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New York City has more stores than anyone could physically tackle, but somehow we always keep returning to the usual suspects. To break out of the rut, we've asked some local shopping and fashion gurus to provide their hidden retail gems—those unique stores around our fantastic city that we might not all know about. Cue the Beatles: We're about to get a little help from our friends.
Image via Studio Bartleby
Sasha Haines-Stiles is a fashion PR and marketing executive who worked at Cynthia Steffe "for years and years," where she did everything from brand messaging to art directing photo shoots to implementing social media strategy to producing fashion shows. She's now taking a hiatus to write and consult on a slew of projects centered on art and design, food, health, and sustainability. Whenever she needs that special finishing touch for her apartment, she heads to Studio Bartleby in the Brooklyn Navy Yard.
My apartment wouldn't feel like home without its special finishing touches from Studio Bartleby, a boutique interior design studio in the Brooklyn Navy Yard that, in addition to curating spaces, makes soulful, socially conscious bespoke furniture and objects, often working with local fabricators and material sources. It's a working design studio, not a storefront, so you can't just show up and shop—but if you visit the website, you can check out a small selection of products and email to set up a consult.
Bartleby's founder, Mary Chan, is chic, intelligent and selective about her projects, and she imbues everything she creates with style and a carefully considered sense of purpose. As someone who loves fashion, I especially appreciate Mary's expertise when it comes to rich, modern textiles. She's a lifelong weaver and knitter who specializes in custom cloth, hand-knitted rugs, and site-specific draperies—like the linen infinity-loop curtains, hung on thick leather straps, that she designed and fabricated for my apartment.
I try to be eco-conscious, and I love that Bartleby makes thoughtful things that last and only get better with time. I'm saving up for one of her amazing wood-and-steel tables to take me and my kitchen through the next couple decades.
· Studio Bartleby [Official Site]
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