Molly was born in San Francisco and now lives in New York, in a tiny Chinatown apartment. She is a contributing writer at the New York Times Magazine, a director at Warby Parker, and the co-founder of Compliments Of, a high-concept calling cards business.
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Ellen is the designer of Dusen Dusen, a line of womenswear and home decor. Known for its original bold prints, Dusen Dusen is developed and inspired each season by fine art, commercial and naive design, and the brain’s reaction to movement, color, and contrast.
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Meet NYC passerby, Steph Krasnoff. In 2012 she opened American Two Shot with her childhood best friend, Olivia.
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Meet NYC passerby, Aretha Sack. Born and raised in Austin, Texas, Aretha studied painting at California College of the Arts, where she met her business partner Janine, after selling her a custom nail polish she had made. They founded Floss Gloss Ltd in San Francisco in 2011 over a mutual admiration of each other as well as of fashion, music, color and nails.
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“Erin has overseen media relations for some of the most recognized organizations, artists, brands and individuals. With a diverse background in art, sustainable design and public policy, her professional work is an extension of her personal interests. Erin grew up in New Orleans, went to school in Boston, and began her career in Washington working for the ONE Campaign, Oxfam, the Natural Resources Defense Council and on Capitol Hill. She moved to New York in 2010, and three years later launched her own PR firm, The No. 29, with partner Melody Serafino – focusing on art, design and sustainability.”
Top, Sessun ; Jeans, J.Brand ; Necklace, Growing Jewelry
If I go to bed at a reasonable hour, then I’m up early for 6:30 AM yoga or running. If I have a late night, I save it for later by running home from work over the Brooklyn Bridge to avoid the F train. Regardless, I’m pretty much on my phone and email immediately – a habit I’m trying to break – and turning on WNYC. Often the first voices I hear in the morning are Steve Inskeep, Renee Montagne and David Greene. I was basically reared on Morning Edition. I make coffee or tea (sometimes both) and catch up on emails since we have clients in Holland, Paris, London and Tel Aviv.
I knew from age five that I wanted to be an environmental lawyer, and just out of college had the privilege of working for some of the best nonprofits fighting for environmental justice – Oxfam and NRDC. I realized quickly that my disposition (constant motion) is not geared towards making incremental changes to policy and law, though thankfully others have the patience I lack. I realized I could still be an advocate, but in the court of public opinion. I love to write, tell stories for those who should be heard, and see immediate results.
“I just started college when Samantha Power’s “A Problem From Hell” came out. I’ve always been consumed by the dark moments in human history: how they happen, why people turn a blind eye and how we can change these patterns. We’re unfortunately revisiting this dark side now in Syria. That Power had written this book, received a JD, worked as a war correspondent and started the Carr Center for Human Rights by the time she was in her early 30s was inspiring. Reading her book, I simultaneously thought: I want to do something to make the world better…and I want to be as badass as Samantha Power.”
Shoes, Veja
Back in DC, I learned how to do my job, made some of my dearest friends, and got to see Barack Obama sworn in as president. After a while, it got frustrating to fight for things that weren’t coming to fruition. I always planned to live in New York, and made the immediate leap from politics to art, though much of the art I work on makes a political statement. Working with JR, who had just won the TED Prize, was among my first major projects. It was the start of something really special in New York. Three years later, I started a PR firm with my brilliant partner. We simply wanted the power to choose who we worked for and how. People thought we were crazy to focus solely on sustainability, design, art and impact, but we’ve really carved out a niche.
Being in PR has allowed me to work across disciplines – and often combine them in unexpected ways. We have wonderful clients who are making an impact, and help them tell their stories. I learn daily and feel incredibly fortunate to be an extension of their teams. There’s no greater feeling than conceptualizing and shaping a story, and ultimately making that story news.
Dress, Claudie Pierlot ; Shirt, Iris ; Shoes, Schutz ; Art, Frank Relle
“The Police, Synchronicity – since I was a kid. The Police and The Beatles were my favorite. My parents would play them and we’d have dance parties in costumes, as New Orleanians do. This music feels like home.”
Dress, L'Wren Scott ; Shoes, Loeffler Randall
My skin is finicky, so I have to change products with the weather. I use Diane Higgins Regenerating Facial Oil combined with her moisturizer. She carries a line called Face Reality, and I use their cleanser as well as Diane’s cleansing balm when my skin is dry. Tizo sunscreen is a daily must. As a runner, I need something that won’t irritate my skin and this rubs in like powder. I’m obsessed with eye cream. She has a great one but I’ll try anything. I also recommend REN Clean Skincare Vita Mineral Lip Balm, Bobbi Brown Eye Makeup Remover, Le Labo Women's Rose 31 Eau De Parfum, Yves Saint Laurent Terre Saharienne Bronzing Powder, Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet Matte Lip Colour, Diorshow Mascara, Eminence Organic Skin Care Organic Sun Defense, Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Sheer Colour, Nars Blush, and Diorblush.
My favorite shopping spots are spread around the world. In New York it’s A. Cheng or Anthom. When I go home to New Orleans, UAL is my go-to for insanely discounted designer gems (like that incredible L’Wren Scott dress). In Paris, Centre Commercial is the best. Everything is either made in France and/or sustainable. The guys behind Veja opened it five years ago, and they’ve created something truly special.
Dress, L'Wren Scott
Paris Views by Gail Albert Halaban, A Problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide by Samantha Power, Special Orders: Poems by Edward Hirsch, Fierce Invalids Home from Hot Climates by Tom Robbins
erin's favorite records
The Belle Album PV by Al Green, My Kind of Jazz by Ray Charles, Synchronicity by The Police, Soul Train Super Tracks, Brothers by The Black Keys
erin's favorite places in nyc
Prime Meats for a glass of wine (and awesome food) at the bar
Frankies - for every meal
Black Gold Records is where I go for a strong coffee and album browsing. Its got a NOLA vibe, which makes me feel at home
Court Street Grocers for magical sandwiches
Buttermilk Channel for dinner and French Louie for brunch
I love the Invisible Dog art space on Bergen. Great exhibitions.
For a bar, Brooklyn Social for Matt's Ginger Old Fashioned
Overalls, Loup ; Trench, Catherine Malandrino ; Shoes, Prada ; Bag, Kooba
Meet NYC passerby, Amy Rose Quichiz, a health educator and activist who founded the collective Veggie Mijas to educate people of color on food justice and the benefits of veganism and vegetarianism.
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Tea is a Croatian born, American raised writer, filmmaker and TV host. While studying Fashion Design in Milan, she wrote two blogs, CRUMPETS & Sugar Tits which led to popular columns for Wired and Vice Italy and a television series called Sex in the World on La3.
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Svyan is a designer based in Williamsburg. She specializes in embroidery and is currently working on her own collection. In addition, Syvan also creates unique head pieces that are popular among brides.
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Laura Brown grew up in Westchester and got her BFA from Rhode Island School of Design in 2012. She has been working at Artsy as a software engineer for the past two years.
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Meet NYC passerby, Donna Baxter. After dropping out of F.I.T, she went and started her first clothing company, Caroline Hedaya (sold at Shopbop, Intermix, Saks Fifth Avenue etc.) Now she’s the owner of the boutique Darling in the heart of the West Village.
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Meet NYC passerby, Holly Falcone, a freelance manicurist based in Greenpoint.
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Sarah was born in a beach town in Florida. Seeking more energy than the small towns she was accustomed to, she moved to Brooklyn with her husband two years ago to pursue a degree in Nursing as well as be closer to her friends.
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East Coast born and raised, she settled in New York for School. Now she parses her time between her Clinton Hill studio and assisting the painter Bjarne Melgaard.
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Born and raised in Buenos Aires, Anita moved to New York three years ago to finish school, graduating from Hunter College with a degree in Music. She is currently recording an EP for her first solo project, under the name "La Berta", produced by Noise Club.
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“Born in Falls Church, VA Lisa is a Brooklyn-based writer who has written for Garance Dore, New York Magazine, The WILD Magazine, J. Crew, La Garconne and more. She’s also a florist who has done flowers for the likes of Ulla Johnson, Rachel Comey and Stone Fox Bride and her work has appeared in Vogue, New York Magazine and Elle.com.”
Top, J. Crew ; Pants, Belt & Earrings, Vintage ; Shoes, Zara
I wake up and resent the alarm with every bone in my body, shuffle out to the kitchen to a cup of coffee because my husband is awake before I am 99.9% of the time, procrastinate getting ready and out the door until I have no choice but to madly rush through my “beauty” routine: wash my face with a Clarisonic I got last Christmas (can’t tell if it’s really made a difference but now I’m too paranoid to stop using it), then some sort of eye treatment from my multitude of Kiehl’s Eye Treatment samples, smear overpriced but damn good Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat under my eyes, Diorshow Black Out Mascara, Hourglass Brow stuff for my anemic asian eyebrows, MAC matte bronzer and then this Bobbi Brown stuff in a pot that makes it look like my cheeks are living in a perpetual summer. Then out the door with toast in hand.
I moved to NYC because I had my tunnel vision focused on making it as a fashion writer (or really any sort of writer for that matter). What no one really tells you is how difficult/impossible that is. I pursued it pretty tirelessly, checking everything off the list—Master’s degree in journalism, internships, networking, establishing hard-fought relationships editors only to have them leave the publication, following up (always following up) etc. and just really hit a wall after many, many years with little to no results/income/progress and needed to step away from it all for a moment, which is when I started doing flowers. Copywriting was always in the back of my mind as an option that I really didn’t want to embrace but I’ve learned that 1. you can actually make a living doing it and 2. you can actually get pretty creative and still have a voice and still be challenged coming up with smart ways to reach people.
“So these books aren’t necessarily my favorite books of all time but rather a snapshot of what I’m reading right now/recently read and liked. I’ve been endeavoring to read East of Eden and started it on our honeymoon—the language is heartbreakingly beautiful in its practicality and sparse matter-of-fact-ed-ness and it reminds me of why I ever wanted to be a writer. It’s too beautiful for ugly subway rides—I almost want to go on a retreat somewhere befitting of its beauty and finish reading it there.”
After hitting a wall with writing I needed to just step away from things for a moment and separate myself from the tireless pursuit of it all. I had recently done a story on Brooklyn florists for New York Magazine’s The Cut and thought I’d trying playing around with flowers. I have such a Type-A, perfectionist personality that it felt really good to try something that didn’t have all my hopes and dreams wrapped up in it. My husband and I head upstate quite frequently so I sort of used that as a testing ground and practiced form and all those good things with the wildflowers and blooms that are rampant (and free) up there. Then I started reaching out to contacts I had from pitching fashion stories to pitch flowers instead.
The actual process is sort of different every time. Sometimes I’ll see an arrangement that really inspires me and will work off that, other times I have a specific color scheme I’m dreaming of working with or that a client specifically wants, and other times I go the less thinking route and just go for it. My favorite part is making the arrangements. I’m pretty not great at everything else, which is a bit of a problem since it turns out that arranging feels like it’s actually just 10-15% of the package. You have to be business savvy and be willing to take a pretty big financial risk—getting a studio and a team—in order to grow and I’ve just never been ready for that, which means my business has always had a pretty low overhead. It works for me but it is tough when you see other people pulling off larger, more glamorous installs and projects but then I have to remind myself and my ego that I chose this level of engagement and that it’s what works best for me for now.
Top, Vintage Dior ; Jeans, Vintage Levis
I’ve been using Bumble and Bumble Thickening Shampoo and Conditioner for as long as I can remember and I just recently discovered Oribe products—all amazing—but the Surfcomber Mousse is exceptionally so. I just put it my hair after I take a shower at night, go to sleep with my hair wet and in the morning my hair has just the right amount of gritty texture and wave (although my real dream is to get a perm, this’ll do for now). Love the idea of body oil as a moisturizer and I have this great one that smells like roses and earth and makes me feel like I should be at the beach but I like the ease of lotion and I’ve been feeling Kiehl's Creme de Corps for a couple of years now. I also recommend Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque.
Lately I’ve been doing a lot of online shopping, mostly stalking Etsy for vintage goods. Stella Dallas in Williamsburg is great too but it can be a real undertaking since there’s so much stuff in there. I usually go with a specific mission in mind. I also feel pretty lucky to know a handful of friends who are amazingly talented designers: Ilana Kohn, Aurora James of Brother Vellies, Marissa Maximo of Anaak…I love wearing their pieces. Rounding all that out, there are the usual big chain suspects: Zara, Madewell, J.Crew. And then there are the designers I covet but can never pull the financial trigger on: Rachel Comey, Apiece Apart, Maryam Nassir Zadeh, Caron Callahan etc. I’ve also been working my way up to a pair of Jesse Kamm pants—resolving to do that here really really soon. Oh! And Ace and Jig for textile amazingness.
That Bon Iver album makes time stop. AA Bondy (paired with Timber Timber) is great for driving around Joshua Tree at night as the full moon rises over the mountains. Melaena Cadiz has a voice like a train. The Iron and Wine album is perfect for playing Gin Rummy in bed with a mezcal gimlet in hand—actually, it’s the perfect soundtrack for peaceful contentment.
Top, Vintage Dior ; Jeans, Vintage Levi's
“My man and I just went on our honeymoon in February—we sort of drove all over the desert-y areas of the west coast and hit other little spots along the way too. Joshua Tree and Ojai were great but we really fell in love with Tucson—it’s a real gem of a town that for some reason a very specific demographic (ahem, people who live in Phoenix) tend to hate on but don’t listen to a word they say. I like to think that the people who end up drawn to it and loving it are the exact people Tucson wants in its arms anyway.”
Dress, Ace and Jig
JUMPSUIT, MADEWELL ; BAG, VINTAGE ; SUNGLASSES, RAY-BANS ; SHOES, MARAIS
The Lover by Marguerite Duras, Blue Nights by Joan Didion, Sweetbitter by Stephanie Danler, You'll Grow Out of It by Jessi Klein, East of Eden by John Steinbeck
Cinema Paradiso, Finding Nemo, Amelie, Ain't Them Bodies Saints
American Hearts by A. A. Bondy, Around the Well by Iron and Wine, Deep Below Heaven by Melaena Cadiz, For Emma, Forever Ago by Bon Iver
Achilles Heel for stupidly good small plates and cocktails (and the occasional chicken/lamb/goat roast)
Alameda for the best unpretentious burger
Troost for the best backyard hang—go on a Monday for their bratwurst and sauerkraut night
Acapulco diner for huevos rancheros
Porter James = furniture eye candy
Meet NYC passerby, Nadia Bedzhanova, Russian native now pursuing film directing.
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Born in a small town outside of Memphis, Tennessee, Sue moved to New York over seven years ago to study Fashion Design and Art History at Pratt, interning for stylists and at places like NYLON and Refinery29 along the way. She is the digital editor at W, where she writes about fashion, beauty, and culture. In her free time she loves taking pictures with a cheap old film camera, drawing, watching tons of movies, and hanging out with her dog Owen.
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Meet NYC passerby, Chloe Dewberry. By day, she is the Content Coordinator at Opening Ceremony and co-founder of JARS NYC. By night, she's a record-collecting "mother" to two cats named Tito and Raymundo.
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Meet NYC passerby, Lauren Nikrooz. Her commercial work has been with campaigns for Beats By Dre, along with editorial for such as Dazed and Confused, W Magazine and Vogue. Her latest film work has been working alongside Matthew Barney on his River of Fundament and Marina Abramovic.
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Cassie is a freelance community manager, writer, customer service agent, you name it. She's from California, but has lived in NYC for almost ten years now.
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