We’re on a Boat…With Katie Holmes

It’s 3 pm and Katie Holmes is helping me not puke. We’re bobbing hard on a yacht in the Hudson, and while I feel seasick, Holmes is a pro. “Look out at the water,” she says. “It’s easier if you remind yourself that you’re outside.” The actress is a red carpet natural, but it turns out, she’s equally at home on choppy waters. “I grew up going boating on a lake [in Ohio],” she explains with a smile. “I was out on the water every day when it was warm enough… jet skiing… sailing… I can do all of it… and I can go very fast,” she grins.

Getty ImagesSean Zanni

Now we’re docked on a Manhattan pier—the actress, me, and a small troop of Hollywood protectors—rocked by small waves and surrounded by designer tapestries and crystal bowls of gummy candy. Random? Absolutely. But it’s all part of a floating fantasy designed by Alice + Olivia‘s Stacey Bendet, a friend of the actress. It’s also a Booking.com promo (or in PR speak, “activation”) where lucky fashion fans can reserve a room onboard Bendet’s dream boat, albeit just for a night… and alas, without Holmes, who’s just passing through to see the (very cute) clothes.

Getty ImagesGotham

“When I was doing my [fashion] line, Holmes & Yang, Stacey was very kind to us and helped us out,” Holmes revealed, “and we’ve stayed friends. She’s such an amazing example for women, for entrepreneurs… I’m happy to support her and her work.” Holmes admits she misses her life in the fashion world, which might be why the 39-year-old was at so many runway shows this month. “Being on the inside gave me a deeper appreciation for the industry, for the really hard work that happens. People don’t realize, because great clothes are effortless, but it takes so much time and so much work. Realizing that made me love fashion even more, because it’s a kind of art.” I note that Holmes’ daughter Suri is also becoming a fashion fixture on style blogs, appearing at the Jingle Ball for Taylor Swift and sporting Bonpoint in Paris. And when I ask if Suri might come to any fashion shows, too, Holmes’ signature smile gets a little tighter. “I mean, can’t we just let her be a kid?” she asks plainly. (She’s 12.)

Roger that. And since I was 12 when Dawson’s Creek first aired, I have to ask—with Will & Grace and Murphy Brown back on the airwaves, will Dawson’s come back, too? “We were just so happy that so many people were excited about our reunion photo shoot!” she says, noting the epic Entertainment Weekly cover in March. “To be able to spend time together again and to get such support from the fans, it was really special.” Oookay, but… reboot?! “Who knows?” she winks. “There have been inquiries.”