*

Hardly. There is a new flurry of retail activity on Franklin Street once again. I can't believe all the new places that have opened in the last 6 months! I found this old version of the street. Wow. Before Dalaga even moved into the neighborhood. Before Hayden-Harnett moved into the neighborhood. Before Jan & Aya opened. And closed. Before Alter opened Women's across the street. Once it stops raining, I will devote myself to photographing all the new places on Franklin and environs to show you all the new cool places to visit. Stay tuned. By the way, when will it stop raining?


*Remember this old post from 2007? I need to make a new collage.

Jan & Aya, currently 30-50% off

Owner, Carolyn Veith Krienke [left] and organic baker, Sarah Magid [middle]


A sample creation from Sarah Magid

This chair was the first thing I saw when I peered through
the papered windows all those months ago.

Sad news Greenpointers. After a year in business on Franklin Street, it is likely that Jan & Aya will close their store and move the whole operation online. I chatted with owner and master interiors curator, Carolyn, at her cupcake farewell party on Sunday (the cupcakes made by Sarah Magid* were amazing of course. Oh the frosting! But I digress...) Where was I in this sentence?

Anyway, Carolyn said that they will have discussions this month on what exactly to do with the space and the incredible backyard. There will most certainly be a push to grow their online business; but they might retain the space to do some fun designer events. Stay tuned for updates. In the meantime, you can drool over the desserts you missed.

See all previous posts on Jan & Aya here.

Attention shoppers: there are some great deals to be had at Jan & Aya. Especially on the jewelry! Stop by this weekend. The store will close at the end of March.


Jan & Aya
99 Franklin Street
Greenpoint, Brooklyn
718.609.1404


*Sarah has a book coming out in June 2009. Congratulations Sarah! The launch will be held at Word, right in the neighborhood. More details to follow on this.

The cupcakes! By Sarah Magid. Check out her Website here.

As always at Jan & Aya, you can find beautiful objects with delicate details
such as this porcelain mushroom (approx. $12. by Roost) I fell in love.


Cupcake like, no? This felt flower pin is so precious.
Made by Llubav Choy Duerr

Julie Floersch, Denim on Denim II (pillow), 2008, found denim, $350.


Framed sketch by master denim quilter, Julie Floersch

Necklaces by Danielle Burgos at Alter: [L-R] Jaw Necklace, $60
"Guy Smidley" hand-carved wooden moustache necklace, $45
"Wyatt Earp" hand-carved wooden moustache necklace, $49
[image from Alter]

Starting from when I was 3, my friend Jean Ann and I would make beards and moustaches out of white paper, curl the ends with scissors, tape them to our faces with scotch tape, and pose for our annual Polaroid. This tradition lasted until we were 7 or 8. Inexplicable, but true. When I saw these moustache necklaces by Brooklyn artist, Danielle Burgos, I thought, "kindred spirit!"

"Guy Smidley" and "Wyatt Earp" are currently available at Alter on Franklin Street in Greenpoint.

Dandelion-colored chairs in front of the new wine shop.

13 featured wines this week.

When you walk in to Dandelion Wine at 153 Franklin Street in Greenpoint, you will notice quite a few interesting Spanish wines, perhaps some you have never seen before. Lily Peachin's latest obsession is Spanish wine, but not because it is the hot wine of the season. Owner of the newest addition to the Franklin Street retail scene, Lily focuses on wines with a story to tell.

Lily has a reverence for the earth and what it provides, having grown up on a farm in upstate New York. As such, she is interested in the wine makers, the vineyards, and in family-run businesses that have a true love for the soil and the earth. And if the product is organic or bio-dynamic, so much the better. I hear her tell customer after customer, "Be sure to come back and tell me what you think of it. I really want to know how you like it."

Lily is passionate about her new store in a neighborhood that has become a part of her over the years. She tells me that she dreamed of opening her own place when she moved to Greenpoint back in 1999. At that time on Franklin, there was only the Franklin Street Corner Store. She lived above the Greenpoint Coffee House, which was then a residential apartment. She wanted to open a place there, but it wasn't zoned for retail yet. At her current location at 153, her landlord has owned the building for 60 years, and is happy to see the changes happening on Franklin.

Lily is passionate about making her place a fun place to hang out and learn about wine. This evening (and every Friday) stop by for a wine and cheese sampling. On weekends check out live acoustic music and wine tastings. In the summer, stay tuned for monthly wine classes taught by a local expert, offered at reasonable prices. I am pretty excited about that. Dandelion Wine is open until midnight on weekends and until 11pm during the week. Stop in for a chat and check out the selection. I am sure you will find an interesting bottle or two to try.


previous post:
What Will Inhabit 153 Franklin?

Inside the store, back to front.

Franklin Street retail in Greenpoint gets more exciting by the day. Kill Devil Hill at 170 Franklin is one of the latest additions, tied with Dandelion Wine at 153 (both stores opened exactly one week ago today). I stopped in for my second browse today, and to speak with owners Mary Brockman and Cowboy Mark Straiton about their Western aesthetic and product mix of cool curiosities which references the real Big Sky Country, and not the one I joke about in Brooklyn.

Mary has had time to soak up the Western aesthetic, having lived in Oklahoma for a time and made plenty of trips by car between Texas and California. She describes the store as focusing on the late 18th to early 19th centuries. Cowboy Mark, a well-known DJ in New York and around Europe, was a rancher in the West for many years. A rancher! He described Kill Devil Hill's aesthetic as "Industrial Boom to Industrial Decline general store." I like it.

The retail stores on Franklin Street are organically developed; they are creative, unique visions of the shop keepers. Kill Devil Hill is no exception. The exciting part of this general store is that pretty much every time you visit, you will see new things. Cowboy Mark has "a whole barn-full" of unique one-of-a-kind items that will be gradually revealed. Brockman added that they both travel a lot and are always finding new things. I am looking forward to weekly visits to the general store on my way to get the "New Mexico" at the Franklin Street Corner Store.


Kill Devil Hill
170 Franklin Street
Greenpoint, Brooklyn
no phone yet

previous post:
New On Franklin: Kill Devil Hill

The name is stenciled on the window at 170 Franklin Street in Greenpoint, Brooklyn: Kill Devil Hill. That much we know. What kind of store it will be, we have no idea. My guess is vintage of some sort. But I wouldn't listen to me if I were you. I was way off on the bakery called "Heatherette," which turned out to be a wine store called "Dandelion Wine." Said wine store at 153 isn't open yet, by the way. I will keep you posted on further developments on Kill Devil Hill, Dandelion Wine, and any other new retail ventures that pop up on Franklin Street in the meantime.

Oh wait, I found a MySpace page. Well that tells us a tiny bit more, but not that much really.

Within the last two years, Franklin Street has supported the openings of three designer-driven boutiques (Dalaga, Alter, Hayden-Harnett), a bookstore (Word), a record store (Permanent Records), a furniture store (Claank), a Dominican-French restaurant (Casa Mon Amour), a cafe (Brooklyn Label), a wine store (to come), and most recently on March 15, a gallery-like boutique with a minimalist aesthetic called Jan & Aya.

Excited to examine the merchandise in person, I took the grand tour from owners, Carolyn and Kai. Jan & Aya, named for the couple's two children, features handmade objects that are well-crafted and beautifully designed. Categories include home (poufs, candles and soaps, pottery, glassware, art), child (shoes, clothing, toys), self (jewelry, tees, shoes), and come Sunday, cakes. Organic cakes from artisanal baker Sarah Magid will be available by the slice or by the cake every weekend. In the summer, customers will be able to enjoy a slice of cake on the back patio with some lemonade. That sounds great.

When asked why the couple chose Franklin Street for their first retail venture, Carolyn replied eloquently, "This is the street that is having a kind of Renaissance as far as community-based businesses. It speaks to the artist's community of Greenpoint."


Jan & Aya
99 Franklin Street
Greenpoint, Brooklyn
718.609.1404

Store hours:
Thursday-Friday 1-7pm
Saturday noon-7pm

Sunday noon-5pm

Are there plans for more shoes? According to Carolyn, there will be clogs for adults,
hand-painted clogs for kids, and come summer, flip flops of the Brazilian variety.

Set of 6 nesting bowls, $180.
Tea towels, right, by Skinny LaMinx.

The peaceful mood at Jan & Aya: fresh flowers and blossoming branches
mixed among the minimalist displays, exposed brick, white floors, vaulted ceilings,
and a sheer curtain that hints at a backyard patio space, to come.


Children's moccasins, $34; Owl, $38, both by Zid Zid


Poufs by Zid Zid, $80-$260.

Art pins by Ashley G., $3.
Carolyn found this artist on Etsy.

White tin ceilings, 40s lighting fixtures, exposed brick, and a chalkboard accent wall can only mean one thing. A new cafe is opening at 153 Franklin Street in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. And from the looks of things, the place will be opening in a month's time. I imagine the proprietor's name is Heather and her place will be called "Heatherette" and she will feature "cupcakes with a twist."

But why leave it to conjecture. I returned the next day and spoke with a gentleman who lives at 153. He let me know that my fantasy bakery will be a wine store. Oh.

[an invitation for you; click to enlarge]

I am eager to share with you my photos and thoughts from my recent shopping trip to Jan & Aya. I also got a chance to interview owners, Carolyn and Kai, who have big plans for the store, and the back patio, to come. (You know how I love patios.) But I can't just yet.

The article is all done, but I submitted it to another magazine and I am waiting to hear back. In the interest of not scooping myself, I bring you the above invitation for Jan & Aya's Sweet Sundays. The next event is April 6.

Many thanks to Heather at Skinny laMinx for the referral yesterday! Heather designs these tea towels, which are available at the store. I wish I could show your readers my article. Stay tuned for more news and developments.

Jan & Aya, the latest addition to the Franklin Street boutique scene, is now open. For some background on the store, check out this previous post, and then join me for a shopping trip this Thursday. Store hours are Thursday-Friday 1-7pm, Saturday noon-7pm, and Sunday noon-5pm.


Jan & Aya
99 Franklin Street
Greenpoint, Brooklyn
718.609.1404

Before the big rains come today to wash it all away, I bring you two bikes and a fire hydrant by the chalk man of Greenpoint, Ellis G. Well I don't know if he is specifically 'of Greenpoint' but that is where I see his work. Apparently he is known for "his chalk outlines of thousands of objects across Brooklyn." He has a MySpace page. Check it out. He calls himself Gee. gee

If you are just tuning in now, you missed his collaborative show with DJ Kimyon at Paloma last night. Perhaps there will be photos of "Mixture" posted on someone's blog today.

A new boutique coming to Franklin Street!

A sneak peak through the paper.

Jan & Aya on Franklin Street in Greenpoint. When will it open? What kind of store will it be? I see a nice white rocking chair. I see cubby holes. Perhaps shoes. Perhaps clothing. Perhaps both!

Hey, there's a Website.

***
Update, 3.6.2008
Word on the street is that they will feature housewares made by local artists. I wrote to Jan & Aya. We'll see what they say.

Update, 3.17.2008
I received an email back from Jan & Aya owner, Carolyn. Here's what she had to say:

My store will feature beautiful handmade objects for the home, to wear, to smell, to play, to eat, etc... Made by local, American and some international artists and designers. Every season will be themed and feature artists and events.

My hours will be Thurs-Sun 1-7pm to start... Hopefully by May it will be open more often.

Dalaga is open until 9pm. I am off to do some night shopping. That is one way to beat the duldrums of the time change. I will let you know what goodies I find.

Dalaga
150 Franklin Street
Greenpoint, Brooklyn 11222
877.287.8395
G to Greenpoint Ave

The designer clothing business is certainly booming in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. I am so happy to see that my neighborhood is supporting these individually owned, designer-run creative retail projects. Both Dalaga and Alter, at 150 Franklin St and 109 Franklin St respectively, have expanded their shops this month.

I reported on the Alter alteration on Tuesday. On Friday, I checked out the new and improved Dalaga which expanded its retail square footage significantly this past month. When you enter the new store, which has doubled in size, you won't believe your eyes. The store is positively cavernous. Owner Michelle is certainly doing something right. It is exciting to watch her business grow.

Michelle has invited me back this week to take photos, after the final paint is applied and all the finishing touches are in place. So stay tuned. But I had to say 'wow' in the meantime. If you want to see for yourself, take the G to Greenpoint and have a shopping day.


Dalaga
150 Franklin Street
Greenpoint, Brooklyn 11222
877.287.8395
G to Greenpoint Ave

The deconstructed-reconstructed look of the This Old Thing? label
translates well to the decor of the store.
I like how the skeletal wall is cleverly transformed into clothing racks.
Below, the wall has been chiseled away to partially reveal
the years of paint layers and older brickwork underneath.


Form follows function with This Old Thing? designs.

Surface details often follow menswear tailoring details

enhancing the fit of the garment.


Detail of the fitting room curtain.

The ALTER signature boot vase with black flowers
is just one of the clever ready-mades in the store.


A closeup of the ALTER 'wallpaper'
handmade and one-of-a-kind, of course!

Designers Roy Caires and Tommy Cole exude such raw fashion energy, you will be rewarded with a different treat for the eyes each time you visit their shop. The two own and expertly run ALTER, now nearly 4 months old, and also design their own hot-selling clothing label 'This Old Thing?' (principally Menswear, but with plenty of Womenswear; deconstructed and reconstructed vintage).

Believe me when I say, when you visit ALTER you will get into such interesting, exciting and in-depth conversations about fashion, trend and creativity that you will ask yourself, "Why do I leave my tape recorder at home when I come to ALTER? This is really good stuff. I could not possibly remember all the great things I just learned. I must bring my tape recorder next time."

Talking to Roy and Tommy is somewhat like talking to Karl Lagerfeld. They have their own clear design vision and can speak about it eloquently. These two have their finger on the pulse of something uniquely their own; and it is rather exciting to hear their ideas about the world of design. When you visit the store, you get to understand a bit about what makes them tick and how they see the world. Plus you will get many referrals about more cool things to check out: Websites, blogs, podcasts, a special event where Tommy will be DJing, stores, designers. You get the idea.

I got to find out a bit more about Tommy Cole and Roy Caires via e-mail. Their story might inspire you to open you own store. Or at least, plan a shopping trip to theirs!

EP: Why Franklin Street?

TC: Franklin Street chose us. Last October (2006) a friend of ours came across a posting on Craig's List for a retail/commercial space in Greenpoint, so we called the realtor immediately. We had no idea where in Greenpoint it was, but we were sure we wanted to take it. When we got to the space and realized it was across the street from Dalaga (where we had been selling our line already) we knew it was meant to be. We signed a long term lease a few days later.

RC: Yes, our Franklin Street location was something of pure fate. The space randomly fell in our lap and was coincidentally a few yards away from Dalaga. I saw that this area was going through a massive renovation and modernization. So it fit perfectly with our aesthetic of mixing old and new. We thought it would be a perfect place to set up our shop and to be a part of this neighborhood's gentrification.


EP: Talk about your buying philosophy and/or vision for the store.

TC: My vision for Alter was to create a space with a strong, raw, creative energy to it. The build-out of the shop took about 10 weeks of 12 hour days. Roy and I built, painted, and reconstructed pretty much every inch of the space so that it would have the same kind of aesthetic as the clothing we design. Alter will always be evolving... a work in progress!

RC: Our buying philosophy always starts off by what we like to wear. Our style of dressing is very much mixing old and new -- designer and vintage. We try to evoke this style with our space and the items that we stock in the shop. We enjoy experimenting with texture, fit, and mixing pieces that give a unique twist and silhouette. We look for those characteristics when we select items for our shop.

The vision for the store is to continue to offer original designs and labels to our growing customer base. We are working on creating and stocking exclusive collections and products that embody the ALTER look. We have in the works exclusives from a variety of designers, locally and internationally. We are looking forward to expanding the shop to cater to the demand that we already have with just the 3.5 months that we have been open.


EP: How long have you been in the fashion business?

TC: I've been "in" the fashion business about 7 years. I had my first (of many) retail jobs in 2000 at a store in Boston called Ozone. I proceeded to work retail instead of going to college because I made good money, met amazing people, and got a fantastic business education for free. I started experimenting with reconstructing clothing during this time as well. I moved to New York in 2003, at which point Roy and I reunited and started our own line called 'This Old Thing?'

RC: I have been in the retail industry for 12 years now. Working for major corporate stores, small independent high end boutiques to internationally respected designer boutiques. My duties have always been in sales, managerial positions and even posts as visual directors. I have always loved retail from every angle and now I can put all my years of knowledge into my own shop.


EP: What are your top-selling items/designers?

TC: We sell a lot of our own This Old Thing? creations. They are one of a kind pieces, they are super funky, and they are inexpensive. We also do very well with Cheap Monday jeans and Fetty of Brooklyn jewelry. Oh, and dresses, tons of them.

RC: Alter's top-selling items are always This Old Thing?, our own design label. From men's vests and ties to women's dresses and jackets. We can't keep them in stock! Cheap Monday denim from Sweden is also very popular because of their great skinny fit and $65 price tag!


EP: Name 2-3 hot trends you will capitalize on for Spring/Summer 07.

RC: Its hard to pinpoint one or two key trends that we will be following for s/s 07 because we just do what we like and feel. And it changes all the time. But I have been thinking about color and volume for myself and so that will probably subconsciously translate into my spring selections for the shop.

TC: I don't know if they're hot trends, but I am always going for a garage glam/cowboy couture look. Lots of plaid and fringe, pointy pointy shoes, and really tight jeans are the basics of this look. Cropped jackets & blazers for men will soon take over the world as well, I will see to it!

Want to learn more about the making of ALTER? Check out this podcast docu-series about Tom and Roy (silhouettes pictured at left -- Roy has the scissors, Tommy is wearing cowboy boots), by David Becker and Pamela Romanowsky.

ALTER
109 Franklin Street (at Greenpoint Avenue)
Brooklyn, NY 11222
718.784.8818
G to Greenpoint Ave

ALTER is the third store portrait in our new "Shopping on Franklin" special feature. Watch for another store portrait in 2 weeks.

Split Screen
Left and right details of a one-of-a-kind men's shirt from "This Old Thing?'
(Click on the image to enlarge)

One of ALTER's exclusives: Fetty of Brooklyn
designs special pieces just for the store.
Pictured above: disc necklaces with black, champagne and white diamonds
and engraved Alter silhouette charm necklaces.

Roy and Tommy did the all of build-out for the store themselves,
including constructing all the fixtures. I love this piece.
The ALTER Altar, as I like to call it, is where the register sits.

The upsidedown hanger is just the beginning of the ALTER empire.

Hayden-Harnett, 211 Franklin St, Greenpoint, Brooklyn
Click for shopping hours and start planning your visit.

Another great chandelier and tin ceiling combination on Franklin

The Hayden-Harnett Design Shop also features jewelry from
Dejarnette New Orleans plus more...

The newly-launched ready-to-wear collection,
designed by Sonia A. is not to be missed!
Above, the NORA Short Swing Trench in leather.
Click here to see additional jackets.

The shop's decor is a wonderful combination of textures, patterns and finishes.
You must pay a visit to experience the full effect.

Hayden-Harnett opened their first and only design shop on March 25, 2007. I saw them doing the build-out one day in March, and got very excited when I saw the wallpapered wall and the chandeliers. And then I found out that Hayden-Harnett specialized in handbags! Oh joy! A designer-driven label specializing in luxury leather goods including handbags and small accessories would be opening down the street from me on Franklin Street.

Hayden-Hartnett is available in boutiques nationwide, including Albertine on Christopher St, Sir on Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn, and Barneys Coop, to name just a few in New York. Their bags are just plain sexy. When you try one on in their store, you will be under their spell. I cannot get the LORCA Flap Bag in soft gold, plum or chocolate out of my mind. Or the MERCER Clutch in ink or pewter. And after a few visits to the store, I have now discovered the belts and all of the small accessories arranged in the corners of the store. Don't miss the corners when you go. There is a lot to see. Including their newly launched clothing line, designed by Sonia A. The details on the clothes mirror the bags; it is a very sculptural, wonderful, accessories-inspired line.

I was very happy to have a nice e-mail chat with Toni Hacker, who is the designer of Hayden-Harnett handbags and accessories. She runs the company with her business partner and boyfriend, Ben, whom I met on my first visit to the store. Toni had a lot of great things to say about design and her vision for Spring/Summer 07. Below, our conversation, via e-mail.

EP: Talk about your design philosophy.
TH: My design philosophy really started with myself. I was looking for bags and wallets to fit in with my busy life as a designer in NYC (who traveled extensively) and who had a ton of gadgets, plus a laptop to haul around. I also needed to look stylish, yet be organized, at all times.

That's entirely how Hayden-Harnett began...realizing that if I, as a designer, were looking for bags that really performed (for less than my NY rent), then there must be thousands of women looking for the same. I made it my mission to make the bags that I always dreamed of having for travel, day, evening, and weekends.

Our overriding aesthetic is ultimately form + function. Each design has to really work for our customer and with her busy, modern life. Our bags are well-designed and made from fantastic leathers that Ben and I travel the globe to source, yet they aren't precious (and certainly lower in price than NYC rent!). All of our bags, even the most fantastic and ladylike frame bag, will have a minimum of three interior pockets for your mobile, iPod, and PDA, plus a zippered rear-wall pocket. Many of our lovely mod cocktail dresses and slinky satin tunics have hidden pockets built in for your mobile and keys. Just the thing for stylish city-dwellers!

EP: How long have you been in the fashion business?

TH: I've been in the fashion business since 1999, when I came on with a small private label company in NYC as their design director for accessories. My background, however, is in Product/Industrial design. I graduated in 1997 from Eastern Kentucky University and did commercial interiors and fixtures for a while in Columbus, Ohio and Knoxville, TN. Then decided it was time for a change...I wanted to do something more personal with my life and to be able to give back in a way that felt a bit more human than banking fixtures and drive-thru signs for Burger King.

Accessory design, thankfully, came knocking at my door and I've been happily sketching away and developing great bags for a range of prices for 8 years. I did a lot of design for the juniors market...really fun stuff! I feel that same joie de vivre really translates to the Hayden-Harnett line. Nothing is overly serious in our collection. We do a ton of fun prints and brighter colors. There are too many unhappy looking black and brown bags in the world :) I want the interior of our bags to feel like a secret... only you know what's inside, plus there is something about every bag to make you smile...you are looking super-fly with your new HH bag, but hey, you've got a weekends worth of work, a laptop, and a pair of Repetto flats inside and a vintage Marni cardigan. You are ready to rock the weekend in style and being totally organized for next weeks meetings only makes life that much easier!

EP: Name 2-3 hot trends you will capitalize on for Spring/Summer 07. I realize your bags are not strictly trend-driven, but if you do incorporate trends, i.e. colors, shapes, details, hardware, please comment on what interests you design-wise, and how you transform that trend into your own language.
TH: Our top trends at Hayden-Harnett for SP07 are:

• vintage look metallics (especially gold)
• floral and graphic prints
• handbag shapes becoming a bit more structured...our entire design influence was based upon Paris in the 60s
• yellow and a washed-out vivid color palette
• natural materials mixed with slick patent trim...the look of opposites uniting to create balance of extremes

Thank you so much Toni! I loved receiving your thoughtful eloquent answers and feel very pleased to now have an understanding of what drives your wonderful design work. Congratulations on your new store. I wish you all the best success!

[Note to readers: I have included many links to Hayden-Harnett's Website, so you can investigate thoroughly before your first visit. Many of the picture captions are links too.]

Hayden-Harnett
211 Franklin Street
Corner of Freeman Street
Greenpoint, Brooklyn 11222
718.389.1750
G to Greenpoint Ave, exit India Street

HAYDEN-HARNETT is the second store portrait in our new "Shopping on Franklin" special feature. Watch for another store portrait a week from Thursday.

The LORCA Flap Demi is my favorite bag, available with or without tassel.
In my opinion, you have to get the tassel. It makes the bag.


The fantastic wall of bags! I got the chills when I saw all the exciting styles.
Near the register, there are great change purses to match your new bag.


Remember to examine all the small interesting objects on display in the corners of the shop.


The style: relaxed elegance, draped, and sexy.


A view inside from the front door.

The windows from Franklin Street. The design shop
is on the corner of Franklin and Freeman Streets.