“Born outside of the Adirondacks, upstate NY, Rachael is the creator and editor of The Working Pair—an online editorial that showcases couples; their lives, love, work and the balance of it all. She went to Flagler College for Communication with a minor in Journalism and got her MA in Marketing from Regent’s College in London. She is also the founder of Human NYC, LLC. a front-end focused development shop for thoughtful design and has worked with clients such as Saturdays NYC, Coming Soon, Basic Rights, Tanya Taylor, Sandy Liang, Sight Unseen, Know-Wave radio.”
on her morning routine
I like to get up around 7:30 AM, Hugh and I snooze the alarm a couple of times. Shower, fight with my closet a bit. The walk through Chinatown and seeing all of the cheap, colorful fruits makes my day. Coffee from Happy Bones. They're family. Human NYC shares a studio space with RoAndCo. We do team morning stand-ups at 10 AM, and then get building websites and working on projects.
on her career path
I grew up with the lucky mentality that the sky's the limit. My parents always did the best that they could do to enable me to fulfill my goals, from playing sports to studying abroad, to going on scuba diving trips, to going to graduate school in London. I knew I wanted to work with people and talk; I also have a certificate in mediation. I graduated in 2009 with my MA and went home to upstate NY, I was substitute teaching and called my friends to see what they were up to, they graciously set me up in the city. I landed with a sublet on E. 7th and Ave. A, a bartending job and an interview at Gin Lane.
on creating her projects
I started The Working Pair as I couldn’t believe there were people in solid relationships in New York. I felt like there was a stigma that if you were in a relationship you were lame and not working hard enough on your own career path. I wanted to prove the opposite. You know when you meet two cool people and you’re inspired by them, and then you realize they're actually a couple and it blows your mind, that’s what I wanted to find. I started with Archie Coates (pluspool.org) and Emily Coates, from there the site has really been an extension of that friend group. I’m super grateful to work mainly with photographer Meredith Jenks, and started out by shooting with Ryan Patterson. The Working Pair is truly a labour of love.
““Modoc” is the best book ever written! “Plein Air” is designed well and visually beautiful. “Riposte” is the epitome of my zine obsession. I have to limit my trips to McNally Jackson and Bouwerie Iconic.”
on creating opportunities
I left Gin Lane in 2013. I felt a surge of entrepreneurial spirit and wanted to go for it. I started theworkingpair.com and opened a gallery on Meserole and Manhattan Avenues in Greenpoint with my dear friend Jill. We curated female focused shows and printed two zines, one with Akila Berjaoui solely of her work and the other entitled, “The Babe Show” highlighting creative women around us. In 2014 my now technical partner Michael, left Code & Theory where he had been after Gin Lane (where we met originally) and we started working together again on websites. The gallery allowed me to work in a more tangible way, but with both curating shows and building websites I get to work with people by providing a platform to showcase their work and grow their business. I realized at Gin Lane how meaningful it is to work with friends. Once you’ve been in the trenches together, you establish this trust that makes it so easy and fun to do work as a team.
on her favorite job
My favorite job was at an Ace Hardware store called Coakley's. I like working, I started working at a young age babysitting, I also like painting walls and garage doors. I did an internship with my Aunt's company in DC and learned a lot about production! I went into Gin Lane on a Friday and kind of jumped in on a Monday. I had a Blackberry and a PC, and Gin Lane's founder Emmett immediately took me to the Apple store. We built websites for clients so I quickly realized that designers and developers were my keys to success. I enjoyed working with our internal team and managing our external clients. I also got to shoot content and help to build @adidasWomen with social media and digital strategy.
TOP, SANDY LIANG ; PANTS, ZARA ; BAG, Loeffler Randall ; Shoes, Teva ; Sunglasses, crap eyewear
““Apartmento” is my favorite magazine on this planet. When I left Gin Lane, I wanted to move to Barcelona to work for them, their aesthetic is perfect. Cass Bird is one of my favorite photographers.”
on her beauty routine
We recently launched theklog.co so I got into Korean skincare. I really like sheet masks! I use Glossier tinted moisturizer for that dewy look end-goal. I like to stay hydrated and listen to my skin. It looks best when I have been outdoors, not showered for a couple of days. As for tips, never wax your eyebrows, wear sunscreen (hi mom, I'm 29 and now realize this), DRINK WATER, smile, try to get rest, a little oil on the ends of your hair. I think confidence is everything, which comes from within.
I also recommend Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer, Lucas Papaw Ointment, Glossier Priming Moisturizer, MISSHA Time Revolution Night Repair Science Activator, MISSHA Time Revolution The First Treatment Essence, and Glossier Balm Dotcom.
on her shopping habits
I like to rep the brands that we work with! And I want to work with people that have brands we believe in. I wear Negative Underwear, Datura, Sandy Liang + pieces picked up from travels like my long black skirt from Berlin or red Kimono from Toronto, high waisted mom jeans, t-shirts from friends like Laferrera.pizza and acid.camp. I also wear all of my dad's old jackets, a white cable knit soft Woolrich sweater from my mom, a Timex from my brother and my Grandad's Pendleton's. My style is cozy. In an ideal world I am wearing all Rachel Comey, Apiece Apart, Acne Studios, The Row.
“I like brainstorming, art, reading, interacting with people, conveying messaging, marketing for me was like building a fire for ideas. ”
TOP, SANDY LIANG ; PANTS, ZARA ; BAG, Loeffler Randall ; Shoes, Teva ; Sunglasses, crap eyewear
rachael's favorite books and magazines
Riposte Magazine, Apartamento Magazine, Plein Air Magazine, Modoc by Ralph Helfer, Cass Bird: Rewilding by Cass Bird
rachael's favorite places in nyc
Happy Bones for coffee
Mr Fong's for a bar
Rintintin for dinner
Madhufalla Organic Juice & Smoothie Bar