A crowded internet cafe. An occupied chair. An artist. A vacant sofa space. A blogger. A passage of time. A departure. An extended hand. An excuse me, I drew a picture of you. An ink sketch. A thank you. An exchange of emails. A sweet Brooklyn moment.
Though I was given the orignal ink drawing, the [...]
From Damien Hirst to Dan Akroyd’s vodka bottle, skulls are everywhere and today of course, skeletons will dance in windows and ring our bells looking for treats. Amid the vast product boneyard a few things have piqued my interest:
From Japanese designer Nobuhiku Kitamura’s extravagant, rock-influenced line, Hysteric Glamour.
Beijing-born, New York-based artist Jing Yu’s 2003 litho,”Gold [...]
To tell the story of the Brooklyn boutique, Hooti Couture is to share the various incarnations of Alison Houtte as cover girl, vintage maven and author. The vivacious proprietor gives first props, though, to her fashionable grandmother, Clemence Houtte, whose sense of style shaped her own and whose pronunciation of the family surname as “hoo-tee” [...]
Walking down Fifth Avenue in Park Slope last night I was charmed by a street-side performance of Girl From Ipanema, by a duo wearing Brooklyn Conservatory of Music t-shirts. “How lovely,” I thought as the mellifluous sounds wafted into the night air. Two blocks later, an upright bass and more music. A sax solo across [...]
I ran into jewelry designer Elma Blint at the vendors market at Madison Square Park a few days ago and we spoke of the relative merits of the the nearby Shake Shack (the burgers, she proclaimed, “excellent”) She then delightedly shared the news that her 6-foot-2 thirteen year-old son, is one of the top three [...]
Peacocks, the males of the peafowl species (the females are peahens) have long been glorified for their beauty and the spectacular brilliance of their plumage. The motif is one that fashion — for the home as well as the body — revisits quite frequently and last Spring’s love affair with the beauteous bird (think Matthew [...]
Fifteen years ago, an unassuming young man of good taste transformed a former beauty salon — a long, narrow underground lair–into distinct rooms to display home furnishings befitting each. The vintage crib in the nursery held colorful, charming goodies for kids; a claw-foot tub housed a myriad of bath accessories; the inviting dining table was [...]
On October 4th the fall fun fest known as Atlantic Antic was for the 35th year, bustling with activity along Atlantic Avenue from Fourth Avenue to Hicks Street near the Waterfront. It, like many of Brooklyn’s outdoor festivals becomes a reunion of sorts, where friends and family stroll the avenue in search of a great [...]
And she’s gone. And she’s gone. Summer’s gone. Taking with her Summer’s play…
Stevie Wonder, “Summer Soft”
The season somewhat incorrectly bracketed by Memorial and Labor Days, is for 2009 officially over. It seems to have gone by in a whir. No time to compile my annual list of the best of Summer freebies; my schedule too [...]
Masterful designer Isabel Toledo may be best known for the Inaugural ensemble she created for First Lady Michelle Obama, but the self-described “seamstress” has been honing her glorious craft since childhood and presenting professionally since 1985.
“I really love the technique of sewing more than anything else. The seamstress is the one who views fashion from [...]
