Famed Chinatown store Pearl River Mart, which was founded in 1971, has partnered with grassroots organization Welcome to Chinatown to launch “The Chinatown Collection,” which drops on August 14. The collection of items such as t-shirts, mugs, and tote bags are available online and in Pearl River’s stores in TriBeCa, Chelsea Market, and at the Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA). Pearl River’s president, Joanne Kwong says, “To me, Chinatown is one of the neighborhoods in the city that symbolizes New York in a nutshell. The hustle and bustle, the great food, the immigrant legacy, the multi-generational families and organizations, the tourists, all of it. So many neighborhoods have become overtaken by corporate brands and restaurant chains that it’s hard to find authentic New York. Chinatown is authentic New York.”
The neighborhood was one of the earliest and hardest hit parts of the city. The neighborhood took a downturn beginning in January, due to xenophobia and racism stemming from the spread of COVID-19. And now, along with restaurants and small businesses everywhere, the neighborhood is struggling to reopen as New York emerges from lockdown. It is estimated that one-third of all small businesses in NYC will close permanently as a result of COVID-19.
Shop for a great cause
MOCA lucky cat shirt
During the last five months, in spite of the hardship they have faced, the Chinatown community has also been an inspiring source of strength and resilience. Neighbors have come together to feed the community’s elders and most vulnerable, to patrol and clean the streets and help mom-and-pop businesses modernize and survive. Pearl River has partnered with the grassroots organization Welcome to Chinatown to design and produce merchandise for businesses at no cost to them. All proceeds will go back into the community, including 10% to the many inspiring charitable initiatives.
The first Chinatown Collection includes t-shirts, mugs, and tote bags celebrating beloved businesses like Jing Fong, Hop Kee, Nom Wah, Kopitiam, Fong On, Chinatown Ice Cream Factory, Congee Village, and Xi’an Famous Foods, as well as non-profit organizations like Museum of Chinese in America, and Think!Chinatown. Other collaborators include comic book artist Jerry Ma; filmmaker Ursula Liang; Designers For Good Measure and Wonton in a Million; and Pearl River Mart. New partners and items will be announced in coming weeks.
A Long Chinatown History
Kwong says, “Since Pearl River has 50 years of experience in designing, producing, and fulfilling merchandise, along with a robust e-commerce operation, we thought we could help provide an additional revenue channel for fellow businesses in the neighborhood. Most of them are restaurants or food purveyors, as opposed to retailers.”
She continues, “I also thought it would be powerful to see all the brands together. We joined forces with Welcome to Chinatown, a grassroots organization that was founded in response to the pandemic. They were designing merchandise for old school mom-and-pop shops but finding that producing and carrying the inventory was cost-prohibitive. We helped to bring those costs down and streamline fulfillment. We hope to add more businesses that our less digitally savvy and would welcome any introductions to businesses who would like the help.”
retail and residential neighborhoods in New York, the large, cast-iron buildings housed factories on the top floors that were used for light manufacturing of household items, lighting, textiles, and fashion accessories. Those goods were then sold in the ground floor retail spaces.
In the 1960’s manufacturing started to give way to artists, who moved into the gigantic lofts because of the tremendous light, and the minimal rents. Though much of SoHo is now more reminiscent of a large, open-air mall, there are still pockets on the outer edges that recall those early days. It is in one of those pockets that Michele Varian has her eponymous design shop.
“I started my business from my loft in SoHo,” says Varian. “I worked as a fashion designer so I wanted to do something that I could self-finance.” Since Varian had fashion experience she had an understanding of textiles and she started with a business that was primarily wholesale. “I started doing these installation-type pieces. I was helping a friend who was getting married in their loft so I made massive cutout scrims that looked like trees and enormous mobiles with transparent and frosted plexiglass discs that reflected the light. I sold those in my first store, but I was mainly doing wholesale business.” Then after September 11, she decided to buck the current trend and open a retail store on “sleepy Crosby Street.”
Image by Ryan Liu
“I was one of the first retailers on Crosby Street.
I made all of the pillows in the back of the shop, and I hired all of the seamstresses I had worked with in fashion.” Though she had a shop, Varian was mostly still selling her merchandise wholesale to stores like Barney’s, Nieman Marcus, and ABC Carpet & Home. Then the 2008 recession happened and things changed. “My showroom reps in Texas were doing tremendous business for me, and in the beginning of 2008 they abruptly shuttered. They had started to feel the pain from the recession before it happened here.”
In the meantime, ABC asked her to do a pop-up shop, and they placed her in a great location on the ground floor. “Up until 2008, wholesale carried the business, and I was a neighborhood store with regulars, a place where people stopped in to take a break. After 2008, my retail business took off, primarily because I have always had accessible as well as aspirational design. I never wanted to be one of those snobby SoHo shops where the staff glares at customers who don’t have enough money. We always had a neighborhood kind of vibe here.”
Curated Collection –
Michele Varian in her Howard Street shop (Above). Below, leather-clad mirrors and tableware by DBO Home, in front of wallpaper designed by Varian and printed by Chambord in Hoboken New Jersey.
Image by Ryan Liu
Today, Varian’s Howard Street shop features an extensive, and colorful pillow library in the basement. She also manufactures her own lighting line in the shop and has a line of wallpaper that she designs, which is manufactured in Hoboken, New Jersey. She just started working with Two Trees in Brooklyn to create a furniture line, and designs jewelry and objets d’art, as well.
The shop also holds a beautifully curated selection of items from other artisanal makers like Bloomist, and DBO Home, which is arranged through Guesst, a system of “pop shares” that she created with fellow Detroit native Jay Norris. The system allows existing retailers and small, artisanal brands to connect. “Even doing a pop-up can be wildly expensive for a small brand.
Image by Ryan Liu
We are hoping that Guesst will help brick-and-mortar stores to survive and still evolve with the changing times.” DT
Editor’s Note: Michele Varian has moved to 400 Atlantic Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11217. At the present time, the physical store is closed due to COVID-19, however online ordering is available.
In John Varvatos’s world, music and fashion combine to create a lifestyle brand for those about to rock.
by Deborah L. Martin photography by Andrew Matusik
JOHN VARVATOS IS A ROCK AND ROLL guy, and he arrives at his Bowery flagship store
for our 8 am call time looking the part: skinny jeans, leather jacket, stone-cold stare. It’s clear that he hasn’t been in the store in a while and he busies himself with his team, doing some merchandising. “I don’t want these shirts like this. People don’t shop this way.” He’s walking around the store doing something that people who know retail understand. He is shaking things up. When we sit down to talk, I nd that this is a phrase he uses often, and it’s something he is proud of. “In my company, we hire a lot of young people, in the design studio, in sales, in the stores. It’s inspiring to be around. I’m someone who loves change and I’m so in there with them. I just want to shake shit up. I say it all the time, it’s in my DNA.”
John Varvatos by Andrew Matusik
As it turns out, the stone-cold stare is the public face, and behind that is a warm, funny guy who is a bit verklempt, and grateful, for the way his life has turned out.
John Varvatos the brand, and John Varvatos the man are both known for their rock and roll edge—from the musicians who have appeared in his ad campaigns to the New York flagship location in the former home of CBGBs, Varvatos has managed to weave his passions together in a way that eschews the normal ebb and ow of “fashion.” He says, “Music was my energy force as a young kid growing up in Detroit, in a 900-square-foot home with seven people. My escape was to put my headphones on—it transported me someplace else.” That love of music is the baseline for everything he does.
“I don’t really use the word fashion,” he says. “I talk about style. Our designs are inspired by my sense of rebelliousness and toughness, which is what rock and roll stands for.” He knows his customer. “Our guys range from Wall Street and business people to music artists, but they all have that creative bone.” He continues, “We don’t think about fashion of the moment. For me, style is more timeless. Our customer doesn’t need something obvious. They are the anti-obvious.”
And what about those musicians?
“They are probably the smallest part of our business, but thank goodness we have them, because they add a cool vibe.” Varvatos has called on some of those rockers to star in his ad campaigns. “All those people have become friends. They do it because they want to be associated with the brand. There’s no real money of any consequence attached to it, but they like the association, they like me, and we have a relationship. Like anything else, it has to be good for everyone. and it is good for them, as well.”
John Varvatos by Andrew Matusik
The list of names who have appeared reads like a list of inductees at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Ziggy Marley, Ringo Starr, Kiss, Iggy Pop, Chris Cornell, Alice Cooper, Dave Matthews, Questlove, ZZ Top, Jimmy Page—the star-studded roster goes on and on. Varvatos says, “The guys from Kiss invited me to their farewell tour, and it’s the friendship that’s important. The thing I’m proudest and most humble about is that they consider me one of their own, and not just some fashion guy that’s trying to get rock stars to be in his ads.”Varvatos isn’t just “some fashion guy.” He started in Midwest sales for Ralph Lauren in 1983, and moved his way up the ladder, eventually taking a design post in New York. In 1990, he joined Calvin Klein, where he launched the menswear collection, the cK brand, and the hugely successful underwear line, in the process gifting the world with Mark Wahlberg in boxer briefs (which he invented by cutting the legs o long johns). After a short stint at London Fog, he rejoined Ralph Lauren as vice president in charge of men’s design for all Polo Ralph Lauren brands. In 1998 he joined Nautica Enterprises, who agreed to back his own brand, which launched in 1999
“These were great learning places for me.
I’m still close with Ralph and Calvin, and they respect what I do. When your mentors give you cred, it’s a humbling thing.” He chokes up a little when he says, “My wife ran into Ralph in the park and he told her, ‘I’m so proud of John, he really did what he said he was going to do.’”
He views the brand as a culture, and the Bowery store—once the site of one of the most infamous clubs in music history, CBGB & OMFUG—is a big part of that culture. “We are really thrilled with the people who come to visit the store because of its history. They want to come in and hang out and it’s all about the culture. That’s why we do concerts in the space. We clear out all of the clothes and turn it into a club again.”
John Varvatos by Andrew Matusik location WTC 3
In addition to the clothing, there is also the punk documentary produced with Iggy Pop, a music label, the annual Love Rocks concert for Gods Love We Deliver, relationships with AMFAR and Stuart House in LA, and a brand new tequila launch with friend, Nick Jonas. “I started the music label about four years ago, with Universal and Republic records. We signed the Zac Brown Band, and we had a multi-platinum album right out of the gate.” After leaving Universal, Varvatos teamed up with Scott Borchetta and created Big Machine John Varvatos Records. The label’s first band is a young group called Bad ower. Varvatos says, “They are one of the most incredible bands I’ve heard over the last 10 years. I was in LA in the spring and the kids were lining up for four hours before the show because they wanted to get the best place in the theater. When I saw that I had goosebumps. For me, it’s about helping young artists and their voice.” The label has just added another band out of Wales called Pretty vicious.
Varvatos friendship with Nick Jonas goes back to a dinner party where they were seated together.
“We realized we had a lot in common, including a love of tequila. The next day he called me and said ‘I’m in the recording studio and I’d like to play you some of the new music.’ When I got to the studio, there was a bottle of tequila sitting on the soundboard. For the next few hours, we drank tequila and talked about life.” The friendship developed into a fashion and fragrance collaboration and just this summer, villa One tequila was born. Varvatos says, “I’m proud of it, and of my friendship with Nick. He’s half my age but he has the heart and soul of someone who is much older.”
John Varvatos
The success of the brand, and his passion for music have taken him on a wild ride. “To quote the Grateful Dead, it’s been a long strange trip. It was never a plan.
I wanted to be a musician but I wasn’t a good musician, I didn’t have a great voice. But I lived through the music and organically this happened.” He continues, “We didn’t even talk about rock and roll when we started the brand. And then suddenly Jimmy Page is calling and telling me he’s coming to New York and says he loves my stuff and wants to meet up. These people become friends because we have a similar core ethos.”
Varvatos is at the top of his game, enjoying the adventure, challenging himself and his brand. “Success isn’t just about the product. It’s about what you do that’s different from the rest. If you don’t do something different, there’s no reason for being. I am so blessed. I get to do all of these cool things that I never could have dreamed of as a kid. I’m so blessed.”
Raquel Cion in Me & Mr. Jones, photo by Steven Menendez
Me & Mr. Jones: My Intimate Relationship with David Bowie is writer/performer Raquel Cion’s homage to the music icon’s artistry and his humanity, and to her own lifelong Bowie “soul love.” In her 90-minute cabaret performance at Pangea (178 Second Ave., New York), Cion takes us through her highs and lows, bracketed by David Bowie’s music, his life, and his death, told with humor, emotion, and passion. She describes her youthful misadventures growing up in Connecticut, her relationships, and her battle with breast cancer, and connects all of those things through the words and mysticism of an artist who meant so much, to so many.
The New York Times described Cion as “half witch… half cabaret performer,” and she lives up to that accolade. She is not an impersonator, or a cover artist. She seems somehow to embody the very spirit of David Bowie, the ultimate shape-shifter, the master of multiple personas, and the creative genius who challenged every single idea in the world of art, performance, music, and beyond.
Raquel Cion channels David Bowie, photo by Deborah Martin
Cion weaves her own story into the Bowie timeline, finding parallels with wry humor, sharing her pain, and her joy. She quotes Bowie, “I’m a born librarian with a sex drive,” and reveals that she is, in fact, a librarian. After the artist’s untimely death from cancer in 2016, Cion was diagnosed with breast cancer, and while being treated with radiation, she discovers that her tech’s name is Aladdin, like the Bowie alter ego, Aladdin Sane. She notes that during treatment she was a block away when Bowie’s art collection was auctioned off by Sotheby’s. She delights in the fact that her home in Brooklyn is in the same zip code as the Brooklyn Museum’s massive David Bowie Is retrospective, and slyly reveals that she found an error in one of the displays. Naturally she sought out the curator to inform him.
Cion is a true Bowie fan but this show is so much more than just a true fan’s tribute to a great artist. Her experience will resonate with anyone who has ever taken solace in music, with anyone who has been considered “other” in any capacity. It is a tale of love, and of finding something meaningful in a world that can sometimes work hard to strip away the meaningful things. Cion’s performance is theatrical and unapologetically emotional, and while the show is seen through the mournful lens of the death of David Bowie, it is also delivered with a spirit of joy, and a lesson about cultivating and celebrating individuality.
Me & Mr. Jones: My Intimate Relationship with David Bowie will return to Pangea on Friday, February 21 and Saturday, February 22, and again on March 13 and 14.
On January 14, Daredevil Tattoo Museum (141 Division Street) and Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum will be paying homage to the godfather of modern tattooing, Norman “Sailor Jerry” Collins, on what would have been his 109th birthday. From 12pm to 10pm, Daredevil Tattoo Museum will ink classic Sailor Jerry designs for $20 each. After getting inked, patrons can learn about the history of tattooing and Sailor Jerry’s work at the Museum. They can also continue to celebrate next door at Forgtmenot (138 Division Street), who will be serving Sailor Jerry Spiced rum and Ginger cocktails.
Sailor Jerry + Ginger Cocktails
Norman Collins joined the U.S. Navy in the 1930’s when he was 19 years old. He served in China and Japan, where he began to appreciate Asian-style art. But he learned how to tattoo before that, in Chicago. In 1942, after his tour of duty ended, he settled in Honolulu where he began to build his reputation as a talented tattoo artist in his now famous tattoo parlor on Hotel Street. He also played in a band, became a licensed skipper of a large three-mastered schooner, and hosted a radio show.
Collins pioneered innovations in tattooing such as inventing the color purple for ink, and promoting the use of sterile needles. He inspired future generations of tattoo artists, like Ed Hardy, Mike Malone, and Kazuo Oguri, with his distinctive artwork. When he passed away in 1973, he left his infamous shop to Ed Hardy and Mike Malone, with instructions that if they did not take over, everything was to be burned to the ground.
Sailor Jerry Rum
Daredevil Tattoo opened in 1997, when tattooing became legal in New York City. They feature artists working in different styles, and they are famous for their Friday the 13th tattoo days, where ink-aficionados line up for hours to get special designs for $13 and a “lucky $7 tip.” The museum attached to the shop features antiques and tattoo memorabilia that co-owner Brad Fink has collected over 27 years. The collection features items from the earliest days of tattooing history, like early tattoo machines, artwork, newspaper clippings, photos, and printed matter. The museum is now a 501(c)(3), NYC Tattoo History Inc, dedicated to the preservation of tattoo history, and to educating the public on this storied art form.
Custom color by Martin Kesselman, for Michele Mariaud Gallery at the Affordable Art Fair
The Pantone color of the year 2020 has arrived, and it is Classic Blue. More specifically, it is Pantone 19-4052, and we are all about this calming, elegant shade. For the past 20 years, Pantone has selected a color based on trends in art, interior design, fashion, automotive manufacturing, and tech, and this year they chose a reliable color, popular the world over, to offset the unrest in the world during these trying times. Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of Pantone’s Color Institute says, “When we look at the world around us, we know that we’re living with a lot of unrest, where some days we don’t feel quite as secure. Blue, from an emotional, psychological standpoint, has always represented a certain amount of calm and dependability. It’s a color that you can rely on.”
Martin Kesselman of INCOLOUR
Color expert and Downtown entrepreneur Martin Kesselman (INCOLOUR) says, “When times are a struggle, call on old reliable. Dress yourself, your space, your world, in that staple color suite. Decorate it with white clouds or a crisp top. Accent it with a brightly painted contrasting ceiling or skirting. Take a step outside, out of your box, out of your dwelling, out of your head. Return to nature and look up in sky for a sign of hope. Ironically, blue can be perceived as cool but it can also be heartwarming. The cure for a case of the blues seems to be Pantone Color of the Year 2020, Classic Blue.” He continues, “Our state of mind, and the State of the Union is looking bleak. Let’s go from seeing red and running hot to embracing blue.”
Larq in Monaco Blue
Product designers have always embraced the color, which works in modern, contemporary, and traditional settings.
The first Chinatown Collection includes t-shirts, mugs, and tote bags celebrating beloved businesses like Jing Fong, Hop Kee, Nom Wah, Kopitiam, Fong On, Chinatown Ice Cream Factory, Congee Village, and Xi’an Famous Foods, as well as non-profit organizations like Museum of Chinese in America, and Think!Chinatown. Other collaborators include comic book artist Jerry Ma; filmmaker Ursula Liang; Designers For Good Measure and Wonton in a Million; and Pearl River Mart. New partners and items will be announced in coming weeks.
