Meet NYC passerby, Jasmine Imani, the Co-Founder of Collective XX, a collective of women creatives specializing in everything related to social media.
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in Beautician
Meet Zoe Beyer
in Marketer
“Born in Santa Monica, Zoe studied film and U.S. history at Wesleyan University. She has lived in New York for six years and worked in marketing and social media at A24 for 3.5 years. Some of the campaigns she has worked on include Ex Machina, Amy, Room, The Witch, The Lobster, and Swiss Army Man.”
on her morning routine
I spend the first 5 minutes of every day in bed with my cat. She responds to her name so I can usually summon her from across the apartment. I feel great when I exercise before work so I try and do that a couple times a week. On the other days I spend the morning reading news (New York Times and Deadline) and catching up on articles I've saved throughout the week, usually from Jason Hirschhorn's Mediaredef emails and Ann Friedman's weekly newsletter, or things I've found on This. or Rex.
I get dressed and ready as quickly as possible. I try to look my best but I resent the effort it takes. The "getting ready" process is my least favorite part of being female. Getting unready is wonderful though. I love getting home from work, cleaning my face and putting on mask.
“I fell in love with movies in middle school. I got in trouble a lot but my parents were nice enough to recommend films to watch while I was home grounded. My dad told me about “All About Eve” and “The Third Man” and I just went down a rabbit hole from there. ”
on the start of her career
Before A24 I could not have told you what movie marketing was. I thought the only interesting jobs in film had to do with getting movies made. So I started interning at A24 while I was waiting to hear back from graduate programs. I was trying to go back to school and study film production. A24 was a new company with less than 15 employees. This was before Spring Breakers came out. I was at the front desk answering phones and at that point there was no one running their social media accounts so I took that on. By the time I heard back from schools I’d created a role for myself at the company. I thought if I waited for the right time I could turn what I was doing into a job. So I stuck it out a couple more months and they hired me. Getting a foot in the door at the right time was very serendipitous but once I was “in,” I could tell the company was doing something special and I wanted to be part of it. I remember reading about something Eric Schmidt told Sheryl Sandberg when he was convincing her to join Google. "If you’re offered a seat on a rocketship, don’t ask what seat. Just get on.” This is all to say I did not set out to work in marketing.
“I’m one of those people who picks at their face the second there’s a blemish. It’s compulsive and insane behavior. Even though I know it will make things worse I still do it. It could be right before I’m going to a wedding there’s literally no stopping me. So I’ve started getting 30 minute facials once a month at a place by my office called Heyday. It’s helped a lot and I don’t pick as much.”
on her beauty routine
It's easy to get caught up in the idea that there's some perfect beauty routine that will leave you looking amazing but I don't think that's true. I've settled on a few products that seem to work for me. I have dry skin and I've found Vintner's Daughter face oil at night and Glossier Priming Moisturizer in the morning keep things balanced and hydrated.
I also recommend Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer, Natural Sage Deodorant by Weleda, Rodin Olio Lusso Perfume, Jurlique Balancing Foaming Cleanser, and Biafine.
on her shopping habits
I like wearing things I can move around in. I'm usually in jeans and sneakers or comfy pants and flat shoes. Black is my favorite color, so I've accepted there's probably always a bit of cat hair on me. One day I hope to design a portable lint roller that comes in a plastic case so it won't stick to the inside of your purse. I would market it to fashionable cat-ladies. I don't have a lot of go-to stores but I can always find something at No. 6. I love Duo for vintage.
top, carson potter ; pants, vintage (from duo) ; shoes, converse ; bag, clare v.
zoe's favorite books
The Beach by Alex Garland, Wise Blood by Flannery O'Connor, The Body in Pain by Elaine Scarry, I Love Dick by Chris Kraus, The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin
zoe's favorite places in nyc
MIMI on Sullivan Street is my favorite neighborhood spot to get a drink. I like their Negronis and flourless chocolate cake.
Souen is great if I'm in the mood for something clean and healthy. The best burger is at Raoul's on Prince Street. You can order it at the bar and it comes with a side of fries and au poivre sauce.
When I'm meeting someone for work I like getting a coffee or tea in the library at the Nomad hotel.
Nails/waxing: Tenoverten. It's so close and open until 10pm!
Meet Eva Goicochea
in Entrepreneur
“New Mexico-native raised in California. Éva has been in New York for three months (went to FIT many years ago.) She moved her with her husband to live in a walking city, get some seasons in, soak up the museums and culture and generally just go the opposite way of most folks. She is the founder of a design studio and a watch company, Tinker Watches. She has a band of animals. ”
On her morning routine
After putting my contacts in (I'm blind otherwise), I go to the kitchen and take out the Vitamix for a green smoothie, flip the switch, and then prep breakfast for all of our animals while they stare at me impatiently. Then I make a cup of tea, get ready (SPF is a must), and sit down to work. Ian (husband) is on dog walking duty so I wave goodbye as they make their way down the street.
on her background
I studied advertising and marketing at FIT and then organizational communications. At the time, there was no Squarespace, no social media, but I have always been into computers and found myself designing websites for friends. Now I run my own branding and web studio while working on Tinker and Maude.
on breaking in the industry
I joined the Everlane LA team early on as the social media manager. At the time, our office was in the loft of an art bookstore next to a strip club on Hollywood Blvd...cut to fast growth and a big new HQ 1.5 years later. Not wanting to make the move up to SF where everyone was relocating, I left. I started freelancing, missed being at a product company, and decided to build a watch line with three amazing people. Our first round arrives in a few weeks.
“Amongst an assortment of books from New Mexico—where I’m from—and books on engineering and design (Ian’s an engineer) is this old Shel Silverstein book from my childhood. I can pretty much reference his poems for every situation. Anyone remember Something Missing?”
On what she is working on
I'm also developing a modern condom company called Maude that speaks to all sexes. Sex is universal. Condom marketing isn't. We're in the middle of product development now, but we're hoping to launch later this year.
on shopping and style
I have a lot of basics and try to stick to a muted uniform since my work life requires a lot of creative decisions. Think Steve Jobs: simple, comfortable, sometimes boring. I buy at Everlane, Need Supply, and COS, and have been popping into Anthom and Frankie now that I'm in New York.
on her beauty routine
Daily, I use organic face wipes, anti-aging serum, then an SPF moisturizer. Every week, a face brush to exfoliate. As for makeup, I keep it simple: A swipe of mascara, maybe eyeliner so I don't look too tired, and a lip/cheek stain.
on her pets
I got our eldest dog in New York while in college. The others Ian and I got together through a series of foster failures over 8 years through volunteering with a rescue. We refer to our home as the Goicochea Home for Geriatric Animals.
on her furniture
We have a mix of vintage finds and pieces from the usual suspects: Room & Board, CB2, etc. I call our aesthetic Georgia O'Keefe-goes-to-Sweden: A nod to our Southwest heritage, but minimal and monochromatic.
Meet Brianne Wills
in Photographer
Originally from Portland, Oregon, BriAnne has lived in Prague, Ukraine & Shanghai for the past few years. She moved to NYC last year with her husband, and is currently working as a fashion photographer. She is also the creator of Girls and Their Cats.
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Meet Kyla Marshell
in Writer
“Kyla is a graduate of Spelman College and the Writing M.F.A. at Sarah Lawrence College. She lives in New York, where she is working on a memoir about a chance encounter with a distant relative that leads her to research her family’s origins. Her poetry and prose have appeared in Blackbird, Gawker, the Guardian, O, the Oprah Magazine, the Poetry Foundation, SPOOK Magazine, Vinyl Poetry, and elsewhere. Her work has earned her numerous honors, including a Jacob K. Javits Fellowship.”
♫ LISTEN TO KYLA'S PLAYLIST | LAST GOOGLE SEARCH
Streetstyle Details: Top, Forever 21 ; Jeans, H&M // PHOTOGRAPHY BY Michelle Peralta
“I started writing very young—in Kindergarten. I really enjoyed doing it, and was celebrated for it, so I just kept going. I started writing poetry as a teenager, and over the last few years, I became serious about writing creative nonfiction. I am also a freelance writer which I do with equal parts pride and annoyance.”
“My morning routine is very, very basic. I shower, dress, and eat breakfast. I usually listen to music as I get dressed; if it’s Tuesday, I’ll listen to the Another Round podcast or 2 Dope Queens.”
“I’m writing a book that explores the relationships with family I’ve met later in life, and by surprise—everyone from siblings I’d never met to a white cousin (who didn’t know she was black!). There’s a travel element to it—going to my ancestral homeland to meet some of these people, dig through old court records; there’s secret identities, murder. People keep asking me if this is a novel, but it’s actually my life.”
Kyla's favorite book
“I picked Letters to a Young Poet because it is my personal secular art bible. It’s gotten me through some very tough times, when I felt lost, or confused, or alone. Over and over, I’ve said to myself that great, famous quotation from Letter 4: “Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books that are now written in a very foreign tongue. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer.” I’ve been slowly embroidering that quotation onto a ribbon as well.”
“For better or worse, I don’t have a real beauty routine. I would like to think this is because I am a “natural beauty”—but really, I don’t get into products, because I don’t want to be dependent on them. My hair pretty much looks the same no matter what I do or don’t do to it, but I try to moisturize it, at least, with shea butter and oil. I wear tinted moisturizer, eyeliner and blush—more so for myself than for the appearance (I doubt I look much different with so little makeup on). I try to make sure things are paraben-free, and as simply made as possible.”
“Simple is better. Whenever I’m nervous about going somewhere or meeting someone, thinking, ‘Should I put on more makeup?’ I just remember that no one ever liked me because I had on mascara.”
“Because I’m old inside, I have always shopped at a lot of vintage or consignment stores. For a while, I was using Stitch Fix to find new clothes. I don’t have pierced ears, so I wear a lot of vintage earrings—I like Pippin Jewelers in Manhattan. I’m inclined to wear solid colors instead of prints or patterns—I prefer textures.”
SHOP HER WISHLIST
RECOMMENDATIONS
✓ Four & Twenty Blackbirds this pie shop in Brooklyn is divine
✓ Ample Hills Creamery ice cream (I’m very into fancy ice cream.)
Meet Mira Moore
Mira was born and raised in Fairfield, Iowa. After receiving her BFA in Visual Communication Design from SAIC in 2013, she moved to New York and now currently lives in Brooklyn. Mira is the graphic designer at CMA and also runs Sanguis Ornatus, her leather body wear line. This fall she will be launching Cixous72 with her business partner Elizabeth Scott, an online boutique and collective that showcases artists and designers.
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Meet Helen Levi
in Ceramist
Meet NYC Passerby and ceramist, Helen Levi. She left to go to Oberlin in Ohio where she studied photography, and then moved back home when she graduated. She now makes ceramics in her new studio in Red Hook.
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Meet Kayla Tanenbaum
in Writer, Dog Walker
“Kayla Tanenbaum is a freelance writer/dog walker. She was born, raised, and educated in New York City, and is currently pursuing an MFA in Creative Nonfiction at Columbia University. She is the Editor at Large of Enchantress Magazine and runs a dog walking service called KTpups. She dabbles in photography and ukulele.”
Jacket, JOIE ; Jumpsuit, REIF HAUS
Jacket, JOIE ; Jumpsuit, REIF HAUS
on her morning routine
If I let myself, I would sleep until noon every day. I need to ease into mornings, so I set my alarm for two hours before I want to be out of bed, spend an hour pressing snooze, and 40 minutes watching TV. Back before Stewart left and Colbert moved on, that meant watching The Daily Show and The Colbert Report every morning. I’m still reeling from that loss and figuring out my morning shows.
on getting her start
In college, I interned for a couple of magazines and at a literary agency and loved it. But I didn’t have the guts to pursue my own writing so I thought I would encourage it in others: I wanted to be an agent for a while, then I worked as a high school English teacher. I realize if I don’t try now, I will always wonder what could have been, so I left my teaching gig (which was very difficult to do) and applied to graduate school. I’m thrilled to say I’ll be going to Columbia for my MFA. I’m beginning to work on a book about people who live off the grid in various ways for various reasons (religion, anti-technology, etc.) and form alternative communities. I also write regularly for Man Repeller and Interview Magazine.
on being a dog walker
I have a dog whom I adopted after fostering him through Social Tees Animal Rescue. I still work with them, taking photos of dogs who need forever homes, but I realized I could make money doing something I love, hanging out with dogs and getting outside, so I launched KT Pups. More importantly, if I write all day, I’ll either get nothing done or spend the entire day in my own head, which is overwhelming and exhausting. Being responsible for other people’s pets gives me a way to break up my day and get outside. I don’t think I could write if I didn’t do something physical and not so introspective. I hate going to the gym, so I ride my bike to the clients’ houses and walk or jog for an hour. Nothing clears my head for writing like cleaning poop off the street.
“Why be Happy When You Could be Normal is a memoir by Jeanette Winterson. I’m about to get my MFA in nonfiction writing, so I’ve been reading the best of the best in first-person writing and feeling jealous, inadequate, and inspired. Jeanette Winterson is an fucking genius. She wrote an autobiographical novel Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit based on growing up a lesbian in a Pentecostal family in England. I loved the novel, but I’m partial to nonfiction. When I’m reading, I always underline the lines I wish I had written, and this book is basically black with pen underlinings because every single line is that good. She talks about her childhood in more detail here, but my favorite parts of are the sections on her writing life: what it took to write Oranges, her mother’s response, how she fell into books as a child and maintained that love. Her writing is so elegant and specific, not plainspoken at all, let entirely unpretentious. I had a very different childhood from her, but this book hit me in my inner most core. Plus, that title.”
on her shopping habits and style
I really love minimalism in interesting proportions. I tend to wear neutrals or earth tones (except bright red; I love bright red). I very much want to be a Maryam Nassir Zadeh girl. I also love Rachel Comey and Creatures of Comfort. I prefer to shop at independent boutiques (though I don’t think I’ve ever exited a Zara empty-handed). Two of my favorite stores in NYC are The Rising States and American Two Shot. They don’t really fit into this minimal aesthetic, but where I always go if I want something no one else will have, which is obnoxiously important to me sometimes. I also love the stores Sincerely, Tommy in Bed-Stuy and Otherwild in the LES. Online, I love Staud and Needsupply.
on taking the time for herself
I learned to surf in Rincon, Puerto Rico. I signed up for a women’s-only retreat at Samatahiti and we lived in tents (actually, more like yurts) and surfed for four hours/day. I feel in love with the physicality of surfing. I’m so in my head, by nature and by virtue of my day job, but while surfing, especially while learning to surf, there’s no room for rumination or neuroses. I think it’s really important to have a hobby you do only for you, not for any sense of recognition or ambition. For me, that used to be photography, but now I'm working towards getting some stuff shown, so my photography is kind of wrought with ambition as well. I’m a decent surfer, but I’ll never be actually good. That's the best part. It’s really just for me, just for fun. I’m going to the Rockaways to surf in a few weeks, then I’m heading to Panama for another women’s retreat.
Top, Georgia Alice ; Pants, Vintage Levi's
“Tumbleweed Connection is Elton John’s third album. It’s his take on Americana and country western themes. I’m from a New York City Jewish family who can never be outdoors because of our confusion and allergies, but for some reason, I’ve always been really drawn to the West. I love how well Sir Elton captures the spirit while being so damn English. He feels like an outsider to the themes in the same way I do. I love to go record hunting with my parents because it reveals to me they actually have great taste in music even though growing up they played the same Crosby Still and Nash album in the car for about 10 years. They gave away their record collection but recently bought me a bunch of albums they loved when they were younger, including this one. I thought Elton John was only “Tiny Dancer,” “Candle in the Wind,” etc. but this album has totally changed my mind about him. I’ve practically worn it into oblivion by listening to it so much.”
on her beauty routine
I wash my face at night with a white washcloth. I bought a pack of 20 for maybe $5 dollars. They’re kind of rough on my face, which feels exfoliating, and are much cheaper (and more hygienic) than a clarisonic brush. Plus, because they’re white, you can really see when the makeup/city pollution is totally gone. A friend introduced me to Vintner’s Daughter. I bought the Vintner's Daughter Active Botanical Serum, which is by far the most expensive beauty product I’ve ever purchased. I use two drops/night mixed with moisturizer so it really lasts and my skin feels great. I used to be a product junkie — and such a sucker for packaging — but I started reading Paula’s Choice makeup blog and more articles about the beauty industry, and realized that most products are just gimmicks. I love trying new red lipsticks but when it comes to skin products, I don’t really believe the hype.
I love red lipstick on a bare face. It’s such a strange blend of trying really hard and not trying at all. I do a bold lip, fill in my eyebrows with Glossier Boy Brow and Benefit Gimme Brow, and if I’m going out at night, add some RMS Beauty Living Luminizer or Hourglass Bronzer in a C shape around my brow bones. Maybe I’ll still inspired by those Juergen Teller for Celine ads with Daria Werbowy, or maybe i’m just so sick of photoshop and Facetune on everyone’s selfies, but I think under-eye circles and freckles are so chic. I want my skin to look like skin. I really want to have a Signature Look, so I’m trying to only be photographed in lipstick, like Milk Makeup Lip + Cheek or Glossier Generation G Lip. I also recommend YSL Touche Eclat.
Jumpsuit, REIF HAUS ; Shoes, Urban Outfitters
“Before I moved, I pinned everything I liked onto a Pinterest board I called “be my house plz,” (which you can check out) and went through it, looking for patterns. It turns out I liked midcentury modern furniture, an aggressively neural palette, oriental rugs, and lots of plants. If you had asked me what I wanted my apartment to look like, I would have said something way more ornate and bohemian. So my advice is: you might be wrong about what you think you want. Look for what you’re drawn to, not what you say you’re drawn to.”
kayla's favorite books
Yoga For People Who Can't Be Bothered To Do It by Geoff Dyer, Teaching A Stone to Talk by Annie Dillard, The Folded Clock by Heidi Julavits, Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal? by Jeanette Winterson, Sex and Landscapes by Helmut Newton
kayla's favorite records
Tumbleweed Connection by Elton John, El Camino by The Black Keys, Walkin' This Road By Myself by Lightnin' Hopkins, Still Crazy After All This Years by Paul Simon
kayla's favorite places in nyc
Mill Korean: tiny restaurant near Columbia, every time I go it's mostly Korean people, which I take as a great sign.
Lincoln Plaza Cinemas has the best films and baked goods.
Top & Shoes, Zara ; Pants, Rachel Comey ; Bag, Loeffler Randall
Meet Lizania Cruz
Born and raised in the Dominican Republic, Lizania Cruz is a New York-based designer working in fashion, arts and advocacy. Before moving to New York she worked at Anthropologie where she helped design their global brand language. She now works as a Graphic Designer for the Language Dept with clients ranging from food startups to nonprofits such as The American Cancer Society. Her work has been recognized by AIGA, Type Directors Club, Communication Art among others. Most recently, she launched her own jewelry line, Bagavundas.
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Meet Olivia Fleming
Olivia is a writer and editor, working for online publications like Vogue.com and Elle.com, as well as a jewelry designer. (Shop her newly launched mood rings here.) Born in New Zealand, Olivia moved to New York for the first time in 2008, but then relocated to Sydney in 2009. She eventually moved back to NYC in 2011 and has been there since.
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Meet Jenna Rosenberg
in Artist
East Coast born and raised, she settled in New York for School. Now she parses her time between her Clinton Hill studio and assisting the painter Bjarne Melgaard.
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Meet Lauren Nikrooz
in Set Designer
Meet NYC passerby, Lauren Nikrooz. Her commercial work has been with campaigns for Beats By Dre, along with editorial for such as Dazed and Confused, W Magazine and Vogue. Her latest film work has been working alongside Matthew Barney on his River of Fundament and Marina Abramovic.
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Meet Molly Young
in Writer
Molly was born in San Francisco and now lives in New York, in a tiny Chinatown apartment. She is a contributing writer at the New York Times Magazine, a director at Warby Parker, and the co-founder of Compliments Of, a high-concept calling cards business.
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Meet Steph Krasnoff
in Entrepreneur
Meet NYC passerby, Steph Krasnoff. In 2012 she opened American Two Shot with her childhood best friend, Olivia.
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Meet Aretha Sack
in Entrepreneur
Meet NYC passerby, Aretha Sack. Born and raised in Austin, Texas, Aretha studied painting at California College of the Arts, where she met her business partner Janine, after selling her a custom nail polish she had made. They founded Floss Gloss Ltd in San Francisco in 2011 over a mutual admiration of each other as well as of fashion, music, color and nails.
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Meet Mandisa Wright
Meet NYC passerby, Amy Rose Quichiz, a health educator and activist who founded the collective Veggie Mijas to educate people of color on food justice and the benefits of veganism and vegetarianism.
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Meet Lindsey Mills
in Musician
Born and raised on sunshine and DIY in south Florida, Lindsey has been performing music for most of her life. She self-released several original works before she went on to study poetry at University of Florida. Her first full-length release, Stonefruit (2013) marked her arrival in Brooklyn, where she currently plays music for both adults and children.
INSTAGRAM | WEBSITE | ♫ LISTEN TO LINDSEY'S PLAYLIST
STREETSTYLE DETAILS: Jacket, Vintage Wrangler ; Top, Holly Hunt Band T-Shirt; Skirt, Vintage ; Shoes, GAP ; Bag, Matt & Nat
Top, Gryphon ; Shorts, Vintage Levi's cutoffs.
“If I had to try and sum up my style, I think I’d call it ‘Punk Nanny’. Patterns make me happy, but I like to pretend I’m really tough too.”
Dress, Suno x Uniqlo
“Right now my favorite pedal is the Corona chorus effect because it’s so distinctive and ‘80s-sounding.”
“Mornings are my favorite: I write as soon as I wake up, then make a personal French press and try to practice guitar until it’s time to go to work. I take care of a sweet three year-old little girl. Much of our day together consists of coloring, dancing, and playing at the park. And when I get home, I’ll cook up something full of veggies.”
Top, Gryphon ; Shorts, Vintage Levi's cutoffs.
“My whole family is musical. My dad taught me how to play guitar, and is a total gearhead, so he’s really the mastermind of my setup.”
Dress, Suno x Uniqlo
Dress, Rachel Comey
Lindsey's Pedals ; Corona Chorus Effect, Boss Digital Delay, Ibanez & Polytune Tc Electronic
Some of Lindsey's favorite books
Top, Gryphon
“My mom is a professional singer and she published this book about how to make it as a singer in a local market. Maybe I’m biased, but I think it’s full of great advice and return to it often.”
“This is the best coffee table book ever. It’s just pictures of people dancing with their cats. My cat and I are working on our routine.”
Lindseys favorite records
Lindsey's favorite beauty products
“Matt & Nat make simple, beautiful, vegan bags, and often out of recycled materials too.”
Bag, Matt & Nat
Dress, Rachel Comey
Shoes, Shoesone
“I was obsessed with these Miu Miu platforms, so I bought these cheap knockoffs. I’ve actually never worn them out!”
Rings, Pamela Love & Vintage
Top, Forever 21 ; Pants, GAP
Top, Forever 21 ; Pants, GAP.
“My backyard is basically my rehearsal space.”
Dress, One Clothing
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Meet Rachel Howe
Meet NYC Passerby, Rachel Howe, an Artist and Spiritual Advisor. Since attending Parsons, she started her own business making functional ceramics under the name Small Spells, and after two and a half years with ceramics as her full-time job, she is now moving on to working on many other projects, mainly design projects and healing services.
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Meet Grace Miceli
Grace is an artist and curator living in Brooklyn. She runs Art Baby Gallery, an online exhibition space that as well as her clothing line, Art Baby Girl. Currently, Grace is working on publishing a book of her illustrations through Belly Kids Press.
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Meet Ellen Van Dusen
Ellen is the designer of Dusen Dusen, a line of womenswear and home decor. Known for its original bold prints, Dusen Dusen is developed and inspired each season by fine art, commercial and naive design, and the brain’s reaction to movement, color, and contrast.
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