ESCAPE TO NEW YORK

Hopping on a red eye flight is never easy, but when it involves a whirlwind buying trip to NYC, count us in!  Catching the red eye flight on a Sunday, dropped us into JFK early Monday am.  A little post flight caffeine was needed, so we slummed it and grabbed the East Coast favorite, Dunkin Donuts, at the airport then straight to the Williamsburg Hotel. For a change of pace, we decided to set up base in Brooklyn, which was a little more our pace vs. the typical hustle and bustle of Manhattan. 

 

From there, we kicked off day 1 with another much needed coffee at Toby’s Estate, then onto Capsule and Liberty Fairs shows.  Upon arriving, navigating the maze of vendors is always a bit daunting, but familiar faces from H+A were there to ease the transition including Wood and Faulk, Raen, Kato, Kestin Hare and Bridge & Burn making the day cruise by easier. 

 

All of which offered us a glimpse into all the great stuff they’ve been conjuring up for next season.  Always on the lookout, we also centered in on a couple of new suppliers  that you’ll be seeing at the shop soon – stay tuned!  In all, a productive and exhausting first day in NYC, sending us home early to rest.

Day 2 kick off with morning coffee and snacks at Freehold, then a lengthy walk from Williamsburg across the bridge to Mid-Town.  The blazing sun and high humidity didn’t deter us from undertaking the journey on foot. 

Arriving at the Man/Woman show a bit sweat soaked, we jumped right in, kicking off the day with our favorite folks from Still By Hand, who had a bunch of incredible new items for us to see.  Next up, our pals from Corridor, who have become one of our go-to shirt makers at H+A.  Seeing what they have coming up we are more excited than ever to bring their NY swagger to the PNW. 

  

It was also good to meet up with some other folks new to H+A.  Velva Sheen, a long running US maker, with all their fun colors and patterns of tees we can't wait to get our hands on and Bather, the Canadian swimwear brand with some of the best prints around.  

Excited (and starving) for dinner, we cozied up to a joint called Sunday in Brooklyn.  We were definitely in our comfort zone.  A great spot with a casual/cool feel, the food was imaginative and tasty. Cocktails were on point, as was the wine, worth a visit for anyone who is in the area.  A nightcap at the hotel and we were toast.  Off to bed to rest up for the next day.

Image via Grub Street

With shows wrapped up, day 3 was ours to do as we pleased.  We started off with coffee by zipping over to Upstate Stock, who not only supplies some great gloves and hats to H+A, but also has a retail shop with coffee.  A win/win for us!  Onward to the Met for a little art and a peek at the Rei Kawakubo / Commes Des Garcons exhibit, which was incredible.  

 

  

As a side note, add The First Monday in May to your Netflix movie cue.  We watched this in flight and it's a behind the scenes view of the Met Gala with a glimpse into how much the Met is at the center of fashion and not just another museum. Even more impressive is the countless hours of work and meticulous detail at every level that goes into their exhibits.

All that culture worked up an appetite and we headed back to Brooklyn for lunch and more exploring.  We began our strategically mapped out trek, stretching from DUMBO to Greenpoint, weaving our way through some great shops including Modern Anthology, Goose Barnacle, Alter, Concrete & Water, Catbird, Life:Curated and of course the Kinfolk store.  One shop in particular caught our eye, Kai D Utility. 

 

Impeccably curated shop,  bespoke goods and a bevy of brands we know and love.  Kudos to them for an incredible space and vision.  We absolutely love seeing similar, but different, visions of what this biz can be!

Last but not least……dinner.  After hoofing it around every corner of Brooklyn in sweltering heat, we more than earned dinner.  An out of the way spot named Freek’s Mill was on the agenda to close out our trip.  In what was the “middle of nowhere” for the BK, we found ourselves wandering into the unknown.  Opening the front door, we were greeted by a beautiful space that welcomed us with wood fired ovens and a lovely cocktail bar. 

 

Seated at the chefs counter, we got a birds eye view of everything headed out of the kitchen.  None of our choices disappointed, giving us an absolutely perfect ending to our odyssey in NYC.

All for now.  Look for great stuff arriving in the seasons to come!

Cheers,

The H+A crew