Friday: 5ive Featuring Grey Era Vintage's Sierra Fromberg

Welcome to FashionWhirled's newest feature, Friday: 5ive, where we pose 5 pertinent questions to our fav interview of the week and whose graphic design was influenced by our own lovely divine miss *m. Whaddya think? You likey?! Let us know and comment below!

Our premiere Friday: 5ive column debuts with Grey Era Vintage's owner and stockist extraordinaire, Sierra Fromberg, whom we had the pleasure to learn all about yesterday here. Major FashionWhirled thanks to Sierra for all the time she's taken to chat back and forth with us. Now, get out there and go shop at her lovely East Village boutique. Grey Era Vintage is conveniently located at 435 East 9th St (between 1st ave and ave A)...you can come hang with FW before/during/after!

The fashionable Sierra Fromberg

Photo by Jamie Newman

Friday: 5ive

FashionWhirled:  what role does vintage play in your everyday life?

Sierra Fromberg:  vintage shopping as a shop owner is

Grey Era Vintage's Sierra Fromberg: The Liquiteria Interview

In an alternate reality, Sierra Fromberg could be a poet. 

 In the reality we know and inhabit, this East Village boutique owner is a poet -- a poet of the past. As a purveyor of vintage clothing and part of 9th Street's ever-morphing vintage retail scene, Sierra imbues her East Village shop, Grey Era Vintage, with poetic elements, naturally utilizing flashback to its maximum capacity. 

Grey Era proprietor Sierra Fromberg, photo by Jamie Newman

The exposed brick railroad layout creates its own caesura of sorts, from the antique wooden bench out front to the fireplace to the backyard garden, in between  - pause - housing upcycled silk shells and camp shirts, long sheer on-trend dresses and floral maxis, denim cut-offs and long sweaters in an ode toward the '90s. New jewelry designs like Noise Girl's brass and zinc nut macrame bracelets and necklaces -- couplets practically, the way they're designed -- play foil to the main characters of  contemporary vintage. 

 

The window of Grey Era's adorable boutique 

I had the incredible luck to sit down with Sierra last week, as she treated me to

Ricky's EV -- Open for Zombie Business

I am so thrilled that the new Ricky's has finally opened on First Ave and 7th Street. Just in time for all the East Village zombies -- I mean, residents -- to find their Halloween costumes, curling irons, A.J. Morgan reading glasses. Well. You get the picture. I'm excited.

Hurricane? What Hurricane?! Happiness is... a Bright Summer Dress, Part III

Although the entire city is prepping for the worst as Hurricane Irene gets set to hit us tomorrow night, I think we all could use a little brightness, a little happiness in the midst of our hurricane hysteria.

And, voilà, Happiness is a Bright Summer Dress, Part Three.

Flash back to a party a couple weeks ago supporting local artists hosted by the lovely Rachael Rush and Courtlan Green, owners at East Village new and old clothing boutique, Rena Reborn. Her fun silk shift, above, was created by designer Ari Harris (you may remember his peacock feather maxi-skirt featured in the windows earlier this summer).

Another flirty, floaty bright and happy look, below, in one of the Rena Reborn windows.

And what have we here? Happiness is a bright summer romper! Viewed from the back on one of the Rena Reborn models that day.

My suggestion for the storm? Get your flashlights, batteries, non-perishable foods and flood gear ready today. Then, don't worry, be happy: take time to throw on a bright summer dress and get ready to sit back and listen to the wind howl.

Good night, Irene.

Sidewalk Gets a Facelift

The bandages come off this week as East Village stand-by Sidewalk Café reopens after extensive renovations -- after all, the place has been the go-to cool cafe society joint of the EV since 1985, the year I moved to New York City.

Sidewalkers wondered if the place was being shuttered forever after the restaurant closed this past winter, slated to open in late Spring. June came, then July. Sidewalk seemed a goner, like much of the old-timing EV (Mars Bar, anyone?). Finally work started in earnest a couple of weeks ago.  And voila!

The restaurant brings a new look and a new menu to the table, plus a whole new stainless kitchen, according to one of the owners.

Stay tuned. More pix of the new caged light fixtures, turquoise banquettes and general overall upscaling of an EV tradition.

Open mic nights get an expanded stage area and the fresh air dining al fresco remains Sidewalk's calling card. 

Hey, after 25 awesome years of hard wear and tear, couldn't we all do with a few minor "procedures?!"

Ricky's Don't Lose That Number....1st Avenue and 7th Street

Huzzah!

Finally, a Ricky's opening practically next door to me in the EV....

Soon, I can get all the cosmetic + hair accoutrements, cute rain boots and sexy nurse's outfits I want -- oh yeah, plus all the A.J. Morgan readers I need -- any time I take a stroll around the block. 

Just next to my fav hardware store, Saifee's, where it's just as easy to buy screws and nails as it is hostess gifts of Acadia wood.

 

What else do YOU love about Ricky's?!

Happy Birthday to Vera of VERAMEAT!

The wacky world of VERAMEAT is taking a bite of the Big Apple this month. The East Village, to be exact.

We just happened upon the cool new East 9th Street boutique as the lovely Vera Balyura and her staff were hosting a hip birthday bash tonight for the jewelry designer, replete with DJ and store discount. At Vera's side was her little mascot, the adorable Fred Meat, an Affenpinscher who is tinier than Mignon and waaaay cute.

I pointed out several necklaces and rings to Philippo -- yes, hopefully with my name on them -- such as the Presto or Lucky key necklace, the Vampire Duster (two-finger) ring, and the Beekeeper Centaur necklace, online. Anyone who knows me knows vampires and centaurs are two of my favorite things. Well, they're a few of them....wink, wink.

Vera does a delicious narrative to accompany each piece on verameat.com, delving into the history, the desires, the inspirations of a design. Click on and have fun. I highly recommend losing yourself in a few of the figments of her imagination.

Then go ahead. Take a bite out of grime. And beautify yourself, your surroundings with her eccentric and beautiful brass, copper, silver or gold oddities!

Professor Bad Ass kicked ass for Multiple Sclerosis Awareness

Professor Bad Ass, aka Kevin Stewart, played his third and final performance for Acoustic Affaire this past Tuesday night held at the new East Village bistro on Avenue B. 

Sekou Carradine and Richard Burroughs hosted the singer/songwriter, fashion maven and American shirtmaker the past 3 Tuesdays, bringing awareness to Multiple Sclerosis and providing a face to the disease.

Tuning up, below, outside the bistro prior to his second set of the evening.

Kevin played my top two favs from his personal repertoire, The Circus is Coming to Town and Bartender ....

 

....and from the first performance, regaling the packed room with life stories, deep growly velvet vocals and a heart-rending lyricism.

Our House is a very, very, very Still House

So many boutiques have been biting the bullet lately in our 'hood, but hope truly springs eternal on our favorite block -- yes, rebirth and rejuvenation abound on East 7th Street in the EV!

Entrance to Still House boutique

New to the nabe, Still House is still applying the finishing touches to its earthy, natural ambience, residing in the spot recently vacated by Lazio Studios hair salon, who earlier in the year expanded out to a second store front, that, well, sadly is no more.  

Still House proprietor/jewelry designer Urte Tylaite says she is organizing a community of artists within her "house." As a name and a concept, Still House, she explains to me, symbolizes the struggles and successes of a group in general and her immigrant parents in particular, who moved here less than a decade ago from Lithuania. Her father built a new family house in Long Island from the ground up with his own hands, and the shop sobriquet is an homage to the calm, quiet relaxed feel of that abode. Obviously, Urte springs a very talented and creative family!

 The new boutique carries glass art, like the faceted vase, above, from Thaddeus Wolfe and the Hug lights on the shelves, below, from Kim Harty, who actually hugs her work while it's cooling, wearing a fireproof suit, naturally. (I give her major props: one reason I never learned to blow glass was that I always feared I would reach out and touch the molten glass as if it were clay. Pottery has proven a much more forgiving medium for me!)

The lovely Urte also carries sweet little pieces of affordable pottery bud vases shaped like stones and rocks, cast metal objets like birds' feet, above right, skulls or insects and 3-D postcards.

 Ephemeral jewelry in natural wooden cases is courtesy of Brooklyn-based Swallow and Jené DeSpain. Additional jewelry works, like the colorful rings, are by Silva/Bradshaw.

 The new shop between Avenue A and First will be open for business Thursdays through Sundays, 11 to 8 p.m., prime East Village shopping hours!

Hello? It's Me...

Not that I'm focusing on death today. Far from it. 

As a matter of fact, I'm totally concentrating on being alive, loving life and visualizing all things healthy, happy & here.

It's just one of those weird sightings -- skulls talking on a cell phone? -- that one comes upon; this one at the corner of Avenue A and 14th, where I believe there was a(nother) fire in the EV last year. 

Although, the visual does make me think twice about possible cell phone radiation and links with brain tumors. Oh, yeah, and I do have to throw in aneurysms and infundibulums. But, really. We're not gonna think about those anymore. At least for another year. Whew!

Have a great Friday!

Change of Season, the East Village's latest enchantment

Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble, indeed! There's a magical new retail spot poised to cast its spell on the East Village. Change of Season, an upscale boutique ensconced in half of the old Enchantments witchcraft shop on East 9th Street, opened its doors for business this Fashion Week, conjuring up cool European designer duds for discount dollars. I dropped in about week ago on my friend and co-owner Clinton Curtis-Querci, who was putting the finishing touches on the adorable space. Clinton kindly showed me the tricks of his new trade: ethereally high fashion pieces from Vivienne Westwood, Balenciaga, Comme des Garçons, Dries Van Noten, Margiela and Galliano, all lovingly curated from a season previous and all magically marked at 50 to 70% off normal boutique retail prices.

Clinton and partner Marco Querci-Curtis, both fashion world denizens (Clinton from a video background, Marco from Banana Republic as Director of Accessories) have assigned the space a delicious boutique hotel lobby feeling replete with matte blackened vintage luggage, a brass concierge trolley cart and a black and gilded motif with a coordinating chandelier and display cases. The tiny spot is well on its way to summoning a cult following: write-ups already have appeared on The Thread on nbcnewyork.com and racked.com. From little black dresses to one-off jewelry pieces, Change of Season is a designer outlet done right for the time we're in.

Is it sorcery or the supernatural that the duo can find such great fashions for such super prices? Glamour yourself over to 341 East 9th between 1st and 2nd to find out. No eye of newt necessary.

butterflies are free...

but even these beautiful winged ones gotsta get some green ~ as in cold, hard cash ~ every now and again!

saw this little fellow cashing in on Avenue A and 7th Street the other morning. seems like he'd just broken the bank drinking all night at Niagra and was heading for an early a.m. macchiato at Abraça.

ahhhhh, summertime in the EV!