A Family Affair

Patty and Christine Yoon, the duo behind BHON aren’t designing their asymmetrical jersey dresses, and flowing blouses and tunics for the safe girl. “Some women dress for men,” Patty explains, “and some women dress for women. Our girl is more like… fuck it.” “She’s not afraid to be unconventional,” Christine adds. “or not beautiful in a conventional way.” Crediting Tilda Swinton and Jennifer Connelly as inspirations, Patty and Christine make clothes for risk-takers.

Patty and Christine were born and raised in Houston, Texas where their parents owned a wholesale clothing warehouse. “We grew up in the shop, opening boxes of costume jewelry,” Christine says. “We had clothing all around us.” It’s no wonder, then, where the sisters found their love of garments. Patty has been designing since she could draw. “She would draw me paper dolls,” Christine says of her sister, “or she’d sew clothes for her Barbie dolls.” Christine expressed her love of design in a different way–by pursuing a career in architecture. Read More

From Skateboards to Bow Ties

When asked to describe their Graham Withers clothing line, a collection of expertly-crafted, elegant men’s accessories, Paul Hanan and Dave Roma reply with “guns, money, and rims.”  It is quite possibly the first time that the words “pocket square” and “rims” have been uttered in the same conversation. Though the garments they produce are decidedly preppy–neckties and bow ties checked in simple beige and cream or striped in plaids–these longtime skateboarding buddies are anything but stuffy.

“We’d have to attribute our interests in fashion to skateboarding in some way,” Paul says. “Skaters at the core are critical as hell and uncommonly concerned with style.” It makes sense, then, that Paul and Dave would create pieces fit for even the most dapper of gentleman.

Dandiness aside, the friends have kept it simple, only producing bow ties, neckties and pocket squares out of their unique studio space. Read More

Finland’s Finest

When asked to describe his designs in three words Daniel Palillo, the Finnish designer behind his dark, self-titled sportswear line, answers, “Big black skull.”  One look at Daniel’s Autumn/Winter 2011 collection, “Talking Heads,” demonstrates just how beautifully those three words sum up his creations. Many of his designs are over-exaggeratedly over-sized, sack-like tops and bottoms emblazoned with eerie faces, mummies and spike-like rosettes bringing to mind creepy images from Tim Burton’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas.”

Daniel’s designs, many of which are unisex, are anything but colorful.  The vast majority of the collection is done in black or white, although a few pieces pop with hints of bright red, gold, or Halloween orange.  Something about the line feels particularly avant-garde, a quality that can be attributed to the fact that Daniel didn’t get his start designing clothing. “I studied art first,” he says, “and then I changed into fashion.”  This idea of art first, fashion second can be seen in some of his most over-the-top garments. Read More

Chic Laundress

On a dark and drizzly evening, I climb six flights of stairs to arrive at Jessica Yuen’s Tribeca showroom, both winded and impressed.

“I was going for kind of a mental hospital thing,” the design maven behind Bedford Street Laundry explains as she combs through the rack of her Fall/Winter 2011 designs. Coats have straitjacket details and the accessories–chokers, bracelets, necklaces and belts–are reminiscent of antique medical restraints.  Wrap-around tops, hooded vests, and array of skirts evoke a kind of sexy, tough-girl chic.  “In the back of my mind, I always consider that if someone were to attack me, I’d be dressed to fight back,” Jessica laughs, “I don’t mean bulletproof or armor, but something that wouldn’t hinder me from kicking ass.”

While her pieces are edgy, they’re also avant-garde, a design quality she was able to develop while studying at both Parsons New York and Parsons Paris.  “When I was at Parsons Paris, they really encouraged us to use unconventional methods and material,” she says. Read More

E. Village: B Cup Café

From the outside, B Cup looks quite psychedelic. Swirling, bright graffiti patterns in oranges, pinks, purples and greens beckon passersby to stop in for a fresh-squeezed lemonade or a gourmet sandwich. The coffee shop serves up light Mediterranean fare, delicious Israeli salads, hummus plates, and smoked salmon sandwiches. Laptop-toting East Villagers flock to this cozy neighborhood café for rich, gourmet coffees and teas, as well as fruit-packed smoothies and fresh baked goodies. Fresh biscotti, croissants, tarts, cookies and cakes fill the shop’s alluring display case. Amongst them, the giant “oreo,” a fresh-baked take on the classic chocolate and cream-filled cookie, is particularly tasty.  Anyone in the mood for an outstanding cappuccino and cupcake will adore this warm East Village favorite.

212 Avenue B; New York, NY 10009
Phone: 212.228.4808. Website
Open Weekdays 7am-10pm; Weekends 8am-10pm

Rare Species

Erica Bradbury and Catherine Costanza, the duo behind Species by the Thousands, are happy to be Brooklynites. “There are so many people doing amazing, creative things in this neighborhood,” Erica says over drinks at Enid’s in Greenpoint. “Every time I walk into a store around here,” Catherine adds, “I want to work with every designer whose stuff I see!”

Erica and Catherine’s road to indie jewelry eminence wasn’t clear-cut. Erica, a visual artist, started the sustainable jewelry and accessories line in 2006, after completing her Master of Fine Arts. “I started out hand painting objects,” she says, “pillows, dishes, shoes, everything.” The shoes were a big hit–white, canvas sneakers, each decorated with a different original design. But painting is difficult when you live in New York City. “Paint is so toxic,” Erica says, “especially if you’re painting in your room and pouring solvents down the bathroom drain.” She soon began looking for a new medium. “I started screen printing organic cotton tee shirts,” she says, “and then I started more toward the jewelry.” Read More