From Girl to Young Woman, a New York Fashion Story

A Staple for Young Fashionables Continues as Frankie, a Concept Store by Pixie Market.

One of New York City’s most beloved fashion-forward boutiques is set to reemerge rebranded and recreated. Under the discerning curation of the Pixie Market founders, Frankie is set to inspire the girl who enjoys affordable luxe-looking basics that connect with her dynamic city lifestyle; whether by taxi, subway, bike or cobblestone.

Where some girls dress for their friends, others dress for men. The Frankie girl dresses for herself, and is the best-dressed girl in the room. As a career-mined girl her days are long; she needs an outfit that stands strong in the office, takes her out for a quick drink then moves on for dinner and a nightcap. Frankie doesn’t wear a cocktail dress to a party; she wears a tux black jumpsuit or a mock neck chunky sweater with a black sequin pencil skirt. She mixes high and low designers and labels, is well travelled, smart as a whip, imperfectly beautiful and quietly confident. She’s Pixie Market girl’s older sister, and she’s arriving at 100 Stanton St., New York, on November 14.

Established in 2006 by Gaelle Drevet and Magda Pietrobelli, Pixie Market quickly developed a cult following by the city’s of-the-moment girls to make a subtly bold statement through their personal take on contemporary style. With the immense online interest in Pixie Market, the Lower East Side boutique now continues as Frankie with the same leitmotif of uniquely fashion-current items with a one-of-a-kind feeling; somewhat boy-meets-girl, affordable but not disposable, and more than likely you’d never find it anywhere else. While representing the city itself, the store experience goes far beyond to give the visitor a glimpse into emerging refined style from around the world. In this, Frankie reignites the excitement of discovery that one felt when visiting Pixie Market.

For more information please visit www.thefrankieshop.com. 

BlingoArt Launches to Redefine the Art of Chat

Bringing Contemporary Art to Everyday Conversation

 

In an unlikely unison, tech entrepreneur Henry Lihn formerly of SinglePlatform, and entrepreneurial artist Nico Dios, who executed one of the largest exits from Bitcoin, have come together to bring previously inaccessible artwork into the digital communications arena. As BlingoArt they are dedicated to advancing contemporary artists by publishing their work for integration and mass distribution through digital platforms.

A more compelling and interactive form of communication than the standard emoticons found on today’s messaging and webchat platforms, “sticker chat” has quickly become an immensely popular form of expression that allows the user to summarize a statement quickly with flare. This seemingly niche form of chat has spawned a high-demand industry showing growth of over 70% per year – for example, market leader Line who’s revenue model relies primarily on sticker sales, is currently preparing an IPO after growing from $58 million to $100 million in a single quarter of 2013. To launch, BlingoArt is applying their artwork portfolio to chat stickers, bringing something fresh and exciting to the space and strengthening their position to expand into the greater world of digital art.

Combining the worlds of business, technology and art through founder histories, BlingoArt presents a presumably incompatible mixture of professional disciplines to create a recipe for success in the new landscape of digital communications. Starting his career in sales for market-leader Heartland Payment Systems, Henry Lihn quickly advanced to most recently become Vice President of Sales at SinglePlatform which recently sold for $100 million. Tech founder through passion, Henry also built an impressive portfolio of business including Cameo, Overture, EveryScreenMedia, and the award-wining digital agency Gin Lane Media.

From the other end of the business spectrum comes Nico Dios. An art maker, investor and consultant to some of New York’s most venerable artists and art institutions, Nico’s experience ranges from his association with one of the city’s most notorious graffiti crews to working with The Guggenheim Museum and Christies. As founder and principle of Peregrine Perpetual, Nico has built, managed and sold art collections for private artists, while consulting for leading brands such as Converse and Y-Q.

This melding of worlds brings together value that allows the creation of unique and exciting products, such as their recently launched BlingoArt. Working with some of today’s leading artists – such as Shepard Fairy, Kenny Scharf, Todd James and Futura2000 – BlingoArt is building a catalog of artwork converted to multi-platform “webchat stickers”. Purchased in packs of no less than 20 through the application’s stickers store for $0.99, users can then use their stickers to chat through their chosen device.

BlingoArt is bringing a new level of quality to chat stickers; museum-level artwork that has been unavailable in stickers formats, until now. Respected artists whose work has be incompatible with electronic conversation - until now. 

Five Years, Three Stores, By Robert James

New York Tailor, Robert James, Celebrates Fifth Anniversary With Brooklyn Expansion

Robert James, designer, creative director and namesake of timeless menswear brand By Robert James, is proud to celebrate five years of successful clothing mastery and retail with the opening of its second Brooklyn storefront. Founded in 2008 and produced by hand in the Garment District, By Robert James benefits from the founder’s twenty years of industry experience. By Robert James focuses on simple and enduring menswear forms with the nuance of the modern age.

Appealing equally to high-end fashion as to the modern gent, By Robert James takes its inspiration from music and historic men’s garments and themes, while honoring the tradition of honest, hard work. Although the brand’s fit immediately communicates thoughtful design and impeccable construction, garments can be tailored to fit free of charge on the premises, making the wearer feel as strikingly handsome as the clothes themselves. Selecting premium local and sourced fabrics from Japan, Italy and London, By Robert James consciously employs local manufacturing, ensuring that each item is not only of the highest standard for the consumer, but has a deeper environmental conscience while supporting local businesses with the community. This is a direct reflection of Jame’s upbringing in a small Ohio manufacturing town, where as a preacher’s son he felt deeply the connection and responsibility within the community, and very real association between local business and local harmony.

Outgrowing two locations in Manhattan’s Lower East Side, By Robert James settled in its current flagship studio-boutique on Orchard Street. As the calendar marked its fourth anniversary of business, By Robert James then also opened its doors across the river in the Brooklyn neighborhood gem of Williamsburg. While managing the immense momentum of success received at this new location, James is mapping out the opening of the third retail space to be situated in Brooklyn’s historic Boerum Hill.

This five-year triumph is owed to James’ commitment to classic utilitarian and masculine styles. Musing on his approach, he comments “How I design can be summarized in three words: simple, honest and handsome”; which is same philosophy that brought customers into the first humble LES store. Manhattan-made garments will be superbly featured in the upcoming Brooklyn addition and the distinctive looks will undoubtedly find a home in the wardrobe of By Robert James’ discerning new neighbors.

By Robert James studio-boutique is located at 74 Orchard Street in Manhattan’s LES. The first of the two Brooklyn additions is at 193 Grand Street in Williamsburg, and the second in Boerum Hill scheduled for December 2013. 

About Robert James

Robert James, a rural Ohio native, is the brainchild behind By Robert James.  After graduating from The Ohio State University and FIT, James pursued a design career in apparel design, with the purpose of honing his skills for his own brand.  That day has arrived and James now works to bring his passion for men’s fashion to life by designing, a head to toe line of jackets, coats, jeans, trousers, and craft knitwear.  

Fashion Casual Footwear for the People, by People

People FootwearTM Launches as the Exciting & Invigorating Shoe that is More with Less, for All.

Canadian entrepreneurs Damian Van Zyll De Jong and Matt Penner, original founders of Native Shoes, have recently launched People Footwear. With a view to reinvigorate the footwear market that struggles to tangibly evolve with the modern lifestyle, People is taking cues from the timeless to create footwear for our time.

It’s the simple things that turn out to be the best. People Footwear is about bringing people together; stepping outside to see where the day takes you, who you might meet along the way and knowing an adventure awaits if you’re up for it. And that starts with wearing what looks and feels right.

Shoes don’t have to be complicated. People offer a contemporary design of common sense in a shoe that is stripped down to its simplest form. From construction to production, nothing is wasted and everything is streamlined to produce footwear for today that connects the best styles of the past with the best technology of the future.

Constructed from molded foam, People shoes are the epitome of harmonious comfort making them ideal to throw on to get out. Inspired from famed classic casuals of eras past, they then become a shoe of thoughtful style that, through their minimal aesthetic, subtly compliment your personal style for any casual adventure the day may hold.

Each of the four styles launching for Spring/Summer 2014 are based on a core construction of People’s own Skylite™ and Super Cush™ performance foams, being water repellant, shock-absorbing, easy to clean and best of all, odor resistant. The fully molded style (The Senna – see below) is comprised almost entirely of this super-light and supremely comfortable foam, with secondary materials such as rubber tread elements and removable laces strategically incorporated for added functionality. The three hybrid styles (The Phillips, The Stanley and The Lennon) combine molded Skylite™ foam components with fabric uppers and modern seamless construction techniques for breathable all-season functionality. Two People models (The Phillips and The Stanley) boast 3D printing, the latest in no-sew technology applied selectively to fabrics for structural and aesthetic detail.

Taking the performance hallmarks of an athletic shoe into daily footwear, People have created shoes that envelope your feet and express a balance of support and freedom. Simplification can revolutionize existing staples in ways previously unimagined. And so it is with People Footwear, from design and production through to the freedom felt when wearing them. This is how shoes should feel.

Hasbeens & Willbees Brings the Finer Things to Upstate New York

A Unique Restaurant and Antique Dealer Based in the Andes

Hasbeens & Willbees, the much talked about Catskills pop-up restaurant on the serious come-up, is set for another creative burst with the launch of a series of auction events, showcasing the owners’ most treasured findings from overlooked corners of the world. 

Kai Kuhne, former independent fashion designer and leading member of the design group AsFour, and John Mollett, former fine arts representative at the Jan Krugier Gallery, recently partnered to open the Hasbeens & Willbees restaurant in Andes, NY. “Wanting to keep connected to our careers and the worlds we love, we’ve incorporated our experiences and knowledge into a fresh new concept,” said Kuhne, “representing the new luxury and a fair market for the finer things in life.”

The new Hasbeens and Willbees concept embraces a lifestyle of luxury that cherishes the art, design, furniture and fashion of the past, while showcasing the genius and beautiful products of today.

As a preview for their auction house to open in New York City in the Spring of 2014, the Hasbeens & Willbees soft launch will take place at their Catskills restaurant. This new avenue is about giving some of the old freaks a place to shine, and provide a venue of exposure for a younger generation. It references old furniture and art, as well as showcasing wonderful new products. The Hasbeens & Willbees private label soap and olive oil will also be available in the store.

Kuhne and Mollet have been around the world selecting and amassing items for the auction house that is opening in the Spring of next year. “The shopping has been a blast! But now it’s time to get selling and develop a track record so that we can get some great consignments as well,” says Mollet. “We’ve decided to first do a little preview maquette of the auction concept up at our restaurant in the Catskills to get the ball rolling. For the auction we plan to have a few days of preview dinners where guests are surrounded by the auction items, while using the culinary objects on the table during their meal.”

While the auction items will be the focus of the events, the cuisine at Hasbeens & Willbees is something quite special in itself; simple yet refined. Each dish is inspired by inherited recipes from Mollet’s grandmother from New England, thus bringing something fresh and unique to the region. Their crab cake, for example, rivals that to be found anywhere in the state, filled with Jumbo Lump crab freshly picked from the Maryland fish markets and overnighted to the kitchen. Hasbeens & Willbees is an inspiring example of how farm-to-table doesn't have to be rustic.

The main auction event is sure to be active and filled with lively characters. The events will highlight guest chefs, projection screens, topless game show-style girls, a tuxedo-clad auctioneer, live performances, and an early Westwood style fashion show. It’s set to be a Friday night not to be missed.

Street League Skateboarding

Street League Skateboarding (SLS) is the first-ever professional league for street skateboarding. The SLS season features 25 of the world’s most elite professional skateboarders competing in an easy-to-follow ISX™ instant scoring format on purpose-built concrete skate plazas, all for the largest prize purse in skateboarding history.

SLS has commissioned VOCAL to lead all communications for the brand. Through over 1 billion media impressions and profile placements in broadcast outlets such as ESPN and NBC, endemic outlets such as Transworld Skateboarding and Jenkem, to lifestyle publications such as Complex, Los Angeles Magazine, and HBO, VOCAL has amplified the SLS platform for major mass appeal throughout the world.  SLS is now televised live on FOX Sports and through its network affiliates.

StreetLeague.com

For all media inquiries contact VOCAL.  

New York Whiskey Club

The New York Whiskey Club brings together a select group of discerning aficionados to discuss cultural happenings in fashion, film, politics, sex, music, art and all kinds of stuff.

"When I was a little girl, I remember watching my father – a trumpet player who had a funk, disco and jazz band – sitting around the kitchen table with his friends, sometimes his band mates or his brothers drinking Crown Royal on the rocks," says NYWC founder Sarah Bronilla. “It seems the stage was always set for my love of whiskey…”

“I became fascinated with all types of whiskey through my travels as I couldn't find Canadian Crown Royal. In my time, I discovered the sweet taste of Yamazaki while on business in Tokyo, the honey juice of Monkey Shoulder in Paris, Laphroiag in Berlin, Mekhong in Thailand, Bullet Rye in NYC, Michters in LA and so on. I wanted to share these experiences, these tastes, and the refinement of the people who craft a perfect bottle of liquid. More importantly, talk shit over a few glasses. Hence, The New York Whiskey Club.”

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