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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.
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Image via Love Shine
You might know fashion designer Claudia Gold goes by the name of her now-legendary graffiti artist alter-ego, Claw Money. For the past three decades, Claw$$$ (as she's known) has tagged the city with her signature paw. These days, she's taking her street cred upscale by creating a line of luxury lifestyle gear that has been worn by MIA, Santigold, Nicki Minaj, and Rihanna. Claw sells her stuff all over the globe, from Colette in Paris to Patricia Field in New York. But she still remembers her roots, frequenting one of the few remaining old-school shops in the East Village.—Yale Breslin
One of NYC's hidden retail gems is the last of the kooky, off-beat East Village stores, in the wake of Little Ricky's and Love Saves The Day. It's located on 6th Street at Ave B and called Love Shine. They make bags, accessories and other specialty items out of interesting and innovative fabrics (right in the store) and sell handmade Mexican trinkets that will make for a memorable gift.
In need of a Mexican wrestler's mask, an interesting mirror, and a pair of "Day of the Dead" earrings? Maybe you want a funny notepad, a unique baby onesie, or a bouquet of plastic flowers? Don't worry—they have you covered! This local business has been supplying kitsch to the hip since the mid '90s and is really the last of its kind in the newly and truly yuppie-fied Alphabet City.· Love Shine [Official Site]
· Claw Money [Official Site]
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