved significant. Her father’s final wish was for Christina to write a book about his and Olga’s experiences.
The request was daunting. She felt her father should be the one to tell his story. At her core, though, Christina was a creator and relished this personal challenge. Like a garment designer, she thoughtfully selected pieces of her parents’ journey and of her own personal and professional life – lovingly stitching together fragile memories, courageous crossroads, hidden scars and buried family secrets. The result is The First Lady of Underfashions, a layered and poignant memoir written with love and honesty.
Throughout her life, Christina has had a passion for philanthropy. Her family’s foundation has supported a range of nonprofits whose missions emphasized strengthening communities through the arts, education and mindful practices. She is the co-founder and board chair of Durango PlayFest, a Colorado nonprofit dedicated to celebrating live theatre and the art of playwrighting. Christina lives in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains with her husband and dog Blu, a loyal hiking partner. Currently Christina is working on a novel.
