I feel like every time I get on Substack lately I’m standing in the middle of a yelling match between the “OMG FALL IS HERE” people and the “STOP SAYING SUMMER IS OVER” people. And I’m stressed out and waffling because I genuinely don’t know which side to join. I fucking love coats! But I still haven’t gone to the beach! And I’m so excited to wear my knits! But I’m already disappointed by how early it’s getting dark out!
Maybe September is my favorite month because it really does feel like the best of both worlds. Transitional vibes are high without actually being cold (I hate being cold), and it’s almost an even split between summer and fall. Fashion week marks an energy shift in NYC, vintage sales are immediately up, and there are always a lot of great events and exhibits that kick off this time of year.
My birthday is on the 20th, and I’m not just bragging when I say that it is genuinely a stunning, beautiful, crisp day every single year without fail. September, I love you.
On My Calendar…
You’ve undoubtedly seen (and been enamoured by) surrealist fashion photographer and creative director Szilveszter Makó’s work - most recently Cardi B for Vogue Arabia and Olivia Rodrigo for Vogue Philippines. Next week, “Makó transforms a sprawling space in the heart of Manhattan into a deeply personal world where Hungarian folklore, childhood memory, and the haunting sensibilities of post-communist Eastern Europe collide across six immersive rooms.”
I was able to snag an RSVP for one of three days where the installation is open to the public, and I am so excited!
I will be doing my best to channel the signature paper doll-esque styling of his work for my visit. Would love to hear if you have any fabulous outfit ideas!
At the end of the month, I’ll (finally!) be heading to Tokyo for a very, very overdue trip to see family. Thankfully my parents come to states about once or twice a year, but I haven’t seen my extended family since my last visit in 2019.
It feels like everyone I know has been to Japan lately, which I’ve been so jealous of! This is my first time back as a professional vintage dealer, so I’m really interested to see how sourcing with that perspective differs from the personal vintage shopping I’ve done in the past. I’ll be writing about my trip, of course, so let me know if there’s anything specific you’d like to hear more about!
What Else is Happening in NYC Vintage, Fashion, and Art…
To Shop:
🪡 (Brimfield) Threadbare Show kicks off Brimfield this year on September 6th in Southbridge, MA
🪡 (Brimfield) The Sturbridge Show is on September 7th at the Sturbridge Host Hotel
I will certainly have unbearable FOMO as I miss yet another Brimfield next week. I’m not sure when I’ll be able to get back out onto the fields, but rest assured I’ll be training baby in the fine art of haggling at a very young age.
Tales from May Brimfield
I go to Brimfield with only a few steadfast expectations: long days, dirty shoes, and treasures to take home of both the physical and spiritual variety.
To See:
🫧 Snoopy in Style opens its NYC exhibition tomorrow at 25 Little West 12th Street. On view until the 26th - admission is free!
🫧 Doll Dressing opens at the Museum at FIT on September 16th.
🫧 Yves Saint Laurent and Photography, featuring over 300 archival objects and photographs, on view at ICP until September 28th. More on this in my August Hotline!
🫧 Revolutionary Women is on view at the New York Historical through October 25th. The new The Weitzman Shoe Museum was also unveiled there earlier this summer!
🫧 Iris Van Herpen: Sculpting the Senses is on view at the Brooklyn Museum until December 6th. This exhibit requires timed tickets for entry.
🫧 Costume Art is on view at the Met for the rest of the year. I wrote a little about my visit in the July Hotline!
In The Shop…
What’s Selling: Thank GOD August was a huge improvement from July, sales-wise. Seven Wonders Collective ran one of our two annual end-of-season sales, which means I mostly sold warm-weather items at a 20%-30% discount. I was happy to see most of it go, even on sale! When I first started my vintage business, I held on to inventory for way too long. It felt hard to part with things I had invested not only money but time and energy into, but I’ve since realised that there’s loss itself in storing and hauling the same unappealing items in front of buyers too many times.
My top selling categories this past month were dresses, skirts, tops, and pants.
What’s Sitting: I actually sold a pretty wide variety of categories this month, including the small selection of coats I started putting out towards the end of the month. I had planned to wait until September to officially transition into my fall inventory, but I just couldn’t resist. I have soo many great pieces that I’ve been sitting on for months now, so I put out some leather and a few trench coats last week.
Sometimes I source things that I know I’ll never wear (not my style or my size) but feel strangely sad and sentimental about parting with anyways. I brought an absolutely magical Jean Paul Gaultier pleated velvet mini skirt into the shop last weekend and felt so hesitant even though it’s a size I haven’t worn in years not pregnant. Excited for whoever snags her!
What I’m Sourcing: In case you missed it (lol) - it’s my favorite time of year!!! While it isn’t actually fall for several more weeks, September marks the shift for shoppers, which also means the shift for sourcing. I’m on the hunt for fabulous outerwear (one of my favorite categories), vintage knitwear (specifically cotton & mohair), and leather.
In My Closet…
What I’m Buying: I didn’t shop much this month as I’ve pretty much honed in on my summer pregnancy style. I know that the seasonal change (and more growth!) will probably require entirely different wardrobe pillars in the coming months, so I restrained myself in August to allow myself more fall/winter purchases while I’m in Japan.
What I’m Wearing: I wrote about my pregnancy style here on Substack earlier this month! This piece was fun and kind of cathartic to write, so I’ll definitely be sharing more on dressing/navigating this new body.
My Pregnancy Style Isn't What I Thought It Would Be
Before this summer, I hadn’t worn low rise anything in at least 15 years.
On My Mind…
What I’m Reading: I feel like I spent my 20’s (incorrectly) feeling like I was too grown up to read “young adult” anything, a misguided and futile attempt at seeming wiser and more worldly. I’ve course-corrected in my 30’s. Yes, YA is obviously easy to read, but there’s also something about the coming-of-age style story that never fails to light up my brain. I’ve been reading Malinda Lo’s queer YA historical fiction Last Night at the Telegraph Club and really enjoying it. My bisexual little teenage self would have eaten this up.
What I’m Watching: I was obviously feeling crazy last month, because not only did I see two whole movies in theaters, but I went to see Only Yesterday by myself! If you’ve been around since the launch of my 100 Fashion Films Project, you’ll know that the whole reason I started it was because I’m so not a movie person. Though I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the journey, it has not transformed me into the movie-devouring cinephile I thought it might.
Only Yesterday was earnest, nostalgic, and bittersweet in a way that Ghibli always seems to capture so perfectly. While it isn’t joining the ranks of my all-time favorites from the studio, it was a really nice thing to go see alone and pregnant on a late summer evening.
I had never even heard of Spike Lee’s Girl 6 before my friend invited me to a screening at Nighthawk, and I left the movie genuinely puzzled by the lack of discussion around this movie. Here’s what you need to know: music by Prince, a fabulous (if campy) lead performance by Theresa Randle, and a whole bunch of ridiculous and hysterical cameos from the likes of Madonna, Richard Belzer, Naomi Campbell, and Michael Imperioli. Girl 6 has pretty bad reviews, which just makes me think that most people leaving online movie reviews are fucking boring and whiny.
On Display…
What I Saw: I took a guided tour of the Caramoor estate in Katonah, New York, specifically put together to feature the almost entirely custom-made wardrobe of former owner socialite (and renown theremin player!) Lucie Rosen.
Our tour group was, aside from me, my friend, and one other young-ish woman, entirely made up of very poorly behaved senior citizens. The elderly women of the group constantly interrupted the guide, incessantly chattering amongst themselves while she was talking and piping up with questions that our guide insisted she was about to answer if they could just listen. The elderly men complained that the tour was taking too long because the guide was talking too much, as if that isn’t the entire point of buying tickets to a guided tour. I’m honestly not sure which was worse.
Despite our truly insufferable little group, the tour itself was phenomenal! Highly recommended, not only for Lucie’s fashion, but for the property’s vast antiques collection and truly impressive spread of imported decorative arts. Rich people have always been pretty evil, but at least they used to have taste!
The tour is continuing through September on Fridays and Saturdays. The website describes it as “approximately 45 minutes,” but we didn’t wrap up for almost a full hour and half. I definitely wasn’t complaining, but just a heads up for timing.
What You Can See Outside of NYC:
🫧 (Auburn, WA) The White River Valley Museum is currently showing Boho, an exhibit about bohemian fashion co-curated with Articles of Interest host (and previous 100 Fashion Films Project guest!) Avery Trufelman. On view until November 1st. Thank you so much to Mary for bringing this one to my attention!
🫧 (Cincinnati, Ohio) The Cincinnati Art Museum has launched their permanent fashion and textiles gallery, featuring pieces from their collection of over 15,000 garments & objects! Amazing news for Ohio residents.
🫧 (Barnard Castle, England) Vivienne Westwood: Rebel - Storyteller - Visionary at The Bowes Museum closes on September 6th
🫧 (Venice, Italy) The Only True Protest is Beauty, the inaugural exhibition at Fondazione Dries Van Noten, is on view until October
🫧 (London, England) Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art is on view at the V&A until November
🫧 (Berlin, Germany) Many Shades of Grès Fashion Becomes Art is on view at the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin until November
🫧 (Antwerp, Belgium) The Antwerp Six is on view at MoMu until January 2027
🫧 (Belfast, Ireland) Ashes to Fashion is on view at the Ulster Museum until January 2027
🫧 (Getaria, Spain) The Givenchiaga Family is on view at the Cristóbal Balenciaga Museoa until February 2027
That’s all from me today! I have some great stuff lined up for you in the coming weeks, including a ~vintage hot take~ that I’ve had marinating in the soup of my brain for a while now. Chat soon!
Love these, as always! I'm visiting NY in a few weeks, so I'm adding a couple of these to my list. I wouldn't have known about them if it weren't for this newsletter, so thank you!
Also, for another exhibit outside of NY, Articles of Interest posted in their latest Substack that they curated a museum exhibit on Boho fashion. It's in Auburn, WA (about 45 minutes outside of Seattle). It runs until November! I love boho style from afar, but I am interested to see Avery's curation tying it back to medieval fashion. https://articlesofinterest.substack.com/p/medieval-rock-stars
Not sure if this in the same category of cool fashion exhibits, but In the same article, she shows some pieces from Stevie Nicks and Mama Cass that are at the Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle. I'm going on Friday to that one (to be honest, I've had no interest in going to that museum until I knew they had those types of pieces). Also, for anyone in Seattle that wants to visit that museum for fashion pieces, the Seattle Public Library offers free passes to that museum in a lottery system.