Are you a feminist living in or visiting New York? Looking to support local shops run by feminists on feminist values? There’s a guide for you! Janice Formichella created The Feminist’s Guide to NYC,” a website that lists feminist shops like AuH2O, women’s history sites like Emma Goldman’s residence, and feminist museums, like Judy Chicago’s “The Dinner Party” at the Sackler Center for Feminist Art. She’s starting out with a feminist’s guide to NYC, Denver, Philly, and Seneca Falls, but plans to include even more cities as she expands.

We’re so thrilled for AuH2O to be a part of the Feminist’s Guide to NYC, along with my favorite bad-ass feminist shops like Bluestocking’s Bookstore and Babeland. Janice interviewed me about why AuH2O Thriftique is a feminist-friendly business, so here’s a few of my responses from AuH2O’s Business Profile:

FG: How do you apply feminist values in your business?

“I think the biggest feminist contribution comes from distancing ourselves from the mainstream fashion industry.  This is a broad stroke ranging from not contributing to the manufacturing of new clothes in sweatshops to outfitting models of all shapes and sizes in fashion shows (why should every model be 5’10” and 100 pounds?) to designing politically inspired/motivated fashion (Obama fashion shows in ‘08, a Health Care Reform fashion show in ‘09, and there will be more Obama fashion in 2012). In addition, we keep feminism in the conversation whether at the store or on our Twitter and tumblr – we post links that upset us, like when Belvedere vodka used rape as a marketing tactic, and things that we like, such as Feminist Ryan Gosling. Also, our store is very affordable with a permanent $5 and $10 rack and most items in the store under are $20, so we aren’t trying to take advantage of women. Our customers can shop without buyer’s remorse and can try out new trends without breaking the bank.

FG: Why is it important that feminists have “feminist friendly” places to shop?

“I think it’s important that consumers “vote with their dollars,” in a way. When you shop at a clothing company or huge corporation that uses sweatshop labor and exploitative practices, or negative body-image ads, or donates their money to conservative and anti-gay organizations, you’re supporting those terrible business initiatives. So when you shop at Urban Outfitters, you know that some of your money is going towards candidates like Rick Santorum (thank God he’s out of the race now, at least) and his anti-women, anti-gay policies. Or when you shop at Forever 21, you have their religious views all up in your face with “John 3:16” on the bottom of all of their bags.  But when you shop at a feminist friendly store like AuH2O, you’re spending your money supporting the local economy at a company that is run by feminist women, pays its employees well, provides an affordable, eco-friendly product, and also donates to the National Network for Abortion Funds, New Alternatives for LGBT Homeless Youth, Women Action Media (WAM!), and the East Village Community Coalition, among other charities.

And that’s just part of the profile, there’s more - read the whole thing here!

Do check out the whole site - there’s a bunch of great resources. I know next time I bike up the West Side Highway I’m making a point to see the Eleanor Roosevelt statue on 72nd and Riverside.

Big thank you to Janice Formichelli for creating such a useful guide! And for including us!

So I just moved for my 13th time throughout my 10 years in New York City. I’ve never been a “homebody” or one to have much “stuff,” so where I lived wasn’t really a big deal to me. I’ve lived in practically every neighborhood, and with the exception of my freshman year dorm room, I managed to stay under about $600/month. Seriously! Sure, every time there were roommates, one place had rent control, one place was an artist commune basement, and I’ve mainly lived in neighborhoods that Jay-Z raps about, but it’s possible. As long as I didn’t mind that my mailbox read “Kati Golden Water” and I was comfortable paying rent by stuffing cash under a rug, I was good.

But I finally grew up, and the store’s doing well, and my boyfriend wouldn’t live in a linoleum-tiled place in Bed-Stuy, so it was time to get a real person apartment together. We moved to Williamsburg (begin making hipster jokes… now) February 1st and I have to admit, there’s something to this “home” thing. Picking out furniture - all vintage and secondhand, of course, except for the couch and rug since we didn’t want bedbugs - has been really fun, and setting up my first actual apartment feels great. I’m embarrassed to say I got real bougie real fast, and once we got the couch I tried to tell my friends they couldn’t eat on it. They told me to stop being so lame and terrible.

Speaking of lame and terrible, how about a blog post about home crafts? I know, I’m losing some serious stock. Who has time to do home crafts and blog about them? Who am I, Martha Stewart? But in my defense, they’re eco-friendly, they involve recycling, and they’re cool. Oh but first, a photo of my first ever real person apartment, and my real person couch:

My friend occupying the couch

The first craft is actually not a craft, more like a carpentry project that my boyfriend did. We bought this sweet antique Singer sewing table stand (I say stand because it’s missing the sewing machine that goes on top of it) and all the wood and trim and nails and etc to turn it into a table.

Then we built the table top! We/he

And then we/he stained it, screwed it on and now it’s in our little dining room:

Lame caption alert: It matches our bistro table! (a month ago I’d never heard of a bistro table)

Next, I wanted to organize and display my 75 pounds of vintage jewelry in a cool way, so I decided to use my mom’s and grandparent’s old passports to make collages:

I made two panels so that they could hang on both sides of my mirror

And now they’re the background for my necklaces:

That concludes the eco-friendly DIY home craft post! I do apologize, though I can’t promise I won’t do it again.

Since Gallatin is the coolest part of NYU, and since that’s where I studied “Art and Clothing for Social Justice,” I recently participated in Gallatin’s Fashion Week show: SEXPOSED. I’m sorry I didn’t invite you, but it was pretty much for Gallatin students and alum and sold out like immediately anyway. Here’s the gist of what the fashion week, and the fashion show were about:

Gallatin is hosting its second event dedicated to fashion, following 2010’s hugely popular Gallatin Eco-Fashion Week. This year, the focus is on fashion and gender. Does politics influence fashion and popular culture? Can gender conventions be challenged by fashion? Is gender defined by fashion? A dozen Gallatin fashion designers are creating lines that explore androgyny, drag, femininity and body image, among many other themes.

And the designers did some exploring! My favorite line was Samantha Zachary’s “Once Upon A Time” collection, where she showcased “Disney Princesses” reinvented, with dudes dressed as princesses and same sex couples walking down the runway together. Her line was SO creative, though all of the designers were very clever with the theme. There were cone boobs, cone heads, geometric impracticalities, androgyny, feminism, nature themes, non-gendernormativity, and of course a nip slip! Read about the show on NYU Local and the Washington Square News.

I, surprise surprise, made my looks entirely out of men’s ties, and called my line Disingenderous. From my artist statement: Disingenderous is a statement on gender-normative fashion. By using items that were traditionally “masculine” to make something “feminine” (scare quotes on purpose!), one culturally defined gender accentuates the other. Stereotypical style norms, i.e. men wearing ties, women wearing dresses, are melded together into genderiffic designs.

Genderiffic designs, you like that? Hope so. Here are the awesome models who rocked them for the look book, all photos by Rebecca Yale:

To see all of the photos from the other designers as well, check out Rebecca Yale’s flickr set on the show here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rebeccayale/sets/72157629145798205/. Much thanks to Rebecca Yale, Rachel Plutzer, Theresa Anderson, and Dhara Vyas for producing an awesome show!

Happy Fashion Week!

Just supporting the team with a little Green Bay Packers nail art! I thought about doing one hand Packers and one hand Giants like I did last year with the Jets… but screw it. My love for the Pack is just too strong for a halfsie manicure. And now that they’re America’s team…

Allllllso note the Packers themed friendship bracelet. Go hard or go home, amirite?

And finally, a Packers top I made for a show last fall, just for extra emphasis:

GO PACK GO!

Happy Holidays! Our hilarious friends Molly Austin and Shamikah Martinez at Emotistyle (youtube.com/emotistyle) just put up a video of their holiday thrifting haul at AuH2O - we’re so honored to be a part of it! They picked out their favorite vintage holiday sweaters, sequins and sparkles from the shop, and talked about Elvis and magic and stuff. They also list the prices of everything so it’s kind of like a really great ad for AuH2O Thriftique. Check it out:

And if you like it, check out their other videos as well. Plus, they take requests for videos, if you have an issue, they have an outfit, email them at emotistyle - at - gmail.com. Have a great Holiday season!

If you’ll be in the city this Thanksgiving weekend, stop by AuH2O Thriftique for our BLACK FRIDAY SALE! The cheapest shop just got even cheaper. 15% off the entire store!

For those who couldn’t make it to the Stop Traffic Fashion Show last Friday, here’s a recap!

First things first, the Stop Traffic show was a benefit for the Law Students for Reproductive Justice and Kamisetas, a women’s collective in Medellin, Colombia, in support of labor and fair trade. All proceeds from ticket sales and the auction went to this worthy and important cause. From the program:

Human Trafficking is modern day SLAVERY.

In the U.S., the industries where forced labor and trafficking are most prevalent include agriculture, domestic service, factory work, hotel work, restaurant work, the sex industry, and sweat shops. However, what little protections are available to sex trafficking victims, are virtually non-existent to victims trafficked for labor purposes. It is important to recognize that the exploitation, physical danger, poverty, racism, sexism, and trafficking endemic to the sex industry similarly occur to victims in all industries. There are no practical distinctions between labor and sex trafficking, and laws should be revised recognizing this. All individuals who exploit others through trafficking must be equally punished. All victims should have access to immunity and the resources for rehabilitation it provides.

To learn about human trafficking in the fashion industry, go to: www.slaverymap.org or the UN global initiative to fight human trafficking: www.ungift.org.

Much thanks to Tara Prairie for organizing and for having me as a part of it! Also thanks to the Brooklyn YWCA for hosting, and the models and other designers involved. Here are a few photos of models in AuH2O Designs before the show:

Leanne Linsky

Leanne Linsky

Samantha Gurewitz

Adri Lima

Rosie Cohen

Kiko DeLorenzo

AuH2O intern Lauren Manning

Elena Cohen

Serena Suni Ramirez

Rosie Cohen

Samantha Gurewitz

Rachel Kay

Kiko DeLorenzo

A few of these items are still available at the shop - swing by 84 E. 7th St!

The other designers had beautiful stuff that definitely made a statement:

Kiko DeLorenzo and Nellie, of Nelesc Designs

Samantha Gurewitz wearing an Anthony Posada hand-painted top

Samantha Gurewitz in chromat

Samantha Gurewitz and Leanne Linsky in Moira Meltzer-Cohen’s hand-knit designs

Some shots of the runway! Note the Stop Traffic banner:

Collection walk at the end

Thanks again to everyone involved!

It’s been quiiiiiiite a long time since I’ve done a fashion show, so I’m really excited to be getting back into the game this weekend. This Friday at 7pm, I’m participating in a feminist fashion show for a very important cause: to raise awareness about human trafficking. Info from the press release below:

As part of Brooklyn Fashion Week, The Law Students for Reproductive Justice (LSRJ), CUNY Law chapter are hosting the first annual “Stop Traffic” fashion show to raise awareness of human trafficking within the fashion industry. The show will take place at the YWCA of Brooklyn, 30 Third Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11217 at 7:00 PM and will feature local designers including AuH2O Designs, chromat, Moira Meltzer-Cohen, Nelesc Designs and Anthony Posada. Models, entertainment and refreshments will be from the local community.

Tickets to the event are $10.00 and items will be available for a silent auction. Proceeds will benefit LSRJ and Kamisetas, a women’s collective in Medellin, Colombia in support of labor and fair trade.

Details:

What: Stop Traffic Fashion Show
When: Friday, Oct. 28th at 7pm
Where: YWCA of Brooklyn, 30 Third Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11217 - 3rd ave and Atlantic, right near the Atlantic-Pacific 2,3,4,5,D,N,R stop or the Hoyt-Schermerhorn A,C,G

Hope you can come out to see my new designs as well as support this cause!

Exciting news! AuH2O Thriftique is doing a Google Offer, which is just like a Groupon, only cooler.*

Our Google Offer is your standard “Spend $10 Get $20 Worth of Stuff” and I know I don’t have to explain, but that’s 50% off already affordable clothes and accessories. It’s only available to buy today in the next 12 hours, but you can use it over the next year. If you like the shop, grab one here and save some money, and you don’t have to sign up for anything: AuH2O’s Google Offer!

*Okay, maybe it’s not cooler, but it’s definitely better because we get a higher percentage split from Google than we do from Groupon.

Check it out!

When I read that friendship bracelets were in on Man Repeller, my absolute favorite fashion blog, I thought to myself, I used to make those! And I was really good at it, actually. In middle school, but still. Maybe I could do it again? I checked out the friendship bracelets Refinery29, Shopbop, Dannijo and Noir were selling, and they were all REALLY expensive! Sometimes hundreds of dollars. I figured I had to pick it back up.

So this summer, I raided my boyfriend’s grandmother’s crafting stash and acquired a lifetime supply of friendship bracelet making floss. On top of that, I found my old Klutz “Friendship Bracelets” book that my mom never got rid of. She knows me. From there, I was 12 again.

This one I used color-changing floss, how cool? Haven’t finished it yet though

As I learned from the Man Repeller, who I truly believe knows everything, stacking a bunch of friendship bracelets with other silver and gold and rhinestone-y stuff looks amazing, and is called an “Arm Party (TM).” And all the street style photographers are dying to photograph this. Though arm parties usually involve high-end and expensive pieces, that’s not how I do. Here are some of my handmade friendship bracelets, mixed with vintage stuff from the store, eBay, and St. Marks:

This wrist was celebrating New York legalizing gay marriage, note the rainbow

This arm party was for my friends wedding this summer

This is how I like to wear pearls

And this one celebrates a Mexican soccer team, the Pumas.

Next up: lanyard keychains! No, I’m kidding. Unless you know where I can get lanyard?