Downtown Girl Uptown World

Shira Goldberg

Downtown Girl Shira Goldberg

Songstress/Neighborhood Girl/Musical Entrepreneur

When I first met Shira she was hanging outside Piano's on the Ludlow Street talking to a few friendly rock n roll friends we had in common. She had just left work and I convinced here to come into music venue The Living Room to watch The Pierces perform. So she came in with me we drank some wine and watched the coolest Indie Rock Folk Pop performance on the Lower East Side. Later on I went on to hook Shira up with singing her songs and playing her tunes for a cool B-list fashion show in Williamsburg! We've been casual pals since. Meet Shira Goldberg!

-Uptown Girl or Downtown girl?

Downtown. Wayyyy downtown.

-Where do you live and why?
Kensington, Brooklyn because it's so pretty (and cheap and quiet and convenient)...

-Where can a girl get a drink for real!!!???
the local 269 has the best drink specials in town, 5 shots for $10 if you can handle it....

-What is it you do?
Guitar Ambassador

-What can we expect from you in the future?
music that makes you want to dance and cry and sing along


-What is your new album about,tell us the overall message to the world it gives?
"My Heart is Full of Lightning' is the name of the record and it's pretty much all in the title. It's about learning who you are and longing for more. It's also about heartbreak and redemption and how life can be really hard but so worth it and satisfying too.

-Best place to watch Rock Stars in their natural habitat?
the guitar shop where I work

-Any Advice on Romance?
Never sell yourself short

-Avoid a Musician or Date one?
Do it, live a little!

-Who and What inspires you?
Wow, that is an intense question. Inspiration can come from anywhere for me...I'm lucky to be part of an amazing community of musicians and artists in New York and their passion and talent definitely drives me. I also find it in little day to day things, a subway ride, a weird dream, a movie, books, blogs and of course love and heartbreak. Sometimes the most random events and conversations can spark it....sometimes it seems to come out of the thin air....I think it isn't about looking for inspiration in specific things but being open to inspiration in anything

-Who is the hottest Chick in NYC?
Annie Clark from St. Vincent

Who is the Hottest Guy in NYC?
I have to chose just one?
Rodrigo Amarante from Little Joy is gorgeous and has that amazing Brazilian accent. (I'm totally incriminating myself here...)

Favorite quote or lyric?
"The truth is rarely pure and never simple"
Oscar Wilde

Ana Finel Honigman

I popped Downtown Girl Uptown World's cherry when I featured my friend Colleen Nika. I then asked her to recommend another gem of a female for this site, that is how I came about Ana Finel Honigman. She and I became insta-cyber buddies. I then started to read her fashionably intelligent contributions to the bible of Style.com. The next thing I noticed her divine presence appearing randomly on the eccentric Diane Pernet's side (how excitingly chic)!!! So naturally when I went to pick up this season's Lula Magazine my pretty little head was overjoyed to read Ana Finel Honigman's name on the masthead as a contributing editor. I slammed a twenty on the counter and ran off in my sparkle jellie mary-janes back home. I was super giddy when I got to page 200 so I could read her article in Lula's 10th issue! So read ahead my dear audience and embrace the essence of the lovely trans-atlantic journalist Ana Finel Honigman!!!

 
Photography Maxime Ballesteros , jacket is from THE CENTAUR, necklaces by Harakiri, ring by Loved To Death

Around the world girl

Ana Finel Honigman

World Traveler/Compulsive Writer/Fashion Intellect

-Downtown Girl or Uptown Girl?

AFH: Left-town now, since I live in Berlin. I was born on the Upper West. I lived in Tudor City after graduating Sarah Lawrence but spent all my time in L.E.S and the Brooklyn normal hipster haunts. However, my mother teaches at Columbia and lives on York but she's one of the only ladies in her area with her organic face still untouched. So, I guess that means that I am a pretty standard Manhattan mutt.

-Where do you live and why?

AFH: I live in Berlin's Mitte. It is pretty much like Park Slope. I can't think of any reason to live anywhere else. It's so comfortable here. It's cheap, green, vibrant, friendly and easy. Berlin is a totally unpretentious, non-superficial, nurturing and young but culturally mature city. I occasionally miss New York's flash and I miss my parents enormously, but I've been away from home so long that I don't totally connect to it anymore. I was living in Oxford and London for the past seven years. I hated England. When I started visiting Berlin, I realized that the constant bitterness, frustration and underlining rage that I felt in my daily UK life evaporated. I rarely get lost here. I ride my bike everywhere. I have such great health care that I almost feel guilty for not being sick more often. I work constantly. I do pilates regularly. I have loads of international friends and we're all on the same wonky schedule. It's perfect. However, I don't speak a word of German - so my opinion might change if I actually understood the strangers around me.

-Best place to grab a cocktail?

AFH: Anywhere with an open bar works for me. But I actually don't drink cocktails too often. I just drink way too much wine. And I pretty much live at my local - Torstasse's Neu Odessa bar. I end up there a few nights a week with my best friend David Nicholson, who uses it like his living room. It is either there or Bar Drie, Berlin's artists' watering hole. Almost everyone else who I like tends to drop into these two bars, so that it all has a nice homey feel - if home were a soggy, blurry, ashtray with great music and cool chat.

-Best place to brunch?

AFH: Since I am such a creature-of-habit, I always find a spot and don't stray. In New York, Cafe Gitain was my canteen/ office. It was nowhere near my home but I had all my interviews, lunches with friends, dates or long dinners there. I found a sweet little organic Greek restaurant in Oxford to serve the same all-purpose role. I even have a cafe in Seoul - Miel Cafe. For Berlin, my home is Cafe Fleury where I go daily to eat a Salade Bleu, with no dressing, with my fingers while chirping to David, my students or whomever else I can lure there.

-Tell us what you do.

AFH: I write. Writing is pretty much my primary activity. I am almost compulsive about it. I got seriously yelled at by a furious friend for sending email-length text messages yesterday. I actually worry whether I have some light Hypergraphia. I usually file something for publication each day. I cover fashion, style and art for print and online magazines including British Vogue, TANK, Art in America, V,Vman, Dazed&Confused, Artforum.com, Bookforum, Style.com, The Daily Beast and The New York Times on-line. I occasionally also curate for Saatchi Online and I am also struggling to finally submit my PhD thesis to Oxford University. I finally have an incentive since I just started teaching a class titled "Intro to Reality: Art World Institutions in Context" with the New York University's Steinhardt School  semester in Berlin program. All the students are studio art majors and they are just a joy to know. They are all such smart, engaged, thoughtful and delightful people. I never knew why I was doing a PhD or that I had anything near to a maternal instinct. But, I actually care about these kids like crazy. I worry when they call me while riding their bikes in the rain. I've hooked them all up with internships here and I meet with at least one a day for coffee to discuss their projects and work. It's great. I just cant wait to see what they do.

-What is the hardest thing about writing and what is the best?

AFH: I honestly love every part of the process except for writing the endless emails to some editors to chase payment. The poverty is the hardest part. That and the fact that few people understand the time,inspiration and creativity required to write non-fiction. Even though I do have an idea for a novel, I am still annoyed when people assume that I would rather be writing fiction. I find criticism or even snappy on-line blurbs to be creative and often really rewarding. It's just deeply gratifying to feel like I've found my words to describe and hopefully enrich the meaning of something.

-Will you ever write a fiction novel or a script for a movie?

AFH: I have never experimented with fiction. But I actually do have an idea for a novel and I am really eager to write a solid investigation into all these fashion weeks that I attend. I want to do something modeled after Sarah Thornton's brilliantly sharp, charming and insightful "Seven Days in the Art World." Instead of examining how art functions in its context, my aim is comparing and contrasting fashion week events and fashion scenes in the cities away from what Amanda Fortini called “the axis’s of influence.” I've been invited to fashion weeks in both Abuja and Tbilsi this year. i haven't gone to either. But I have become intimate with the scenes in Seoul, Sao Paolo, Copenhagen, Berlin, Montreal and a few other spots around the world. There is a massive range in scale, scope, talent and ambition in these places but what interests me is that these radically diverse cities feel that they have a need for a "fashion week." A book is the only way to properly pick it all apart.

-Give us your top 5 must read sites daily!

AFH: I'm pretty stodgy about my reading. For me, it's The New York Times, FT.com (on Saturday), Artforum.com, Saatchi Online, Style.com, Interview's blog and Diane Pernet. The classics.

-Tell us about your style? Do you have any favorite designers?

AFH: My style veers towards grown-up goth mixed with what my best friend called a "biblical whore" aesthetic. I still slip into a disheveled semi-sixties style but I try to stop dressing too much like a ceramics teacher. I will be eternally grateful to my best female friend in Berlin, the artist Cecile Evans,for vetoing long flowing skirts and putting me into tiny minis. People are just so much nicer when you're wearing a teeny skirt and heels. It ironically makes life so much more comfortable. However, my style is definitely not sweet or too accessible. I almost exclusive wear things made by people whom I know and like. I am pretty loyal with what I wear. I only buy Costume National, Alexander McQueen or Margiela shoes. And, I gravitate to macabre but sculptural and sleek accessories like Aoi Kotsuhiroi's rings of magnificently muted, ghost-like crystals enveloped in tendrils of black string and human hair, my dear friend Nina Stotler's necklaces from nuts and bolts from her Von Kottwitz line, a ring by Loved to Death made from a real human tooth and the silver cast rat and baby bird skull pendants that my friend Mireille Boucher made me from her amazing Harakiri line. As for actual garments, I am almost never without the black leather jacket that my friend Jen Gilpin, of Berlin's "Don't Shoot the Messengers," made me or the jacket seen in these photos taken by Jen's boyfriend Maxime.That blazer was made for me by Ranji Ye, a Korean designer, whose work for her label THE CENTAUR moves me immensely. I can't remember when I last went into a shop and bought something. If it's not somehow intimately related to me, then it better be really warm or handy.

-What can we expect from you in the future?

AFH: My main goal is to finally get free from this albatross-like PhD soon. Then I want to write this fashion book and actually attempt that novel. I'll definitely keep teaching and writing constantly too.

My friend Mark Rickerby is building me a website right now. It will just be anafinelhonigman.com and it'll be ready in late May. I'll have a blog on it and I'll be posting weekly exclusive interviews, spotlights on items, exhibitions, artists or designers and a regular diary. I want a homebase while I'll still post elsewhere. I really hope it'll be interesting. Maxime is taking portraits of me tomorrow and Mark's design is just flawless. I cant wait to start it.

-Give us advice on romance...

AFH: Send me your stories. I would love to add Agony Aunt to my roster of writing activity!

Faran Krentcil

Once upon a time when I was interning for a local indie designer on east 9th street,A cool chic southern belle with top notch style lived across the street,making her my neighbor. Her name was April Hughs and she was a fashion stylist/editor at Elle Magazine. I would see April at all the major shows during fashion week and she'd stop in to pull something at Cynthia Rowley where I was interning as well. I'd be backstage dressing the models and she'd be rubbing elbows with the designers. Back then I was 18 and she 25 which used to be an adult in my eyes. Later on April became the leading fashion editor for this new hip magazine in town with editorials to die for. That magazine was NYLON MAG!!! This brought April to new heights in my young girl fashion hungry eyes...

This story being said,it's pretty clear why Faran Krentcil is editor worship worthy in my book,since currently she is on top of NYLON MAG hierarchy !!!

Faran Krentcil is a friendly fashionista on the trend-setting circuit. She was a major key player in bringing Fashionista.com to new heights, "Thank God for Fashionista!". Her curly blond hair and inviting smile makes her super approachable and equally adorable. I am overjoyed to have Faran as an addition to my blog full of female gems.

-Kristen May

Faran Krentcil

NYLON MAG Digital Director/Taste Maker/Unpretentious Fashionista

-Are you an uptown girl or a downtown girl?

I'm a downtown girl with a midtown library card and an uptown wish list.  How's that?

-That's fabulous,you are a girl after my own heart...Where do you live and why?

I live in Soho, because I got an invitation that I couldn't refuse.

-Best place to brunch?

A good guy's bed.  Second place: Westville East on 11th St; amazing sweet potato fries...

-Best place for a cocktail?

Morning: The Bloody Maria at La Palapa, East Village

Afternoon: The Peach Bellini at Mercer Kitchen, Soho

Evening: The Mulled Wine at Cafe Gitane, the Jane Hotel, West Village

Late Night: The Tequila Gimlet at Cabin, East Village

Always: The best place for a cocktail is underneath my desk.

-Which are the coolest concept stores here in Manhattan?

The Nike Sportswear store on Mercer Street is incredible for its design. Opening Ceremony is brilliant for its high-low merchandise and its cool-but-not-aloof staff.  Inven.tory understands that stylish and curious kids need outfits to match, with prices they can afford.  And Wonderland Beauty Parlor in the Meatpacking District is so fun  They have crazy makeup, cool jewelry, insane scratch-and-sniff wallpaper, plus incredible hair stylists - it's a must-visit!

- Tell us what it is you do and why you love it.

I'm the Digital Director for NYLON Magazine.  That means I'm in charge of bringing the NYLON Universe online through stories, images, videos, music, and nights of no sleep.  I love it because I get to be creative every day. I love it because I work with incredible people who aren't afraid to tell me when I'm wrong.  I love it because it gives me an excuse to carry my camera everywhere. I love it because when I was 17, I bought a copy of NYLON in a supermarket, and for the first time I felt like somebody, somewhere, knew who I wanted to be. 

- What is the toughest thing about being a hot young editor on the rise?

Um... being called "a hot young editor on the rise."  But also, it's probably the same thing that's tough for anyone who's ambitious and working in a big city - you have to learn it's not a race, and that someone else's success doesn't mean your failure.  You have to learn that what you want is going to keep changing, and chasing that fulfillment is the fun part.

- Best place to watch it girls in their natural habitat?

The dressing rooms at Kirna Zabete and Barneys Co-Op.  People really let their guard down when they're shopping for Stella McCartney.  Strange but true.

- If a young girl wants to be a fashion editor in NYC when she grows up what is your advice on how to pursue that path?

Study it!  Be a nerd about it!  Seriously.  Read the weekly fashion stories by Lisa Armstrong in the Times UK and Cathy Horyn and Eric Wilson in the Times NY. Check out "The Beautiful Fall," "The End of Fashion," and "Sample" in your library.  Subscribe to European fashion magazines to learn about international designers.  Take a foreign language.  Use the internet and read NYLON, Dazed Digital, Style.com, WWD Online, Fashionista.com, all the street style blogs...  And get a job.  Any job.  Save all the money you can while you're in high school and college so you can afford to intern all summer in NYC.  Don't use any of that money for shopping - buy a vintage handbag, a great-fitting pair of jeans, and you're golden.  Just get to the point where you can intern, and then be prepared to work harder than you've ever worked in your life, for no money and (usually) no gratitude.  And then if you still love it, you'll know. (And if you don't love it, guess what? You're young, you're strong, you're smart - the rest of the world is dying to hang out with you.)

- What has been your best NYC moment yet?

Seeing my first byline in The New York Times.  It was only a 500-word story, but I cried.  I bawled right there in the middle of the bodega.  Best morning ever.

- How do you wind down and relax?

I'm kind of bipolar about that: Half the time, I want to go out (and out, and out) with my friends.  I'll dance and drink until 5 am, and I'll be thrilled with it.  But the rest of the time, I'm very solitary - I'm working on a play, so I'll hide out and write.  Or I'll lock my bedroom door and jump on the bed to Led Zeppelin records.  I do that a lot. Actually, my bed's kind of broken because I've been jumping on it so much... well, someone else was on it too.  He definitely helped.

- Tell us who your favorite up and comers on in the area of fashion,art,music and film and so on.

Music: The XX, Yacht, Metric, Animal Kingdom, Lissy Trullie, Kurt Vile, The Noisettes...

Film: I can't wait for the Serge Gainsbourg biopic to get here from France... Mia Wasikowska was so excellent on HBO's In Treatment so Wonderland should be fun... It'll be interesting to see if Zoe Kravitz makes a name for herself with Twelve... Zoe Kazan scares me because we look alike, so I'm dying to know what she'll do next... Bryce Dallas Howard is exceptional in The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond, and I always want to see more of her... I hope Alia Shawkat kicks ass in The Runaways...  There's a young director named Lily Greenfield Sanders who's absolutely amazing. We went to high school together, so I've always thought so, but really, check her out.  Also, I'm still obsessed with Rebecca Hall from Vicky Christina Barcelona and Frost / Nixon - I think she's going to be huge.

Art:  I defer this question to Melissa Bent, who's terrifyingly smart and should be your next interview subject.

Fashion:  I mean, it's ten degrees outside.  Just throw on a pair of jeans that actually fit you, a pea coat, a genuine smile, and call it a day.

-What can we expect from you in the future.

I'm writing a book.  You should expect to read it in the future.  Also: spontaneous combustion. 

- Give us advice on romance

1.  Question friends who think that having a boyfriend is an accomplishment or goal.

2.  Flirt early.  Flirt often. 

3.  Marriage may not be for life, but tattoos are.  So be careful.

4.  Romance is good.  Love is better.

Rachelle Bergstein

Rachelle is quite the woman. I met her a while back because she wanted to interview me for her upcoming book. I was so flattered and ever since then I've been trying to return the compliment. I hope she will let me help plan the party for her book release. Read on to find out more about the dazzling intellect shoe connoisseur...

Rachelle left Kristen right,photo by Phillip C Kim

Rachelle Bergstein

Freelance Writer/Aspiring Novelist/Vassar Grad Beauty/Luxury Shoe Enthusiast

-Are you a downtown girl or an uptown girl? 

I'm so downtown, you have to go over a bridge to find me.  What can I say: I grew up in North Jersey and now live in Brooklyn.  I guess I’ll always have a little bridge and tunnel in me. 

-Where do you live and why? 

I live in Williamsburg, off the Lorimer stop, and after six years here I’m not afraid to say that it’s become home.  Williamsburg certainly has its ridiculous qualities, but to me it means terrific restaurants with seasonal, local, and creative food at reasonable prices, affordable, carefully curated vintage stores and boutiques, larger-than-Manhattan apartments, supper clubs, inspiring (if at times over-the-top) personal style, and a 7 minute trip to the East Village, on a train that I’ve spent so much of my life waiting for, I might as well go ahead enjoy the newish – and semi-reliable - electronic system they’ve installed. 

-Best place for brunch? 

I love Dressler on Broadway, just under the Williamsburg bridge and across from neighborhood icon Peter Luger’s.  When I moved to the area, Dumont off the Lorimer stop was one of the only restaurants on the south side to serve fresh, new American cuisine (in 2004 my best friend and I befriended a bartender there and camped out every Friday night).  Anyway, Dumont’s brunch is fantastic but also wildly crowded, but their more upscale sister restaurant, Dressler, serves an amazing brunch at a similar price point.  You can even make reservations, and to ogle the décor in the daylight is worth straying from the L train. 

-Best place for a cocktail? 

I have a few favorites.  I’m a big fan of Huckleberry Bar, which happens to be a block away from my apartment.  If you can find your way to the Whisk & Ladle, Nick Bennett there can pour a mean drink.  For classic New York, I love the Algonquin Hotel.  I was borderline obsessed with Dorothy Parker in high school so it’s a thrill to go sit at a round table.  When I first moved to New York after college, I waited tables at Spice Market, and I still think about their ginger margarita every now and then. 

-Tell us your vice? 

Coffee, white wine, chocolate and anxiety. 

-Tell us what you do? 

I’m a freelance writer and book editor.  Broadly, I say my main interests are fashion, fiction, food and feminism.  I edit and contribute to an amateur cooking blog with seven girlfriends, called Saucy Little Dish (www.saucylittledish.com).

 -Tell us about "The Search for Ruby Slippers". 

It’s a social history of women and shoes, which uses iconic American pairs in pop-culture as the backbone of the narrative (i.e. Dorothy’s ruby slippers, Nancy Sinatra’s boots, etc.)  The book begins in 1939 with the debut of The Wizard of Oz, and seeks to better define that connection between women and their shoes by locating specific messages about footwear that we as a culture have digested.  What I’ve come to realize is that via certain images and narratives, women have learned to connect shoes with issues of power, social ascendancy, class and sexuality, which is a potent mix!  This book isn’t just for fashionistas: it’s for everyone from the high-end shoe collector to those woman who feel disenfranchised from the fashion world but love their shoes from Payless, DSW, Target, etc. 
 
-What can we expect from you in the future? 

The Search for Ruby Slippers is publishing with HarperStudio (www.theharperstudio.com), and it will be available sometime in late 2011 or 2012.  After that, I’d like to continue writing social history.  I’d love to keep a foot in the fashion world, and I also hope to publish fiction one day.  I hope to keep writing as long as the publishing world will have me. 

-Who and what inspires you? 

Great fiction, travel, success stories, people who are passionate about what they do, amazing clothes, inimitable style, my friends.  Style-wise, I often find myself going back to 1960s icons like Bridget Bardot, Anna Karina, Jane Birkin, and Audrey Hepburn (maybe it’s because I have big eyes and even bigger hair, so that look works for me).  I love Jane Fonda (and Anita Pallenberg) in Barbarella and Barefoot in the Park, Sharon Tate in Valley of the Dolls, and Wynona Ryder in Heathers.  David Bowie.  Like many women of our generation, I’m inspired by Kate Moss.  As far as writers go, the list is long, but all-time favorites include Nabokov, Philip Roth, Mary Gaitskill, Donna Tartt, Susan Sontag, Joan Didion, Ian McEwan, Zadie Smith, Jeanette Winterson, Jeffrey Eugenides (I could keep going).   

-What’s the best place to go shoe gazing? 

I’ve spent too much time staring at the windows of the Walter Steiger boutique on Park Avenue.  The Saks selection is endless.  Sometimes I scroll through the shoes on Net-a-Porter just for fun.  I write for a site called Running With Heels (www.runningwithheels.com), which is essentially shoe porn. 
 
-Why are you so pretty? 

Ha!  Thanks Kristen.  My mother’s an ex beauty queen who, as far as I’m concerned, is the prettiest woman in the world, so…um, there’s that.

 -Give us a beauty secret. 

If you have thick, coarse hair like I do, don’t wash it every day – figuring that out was life-changing.  I also drink tons of water, and I try (TRY) to get plenty of sleep. 
 
-Any advice on romance? 

I’ve lived with my boyfriend for 5 years, so we’ve settled into that intimate, everyday romance that comes from really sharing our lives and living space.  So I guess my advice would be: don’t settle in too far!  Everything is more fun when we make a priority of making lots of plans, rather than behaving like roommates. 
 
-Best advice ever given? 

I have four parents who are all very different, so I’ll combine their overall advice into one thought: Follow your gut instincts and keep at your goals if you can’t live without achieving them, but be patient when it doesn’t happen overnight.

Rachel Antonoff

Rachel Antonoff

Fashion Designer/Writer/Ballerina Fairy/Theater Buff

-Uptown girl or downtown girl?

I don't think I can choose! I live downtown but love uptown too and that's where my family is. I'm an all-town girl!

-What is the best thing about downtown,and the best thing about uptown?

Too many great things in both. I'd say Central Park has gotta rank pretty high for uptown and maybe the entire West Village is the best part of downtown. But that's a huge oversimplification!

-Favorite place to Brunch?

Clinton street baking co or Luluc in Cobble Hill.

-Favorite place for cocktails?

I love "Brooklyn Social" Club and "Hotel Delmano". The carlyle is the best place on earth but a bit pricey.

-Tell us your favorite decadent pass time!

Definitely Monday night at the Carlyle. It feels so glamorous and old New York.

-Favorite press mention so far?

I'm so grateful to anyone who has mentioned the line but if I had to pick, getting photographed with my family, boyfriend and best friend for "Time Out NY" was pretty fun.

-So tell us about this road trip you took this summer that Refinery 29 raved about. Was it like a Rachel Antonoff pop up shop on the road in every state?

Haha no but that would be awesome. My boyfriend and brother's bands played a party at Space15Twenty that I was a part of so we went to Phoenix first, road-tripped to la from there and went to all of our favorite places in between! It was awesome.

-What has been the worst thing about the recession for you as a designer and the best thing?

I think the worst thing is that some of the boutiques I was in have had to shut down. It's such a shame. Otherwise, its been ok for me. On the other end, I think people who were buying $600 dress are now more inclined to buy a $200 dress.

-You are a multi fashionista juggling everything from designing to writing for "Lula" and "Nylon",tell us how your multi-dimensional career happened and what it is like?

Thank you! You make it sound so nice : ) well, I was a writer first. I have been freelance writing for a while and the designing began as a side project and just ended up becoming more. Its hard to multi-task, I really don't write very much anymore, pretty much just for "Lula".

-I love your writing it captures such a dreamy quality,the same dreamy feeling I got from your recent show. What are your inspirations currently and who are your muses?

Thank you Kristen! What a wonderful compliment. I have always been inspired by theater and dance in general. Specifically, Alia Shawkat (who was in the show) has been my muse since the beginning. I'm always always inspired by theatrical people like Judy Garland, Barbara Streisand and Cole Porter.

-Who was your first customer since you started your solo line?

I think Alia.

-How did you fine the lovely "Parlor Showroom" who did such a divine job for you fashion week?I cannot express enough how joyous this presentation was. Everyone was so excited and in heaven with the eye candy!!!We love and admire you and all your endeavors!!! Tell us what we have to look forward to in the future with your line and so on.Who would you like to thank?

Thank you Kristen! Parlor has been beyond a godsend. I was hooked up with the amazing and brilliant Taylor Thomas (founder and owner) through a mutual acquaintance and it has truly been one of the best things to happen to the business!  The concept for the show has been something I wanted to do for a long time and I put it on with the help of Roanne Adams and set designers Sam and Dino of Aux Armes.
As for the future, I'm so excited to keep doing this! I am doing a small collaboration with Target (one holiday piece) and I'm super excited about that. And I'm on way to LA right now to do our spring video!

Paula Jade a.k.a PJ Linden

Paula Jade Linden

Girl about town Set builder/Filmstress/Art Basel frequenter/Mandate Girl/Painter

-Uptown girl or Downtown girl?

I was born a downtown girl. I remember eating my first piece of
sushi when I was three on the roof of our Bowery apartment building.

-Where do you live and why?

The Poconos, because it is cheap and I can make my art in peace.
Jupiter, Florida because it is an escapist fantasy land, and NYC
because it is necessary.

-Favorite place to brunch?

My girlfriend makes the best eggs in the city. Brunch is better half naked.

-Favorite place for cocktails?

Anywhere that makes a perfect gin martini. L'express makes a note worthy one, ...oh and and Petes Candy Store for their 'Indochine cocktail' gin, ginger liqueur, fresh lime, soda water and sugar. Yum. I am a gin girl.

-Tell us what you do?

I am an artist. I like to create huge murals and puff paint
everything I can get my hands on. I am also deeply immersed in an
ongoing everlasting film collaboration with Sarah Stuve. Our
experimental short film 'My Dead Brain' will be screening at MIX 22
festival, beginning November 20.

-What can we expect from you in the future?

A complete online series of 'How To' videos available on
Howcast.com, Hulu and Joost. (visit Howcast.com to view my "Webbie"
award nominated video, 'How to Meet Men').  I am also finalizing a
series of works on canvas called 'Eggs' and am about to begin
producing a new film called 'The Future Perfect', updates and
exclusives for all future projects can be seen at
wonderpussoctopusink.com

-Do you have a favorite place to watch film in NYC?

Theater 1 at the The Village East Cinema on 2nd and 11 for its
classic Baroque design.

-What fiction novel would you like to see as a movie in the future.

Easy. Herland. But Sarah and I are gonna adapt it way better.

-If you where a movie star in your past life who would it be?

I was Cleopatra without a doubt.

-What is a starlet?

Judy,Rosalind, Joan, Tippi....oooooh and Julie Andrews, I've had a crush on
Julie ever since Victor Victoria.

-How do you find inspiration?

 Films made in technicolor, children's books, candy, beautiful women, and great make-up sex.

-Give us advice on Romance...

"Absence makes the heart grow fonder".

Xenia a.k.a Doe Deere

Doe Deere

Lipstick Designer/Big time beauty blogger/Entrepreneur/Unicorn Catcher

-Uptown Girl or Downtown Girl?

Definitely downtown.

-Where do you live and why?

I live in Dyker Heights, Brooklyn because it's very pretty & super-safe. I love all the castle-like Italian mansions, and the fact that our neighborhood is famous for extreme Christmas decorations!

-Best place to brunch?

Alice's Tea Cup or Sweetie pie. You get my tastes!

-Best place for a cupcake?

Sugar Sweet Sunshine on Lower East Side.Most importantly, best place for a cocktail? 

I don't really drink.

 -What is it you do?

Entrepreneur - run a makeup business called Lime Crime.

-Best place to look out for faeries?

My own house. It looks like a fairy dwelling with all the colors!

-What can we expect from you in the future?

More lipstick for the holidays & a bunch of other amazing stuff in 2010 I can't say yet. ;)

-Which is your favorite site to visit?

I love driving out to Long Island or New Jersey. I think suburban life exotic.

-Bands currently listening to?

Lots and lots of electropop!

-How do you relax?

I'm a workaholic, I'll sleep when I'm dead.

-Give us advice on romance?

If it's rocky from the get-go, it's rarely worth pursuing. Keep things honest and simple.

Molly Crabapple

Molly Crabapple

Downtown girl-Artist of the underworld exquisite/novelist illustrator/major entrepreneur

-Tell us what you do?

I draw pictures.  Then, I run Dr. Sketchy's, where I encourage other people to draw pictures.

-What is success in your eyes?

Being able to hang with your idols.

-What is a schedule like for an Artist/Entrepreneur as yourself?

I work about 16 hours a day, guzzling espresso the whole time.  I'll do tshirt designs one minute, work on a commission the next, and field about a million text messages relating to the Dr. Sketchy's empire.

-Tell us about "Scarlette takes Manhattan".

Scarlett Takes Manhattan is a graphic novel by me and long-time collaborator John Leavitt. We tell the story  of the slum denizen Shifra Helfgott, who, with the help of her gender-bending boyfriend, rises to become the premier fire-eater of her age. What can we expect from you in the future?

I have a full roster of secret projects I can't talk about, and that may never come to fruition. So just count on lots of new paintings with swirly hair. Who and what inspires you?

Absinthe.  Toulouse Lautrec.  Clayton Cubitt.  Zoetica Ebb.  Michael Faber. Neil Gaiman and Matt Taibbi are two of my favorite writers. Coilhouse Magazine gives me hope for the future of print.

- Whats the best place to witness burlesque ?

A secret underground party in Red Hook whose name I can't mention.

-Any advice on romance?

Hells if I know.  I've never went on a date in my life.

-If you were a story book character who would you be?

Probably Basil Hallward

 -When you die and come back as someone else who would it be

If there was any luck, probably some point-shoe wearing heiress who could collect Marchesa Cassati's jewelry, and commission art rather than hustling it.  But, in reality, probably another ink stained artist.

 

Colleen Nika

Downtown Girl

Colleen Nika

* Global trotting Music/Fashion writer

-Best place to brunch?

Tartine on W 4th Street, steps from where I used to live.  Grape + Grain, steps from where I currently live. And I also like Gemma, Falai, and 202, where they serve a full proper English breakfast. Frankly, though, I can count on one hand the number of times I've done "brunch" in the past year. Whether I get up at nine or noon, I prefer to start my day with oatmeal and coffee at home.

-Best place for a cupcake?

Right now, it's Sweet Revenge on Carmine, but I also really love Babycakes' vegan cupcakes, especially the carrot cake flavour.

-Most importantly, best place for a cocktail?

I don't know, I hop from place to place. Goldbar, depending on the night you go, can be fun. Tailor has a really amazing rum drink called "Crumble", which has a brown butter base (sounds strange, but trust me, it is achingly divine).  Death + Co and Sweet Paradise are consistently good. To be honest, though, the ambiance of the place outweighs the booze selection for me. That's why I like dive bars like The Magician, Cabin, and Home Sweet Home. I live in the East Village, so there's plenty of interchangeable little watering holes I can go to hide.

-Best place to watch Rock Stars in their natural habitat?

Bowery Ballroom. I like them best on a stage.

-Any muses?

Stylewise, it is Kate Lanphear, Shirley Manson, Alison Mosshart, and Siouxsie Sioux. I like women who defy conventions of femininity and who call into question who we are dressing up or down for--I can tell you that none of those women are doing it for the men. So, I prefer a strong and unconventional visual: La Roux's aesthetic right now speaks to me; she's so young, but already so incisive with her styling choices. I'm caught somewhere between wanting to be these women and wanting to write about them. They are inspiring in all facets, as a muse should be. If I spoke of women whose minds, lives, and philosophies inspired me, I'd never shut up, but I can confirm that both Shirley and Alison would make a reappearance on that list!

Favorite designers?

Current: Rad Hourani, Hannah Marshall, Ghesquiere for Balenciaga, Ann Demeulemeester, Raf Simons, Helmut Lang, Nova Dando, Preen, Gareth Pugh, Helena Horstedt, Rodarte, Giles, Lina Osterman, Burberry under Bailey, Christopher Kane, Staerk, Miu Miu, Rick Owens, Comme des Garcons, Vivienne Westwood, Alexander Wang, Givenchy under Tisci, and YSL under Pilati. And basically, anyone out of Japan and Belgium. But don't talk to me about the Spring 2010 Margiela collection. Catastrophe. Fire the imposter!

What is it you do?

I am a writer for several publications like Interview, Paper, and V. I primarily write about music and fashion, and occasionally art and "culture". I also write press releases and artist statements for several well known designers and art clients. And now, I am also the director of Popjustice NYC, the US branch of a British music entity and new live music project. We're trying to spotlight high caliber pop music, especially British and Euro leaning acts. Our events run the gamut from exclusive intimate concerts and band showcases to dance parties featuring innovative DJ sets. It's a really exciting and fresh concept. People are responding very well; early feedback is immense. No one else in the city nightlife realm is doing anything like it; it's an idea that took seed awhile back and it's so satisfying to watch it grow into fruition!

-What is the best music store in your hood?

Not in my hood anymore, but Academy Records beats anything else in the city. In London, I spent hours in Sister Ray Records.

-And on that note do we still even need those stores and why?I remember when I would save up 20$ to take the bus to some obscure record store in hoboken or the east village to buy rare indie finds,and Fanzines. Today's generation will never know that excitement.

Nothing beats the physical product, even now. And vinyl is more popular than it's been in ages. I think things are coming full circle. For the ultimate convenient fix, we turn to our iPods. For the ideal intimate listen, we put on a vinyl record. Maybe for the Generation Z kids, CDs have fallen into purgatory, but I still have nearly two thousand of them and I cherish every one.

-What can we expect from you in the future?

I'm a riddle wrapped in an enigma wrapped in a vest, Margiela style. Savor the mystery and await what's next.

-Which is your favorite site to visit?

Hype Machine for a quick snapshot on what bands and tracks are ruling the blogosphere that week, AShadedViewonFashion for under the radar fashion news, NYTimes.com, NYMag.com, Metacritic.com, and of course, Popjustice.com. I also check the sites of the magazines I write for pretty much daily. And I do subscribe to a lot of blogs like Idolator, The New Yorker's art section, and Fashionologie, but often forget to check them. Oh yeah: I read Pitchfork just get my hate back.

-Bands currently listening to?

Lately: The new albums from Mew, Muse, Manic Street Preachers, and the Pet Shop Boys, The Big Pink, La Roux, Florence and The Machine, Marina and The Diamonds, Yeah Yeah Yeahs (old and new), The Dead Weather (and the Kills, always), The XX, Howling Bells, Delphic, Woods, Health. The Horrors are probably the most exciting indie band right now, and I'm proud to be one of their early supporters, from way back in mid 2006. I'm also listening to a lot of forgotten 80s relics from Blancmange, Visage, and Ultravox. All times favorites are Bauhaus, Garbage, Primal Scream, Portishead, Suicide, Blur, Nine Inch Nails, Radiohead, My Bloody Valentine, and Curve.

-How do you relax?

By sleeping.

-Give us advice on romance?

"Don't let the hand you hold hold you down."

-Give us the formula for success?

Throw your expectations out the window. Realize that nine out of ten prospects will fail, but the one that doesn't is the one that matters. Stake out your own turf and defend it: seize as much as possible whenever you can. Find a void and fill it. If you can't find a void to fill, create one!

Coming Soon

photo courtesy of Jennifer Fein

dress is designed by Kristen May and Jennifer Fein

Hey all you darling gems!!! We will be up and running sooner than later...I'm collecting a sufficient amount of stories before I officially launch. So far I've scored interviews with the lovely Colleen Nika freelance writer extraordinaire to publications such a PAPER MAG and INTERVIEW as well as V. Xenia the indie makeup pioneer of Lime Crime,has a wonderful wealth of advice to share. The lovely Rachel Antonoff will also tell us about her dreamy line of clothing!!!

And of course I will be posting all my latest endeavors with design art and beauty!!!

My aim other than shameless self promotion with this site is to bring together a community of uptown girls and downtown girls alike to break down certain barriers to further eachother in our careers,social life, to make wild outrageous things of all sorts happen.

I have a splendid Euro-fashionista following I want to incorporate as well.

Girls and Woman of all ages are beautiful inspirational creatures to me. I hope this site inspires you all to support one another!!!

Big Lipstick Kisses!!!

-Kristen May