April 23, 2009 | Filed Under DIY, Eco-Fashion, Environment, Fashion Show, Recession | Comments Off
In honor of Earth Week, AuH2O is hosting the fashion show at NYU’s Swap-a-Palooza on Sunday, April 26th. The swap is being put on by Earth Matters, NYU’s Outreach and Sustainable Issues Club, and will go from 2-6, so come anytime to swap your clothes, but make sure you’re there before 5 to see the Fashion Show:
From NYU’s website: The Swap-a-Palooza is a clothing swap and series of do-it-yourself workshops which feature creative reuse through the recycling of used clothing. Bring a bag of old clothing and get ready to swap and alter with the help of local artists. We will feature many do-it-yourself stations run by local artists and a recycled clothing fashion show. The idea of the swap-a-palooza is to celebrate community creativity while allowing the NYU community to put their personal touch on a stand against consumerism.
It’s a great way to get some new clothes for free in this recession! Get rid of clothes you don’t wear and go home with as much as you can carry! Plus, several of my friends, and former roommates from the artist collective Boring, Inc where I used to live in will be there running workshops. Kae Burke and Tara McNamarus of Make Fun! and Tiffany Threadgould of Replayground will be there teaching crafts. Come check it out!
The fashion show will feature AuH2O models:
Abby Phon
Carmen Ongsiako
Erica Swallow
Jean Goto
Jill Filipovic
Kate Perkins
Leanne Linsky
Lindsey Blank
Marie Asinovski
Rachel Kay
Sarah Hyde
and Earth Matters volunteers, DJ’ed by my friend Peter Bornstein. Hope to see you there!
April 23, 2009 | Filed Under Eco-Fashion, Environment, Press | Comments Off
Happy Earth Week! This is obviously a very busy week for AuH2O, being an eco-friendly store and all. I’ve donated my pieces to several eco-fashion shows at various colleges, spoke at NYU’s Green Series about opening up an eco-friendly business, am hosting a fashion show at NYU’s Swap-a-Palooza this Sunday, and am featured in the Earth Week Edition Time Out New York as a “green single.” And I would just like to clarify that I DID NOT say I was humble. They added that in. Also, I’m not thrilled with the picture of me. I don’t know how I’m supposed to pick up guys with that wet-dog hair and strained smile, but I’m not really looking, despite the fact that I’m listed in a personals ad. Any press is good press? Here’s a screen shot of the article, or read it online here: http://newyork.timeout.com/articles/dating-in-nyc
Anyway, if that’s not enough to keep me busy, I’m MOVING MY STORE in a week!!! I rarely, if EVER, use more than one exclamation point, so that’s how excited I am. I’m moving right next door to the old Amarcord, which just closed, so I’ll have the exact same address/location and same phone number, but a bigger space. Can’t wait! Good thing I have interns to help me out with all that. Also, a friend of mine and awesome eco-friedly handbag designer Allison Teich McGowan is moving in to the old AuH2O. 7th Street between first and second is going to be the eco-fashion CAPITOL. Anyway, Happy Earth Week, and come to the Swap-a-Palooza on Sunday at 5 if you’d like to trade in your old clothes and go home with a new wardrobe for FREE.
April 10, 2009 | Filed Under Recession, Vanity | Comments Off
Amarcord’s Vintage Outlet, the store next door to me has closed, and I want to move in there. My super nice landlord said he’d allow me to break my lease and swap stores ASAP if I could find someone to take over my space, so I know this doesn’t seem like the best time to start up a business, but my landlord is offering great rent- $2,200. Stores in the East Village usually range from $2,500-$4,000 (even in this economy- check Craigslist!) so it’s a pretty good deal for a prime location. Plus, my landlord’s willing to negotiate if he really likes you. If you or anyone you know is interested in opening up a shop, please pass on my contact and the Craigslist posting: http://newyork.craigslist.org/mnh/off/1113032235.html. Thanks!
And also, on an unrelated note, if you’re planning on seeing the date rape comedy “Observe and Report,” do yourself a favor and read this first: http://jezebel.com/5204177/is-date-rape-funny-seth-rogen-explains-it-all-for-you. No, date rape is not fucking funny.
April 8, 2009 | Filed Under DIY, Eco-Fashion, New York Mets, Press | Comments Off
AuH2O is technically closed on Mondays; we’re officially open Tuesday-Sunday. However, I often go into the store anyway just to catch up on email and custom orders, in theory, that is. But this Monday, I had a pretty eventful day off (day on, perhaps?) First, I went to Matthew Cerrone’s MetsBlog.com Opening day party at Public House since Zoe Rice, blogger extraordinaire of Pick Me Up some Mets asked me to make her a dress out of her “Shea 08″ giveaway shirt. Here’s some photos from off of her blog and facebook:
Taryn Cooper, Zoe Rice, Corey Kanterman, Anthony Onyrscuk, Will, Matthew Cerrone, me
with Zoe Rice in our AuH2O Mets dresses. If you like the neckline in Zoe’s dress, she’s got a patent on it, just ask me for a “Zoe,” haha. I charge $25/hour, so this only cost $35. My dress will be available online soon for $40.
Corey Kanterman in a tie out of Mets baseball cards from the ‘86 World Series. These will also be available online shortly.
And we won! 2-1! Much thanks to Zoe for her shout-out to me and AuH2O on Pick Me Up Some Mets. Then, after leaving the party, I went to a photoshoot for TimeOut NY at their 10th avenue office. And I’m not telling what that’s for… but it might be a personals ad. Maybe. Pick up a copy of their Earth Week issue to find out, or else, duh, I’ll post the link here when it comes out online. I may not exactly be excited for this press, though. We’ll see.
After the photoshoot, I went to my friend and AuH2O model Lindsey Blank’s apartment to host a craft night! Lindsey and I have been talking about how much I’d like to do something like this for awhile, and Lindsey’s been to several other craft nights, so she offered to provide the space, snacks and drinks, and I taught a group of her friends how to sew their own recycled bags using old material and vintage scraps and trim.
Sewing and cutting
Some almost finished projects
It was way big fun. If anyone would like me to host a craft night where I can show how to make your own recycled bag (no real sewing knowledge needed- I can teach!) or another fun craft, let me know! I’m definitely interested in doing more of these.
And of course, Happy Passover!
April 1, 2009 | Filed Under Press, Recession, Vanity | Comments Off
APRIL FOOLS!
Do not even pretend like I didn’t get you. You even believed that I used that emoticon seriously. So no, AuH2O is not closing. In fact, AuH2O is SO NOT closing, it’s going to be on CNN in a few days! Click here to see why, and if you can, watch or set set your DVRs to any and all of the three times below. I will be on for a split second (I think a minute or two) between these half-hour segments:
Saturday, April 4th on CNN between 7-7:30am EST
Saturday, April 4th on Headline News between 1:30-2pm EST
Sunday, April 5th on Headline News between 10:30-11am EST.
It’s going to be airing during two different segments (and I don’t know which is airing on what day or time,) “Make up Your Own Major in College and Then Do What You Want To For Your Career” and “I Have Interns Now and am on CNN, So I guess It Worked Out.” No, April Fools again. I’m hilarious today. It’ll be a part of the series “How We Got Started” and “Business Success.”
All joking aside, I really do think my business has been successful. For two and a half years, including this recession, I’ve been in the black every month- albeit sometimes just barely. In February I don’t think I ordered a drink other than a PBR, but I walk into my store every day and know it’s my own, and damn do I love that. Though a TON of stores in my neighborhood really ARE closing, even ones that have been here for years. The shop next to AuH2O, Amarcord’s Vintage Outlet, is closing its doors after ten years. Ten Years! Here’s some photos of a few stores in my area that have been forced to close due to this recession:
Amarcord, next to AuH2O Love Saves the Day, corner of 7th and 2nd
Bakhor on 9th Street between 1st and 2nd Forty Fifty Sixty, on 7th between 1st and 2nd
I’m working incredibly hard so that this doesn’t happen to AuH2O. I have very reasonable prices and loyal customers, and lately I’ve been expanding my fashion show participation beyond New York (Kean University, Tufts, Stanford and some high schools.) Also, I’ve started a little public speaking. I still have a WisCONsin accent and talk a mile a minute, but apparently organizations/museums/clubs want to hear me talk. In February, I spoke at the International Convention for BBYO (B’nai Brith Youth Organization) on a Successful Jewish Women panel. I talked to 400 teenage girls about using art and clothing as activism- it was nerve-wracking but felt awesome. I showed this painting I made depicting me getting Plan B after a condom broke, and after I spoke the organizer announced to the girls that pre-marital sex was not condoned by BBYO and they were not allowed to engage in such activity during the convention. OOPS.
SELF PORTRAIT: DO YOU CARRY EMERGENCY CONTRACEPTION HERE?
But I was talking about using clothing and art as activism! The personal is political! Anyway, lesson learned. I think the girls liked me though, I mean, I had a bunch of new Facebook friends the next day… and I met a few students interested in working for AuH2O, and ended up hiring an intern for the summer!
Then, a few weeks ago, I spoke to the students in the Brooklyn Museum’s after school program about eco-friendly clothing:
Students with their own recycled designs
With Ariel Greenberg, Brooklyn Museum educator and friend, and student
In the upcoming month, I will be speaking in NYU’s Earth Matters Green House series and to NYU’s Alpha Kappa Psi business fraternity. I’m speaking to a frat! A co-ed business frat, but still, never imagined I’d be doing that in my life. So, if you or your organization or someone you know would like me to come in and speak about eco-friendly, feminist fashion, or opening a business, let me know. My speaking fees start at $500. April Fools again, obviously.