LUCKY to live in the neighborhood
Rachel Markowitz | August 24, 2007
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Warning: those of you worried that the neighborhood will soon be overrun by pushy celebrities jacking up the real estate may find this news disturbing.
The September issue of Lucky (the self-proclaimed magazine about shopping) has a feature on “The top 100 boutiques in
The
I always wondered why the chic boutique next to the Wamu was called Dear Fieldbinder. I mean, what the hell is a Fieldbinder? Sounds like some guy who’s hired to tie people up and leave them in fields as punishment for jay walking. The reality is not as exciting – it’s named after owner Laura Fieldbinder.
The garments at Ohio Knitting Mills come from the archives of a shuttered area mill on
The fourth boutique is located on
I have a confession to make: I have not been inside any of these boutiques. I’m sure they’re all fabulous and fashion-forward, but like most of the goods talked about in Lucky, way out of my price range. Maybe some day I’ll window shop, cry, and long for brighter days when my paycheck can buy me more than a pair of socks at a fancy boutique.
Sphere: Related ContentCarroll Gardens resident turns her love of dogs into art
Marie Carter | August 15, 2007
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Carroll Gardens resident, Lisa Futterman, got the idea for her unusual silk-screened dog apparel when she lived near Portobello, London. “There was a store that sold silk-screen pillows and T-shirts on brightly colored fabric in black ink. I’m dog-obsessed and when I moved back to New York was enchanted by the cute dog culture here so I decided to do something similar with dog images, ” she explains.
The name of her business, Alfie & Rex, is based on the name of her first dog, a Yorkshire Terrier named Alfie and her sister’s dog, Rex, a Jack Russell Terrier.
Futterman studied photography and silk-screening at college and also took a class at the Lower East Side Print Shop on how to put images onto fabric. “Photo silk-screening is very involved. You have to use special photo chemicals. I bought a book that recommended using a thermal fax printer so I bought one on eBay which broke. I had to take it to the only man on the East Coast who knows how to fix it and he lives in Coney Island!”
Once the printer was working again she began designing the dog faces based on old dog books from the 60s and 70s. “The older books are better because they do portraits of dogs.” Her bestselling images are of a Boston Terrier, Bulldog, French Bulldog, Pug, Chihuahua and Dachshund. Futterman has close to fifty different breeds in her collection of T-shirts, pillowcases, tote bags, shoulder bags and watercolors.
To view or buy Futterman’s products, visit her shop on etsy.
Sphere: Related ContentThe Community Bookstore gets touched up; enters annual summer slumber
Josh Guttman | July 23, 2007
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The mysterious neighborhood relic that is The Community Bookstore at Court and Warren entered it’s annual summer slumber on July 16th, closing until September, but not before some much-needed renovations. …or at least a start to those renovations. Construction workers could be seen working after hours well into the night last week, stripping and rebuilding the wood awning that faces both Court and Warren. It took them a considerable amount of time to replace the handful of panels, though judging by how long it took for the owner to decide to fix the decrepit panels, I’m guessing he didn’t hire the most experienced crew. I saw them working three consecutive nights without much progress. Then, true to the hand-scribbled sign on the door, the store closed for the summer last Monday and the partially finished awning, replete with unfinished wood panels were left to sit. Rumor has it, the owner of the store actually owns the building. I spoke with him briefly while the workers were there and he mentioned he was traveling to France to visit his daughter for the summer. Bon voyage. See you in the fall.
Local up-and-coming designer gives neighbors first dibs
Rachel Markowitz | July 11, 2007
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On a recent Saturday afternoon, as I walked down Douglass Street, I felt magnetically drawn towards what appeared to be a better-than-average stoop sale. Pretty, boutique-quality dresses hung from a rack, and it was obvious from just a quick glance that these were not someone’s second-hand toss-aways. And the prices were actually within my budget.
I returned a bit later, freshly showered. I brought along a friend, and together we gushed over the array of dresses, ranging from the work-appropriate, the elegant, to the sexy-casual summer variety. Each garment is designed by Melissa Bell, Douglass Street resident and up-and-coming designer. She designs and sews all her garments in her home, and began doing sample sales last summer. Aside from women’s dresses and tops, Ms. Bell also designs and sells dresses for girls and babies. She says the response so far has been great, with many repeat clients. She hopes to begin selling her garments to boutiques soon.
I was able to try on dresses right in Ms. Bell’s vestibule, where she has conveniently placed garment hooks. There are full-length mirrors outside, and Ms. Bell is more than willing to help find a dress that is flattering on you. In the end, I decided on a brown and black strapless that looks adorable. As soon as my roommate saw it, she ran out and bought one for herself. With most garments under $50 (some as low as $15!), it’s hard to walk away empty-handed.
Melissa Bell will be having her designer sample sales throughout the summer into October. Her sale is on the stoop of 33 Douglas St., between Smith and Court. Look for signs around the neighborhood for upcoming dates.
Sphere: Related ContentSmith Vine moves one block south, beefs up Scotch and Bourbon selection
Josh Guttman | February 24, 2007
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Smith Vine has moved to a larger (and nicer) space at 268 Smith Street, between DeGraw and Sackett. The store remains very similar, though the new space apparently affords them room for a wider selection of scotches and bourbons, which is worth walking the extra block. Their website says “Now we know this sounds crazy, but in the end, it’s gonna rock! We will have a private tasting room and much more space for you to browse and take your time while you shop.” They still hold happy hour every Monday night from 6pm until closing and offer a 10% discount on all purchases during those hours.
