"The meatpacking district has Jeffrey; the Upper East Side has Barneys; and Harlem has N—a stylishly designed bi-level 3500 sq ft. specialty lifestyle boutique that opened in 2006. N stands unparalled as the fresh, new face of retail and is the only upscale multi-designer retail store in Harlem that is single-handedly creating a destination for upscale shopping in a community not known for high-end shopping. Everything about the store is consistent: from the well-edited assortment of men’s and women’s apparel, accessories, home product and cosmetics to its interior (designed by Henry Mitchell) that infuses elements of a Victorian brownstone parlor in a modern, loft-like space to the superb level of customer service." So starts the press release for the hip and trendy retail store called N.

I tend to be very wary of media spin and self loving press releases, but the intro you just read is very true. N is a great store. The offerings are always on point, the staff is friendly and knowledgeable and the store itself boasts great decor and a relaxing and comfortable vibe. "At N one will find top-shelf independent and emerging talent alongside established designers that have never had a presence in Harlem. The store recently launched custom menswear by Omar whose designs are recognized for their choice of luxury fabrics, sense of architecture and sublime tailoring. Stylish customers from Harlem and across the city who are weary of the ordinary retail experience, count on N for its strong selection of unique designer vintage, cufflinks, watches, wallets, accessories, bags, home product, organic teas, fragrance, and gift items" said Lenn Shebar, Director of Public Relations.

The three young owners of N are Nikoa Evans, Larry Ortiz and Lenn Shebar, who all have strong ties to Harlem as well as muscular educational, corporate, management, and retail experience from the best universities, corporations and businesses. Ms. Evans, former VP of Finance for the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone, oversaw a $3-million Harlem retail/restaurant initiative;. Mr. Ortiz, born and raised in Harlem, has worked in sales and buying for some of the most prestigious companies in fashion including Comme des Garcons, Charivari, Bergdorf Goodman and Barneys New York. Mr. Shebar, also born and raised in Harlem was formerly Director of Board Relations for Parsons School of Design. All three principals own homes in Harlem.

I live very near the store, visit often and I'm never disappointed. No matter where you live in the city or in the country you owe it to yourself to make a trip to Harlem and to N. While you're in the area you can grab a great meal at one of the several great restaurants nearby and perhaps even make a visit to my studio or take a walk to 125th Street and visit The Studio Museum. N hosts charitable events on what feels like a regular basis and has a beautiful outdoor patio in the rear of the ground level.

Make some time and make the trip to N.

For more info on me visit my official website
www.rickyday.net

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Last weekend my assistant Ta'ri and my best friend Akim and I stumbled upon a relatively new retail joint in the Village called Rag & Bone. The company is not new, but the location opened in the village is. I don't get to the village often so I had no idea this spot opened last fall. We walked in to take a look around and immediately fell in love with the vibe of the store and the garments as well.

The store is NOT recession priced at all! However, for those of you who are NOT artists and can afford to treat yourself to great quality clothes with a price to match, it's your patriotic duty to keep the economy rolling buying dropping some hard earned euros and dollars at Rag & Bone. You can style yourself like a hipster or rock star with pieces from their spring/summer 2009 collection. The price range isn't very pedestrian, but neither is the quality. Throw in the fact that they don't overproduce each piece and you wont have to worry about showing up at a party and finding out that someone else is wearing the same rags you are. That's a very unlikely occurrence if you shop at Rag & Bone. I thought long and hard about this post before I did it due to the recession, but even in these hard times it's nice for those who can still afford it to treat themselves to a quality made garment that is made to last.

About The Company

Founded in 2002, Rag & Bone had one very clear vision in mind: to make clothes that they and their friends would love to wear everyday. With no formal fashion training, rag & bone set about learning how to make jeans. They believed that denim represented the history, authenticity and fundamentals of classic work wear that they would strive to reflect in their designs.

Beginning in Kentucky, Rag & Bone surrounded themselves with people who had been making patterns, cutting fabric and sewing their whole lives. Working with these kinds of craftsmen taught them the importance of quality, craftsmanship and attention to detail early on.

These principles soon became the keystones of the Rag & Bone philosophy, the definition of what clothing can and should be. With these principles in mind, rag & bone chose to center all of their manufacturing in U.S. factories that still sew clothes the same way they did 50 years ago.

Rag & Bone launched their men's line in Spring 2004 and expanded the label to offer a full women's collection by Fall 2005. The Fall Winter 2007 season marked the introduction of Rag & Bone accessories for both men and women, adding a touch of style and distinction to their tailored looks. Guided by a strong British tailoring influence, Rag & Bone produces classic yet modern sportswear for men and women that is known for being understated and wearable. Each piece, whether it be a tailored shirt or a pair of jeans, is framed by the constants of high quality fabric, classic construction and perfect fit with a handmade feel.

The Name

A century-old British fixture, the rag and bone man was known for practicing the first form of recycling. The rag and bone man would travel by horse and cart (traditionally a Shire or Clydesdale), circling the neighborhood in search of scrap metal, old furniture, wood or anything else that he could sell or reuse to support himself. Children would come running at the shouts of “rag and bone” to collect sweets and candies in exchange for the items they loaded onto his cart.

Garbage collection began to supplant the rag and bone trade by the late 1970s, and today there are very few rag and bone men. As an homage to their pioneering ingenuity and conservation, Rag & Bone derived their name from this legendary practice.

The New York locations

* Armonk
* Brooklyn
* East Hampton
* Greenvale
* Hewlett
* Manhasset
* New York
* Roslyn
* Rye
* Scarsdale
* West Hampton
* White Plains

The Village location

Here are some shots I took at the Christopher Street location.

The store is located at:
100 Christopher Street.
New York, NY 10014
www.rag-Bone.com

(Michael was quite helpful. He is wearing the rag & bone tie that Justin Timberlake is wearing on the current issue of GQ Magzine).

Excerpts from the Spring/Summer 2009 Collection

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This past Friday was a busy night for me. I stopped by Collette Blanchard Gallery for a reception and ended up getting kidnapped by Malcolm Harris and at a dinner party with a bunch of cool people I'd never met before. In between those two events I stopped by Ristorante Bonfides where I used to host my legendary Bon-a-Fide parties. There was a bartender who used to work our parties who everyone loved, her name is Irena and she is from Serbia/Montenegro. She left the restaurant to open her own business. It's a great little boutique that sells handmade knit items like hats, scarves, dresses and wraps. She also sells hats for men and other apparel for women. The store is called Amon Ra Showroom and it is very cool.

On February 14th she is doing a fashion show at St. Marks church on the corner 10th Street and 2nd Avenue. The event will benefit the Institute for Education and Professional Rehabilitation of Children with disabilities. This is the only institution in her native Montenegro that provides care for children and teens with disabilities.

Irena is a very engaging, talented, passionate and cool person, not to mention a Leo like me. Please stop in to visit her and support her efforts. Stylists, models and fashionistas should stop in to get some great handmade items at good prices and be among the first to use her garments and accesories in your shoots before this store becomes the next big thing (which trust me it will).

You can see the store online at http://www.wunderbloc.com/boutique/index.php?locationId=5481

Amon Ra Showroom from Ricky Day on Vimeo.

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