When Artists & Fleas first threw open it's doors in December 2003, the goal was to give the creative community a place to set up shop and meet their market. It was a place to create community and to give the local community a constantly changing place to hang out, check out and shop. Thousands of local artists, designers and collectors have called Artists & Fleas home at one point in time since 2003. And so in keeping with our tradition of getting people to meet their market and know the story behind the products, we've recently launched our Vendor of the Week (VOTW) feature (sign up for our weekly email blast on the right). What follows is this week's VOTW - the superfine power sisters that are the brains and spirit behind JuanaNYC.
How did you get started?
I started this project with my sister, we both love fashion and we’re always looking for alternatives to what’s out there for us. We have both lived in Argentina and travel there often and we noticed the styles and the colors are like nothing in New York. Buenos Aires is one of the most fashionable cities in Latin America and there are so many great independent designers! We had to bring a little of the style we love from there to Brooklyn.
How do you describe your business?
Our business is a celebration of where we come from. We believe that colors and patterns brighten your life. The garments are a unique experience, they are rarely re-created exactly the same way. Most of the designs we carry are unique pieces of clothing-designed from vintage, and patchwork fabric.
How long have you been doing it?
We started about a year ago—but we’ve always been surrounded by fashion, our grandparents were designers and our father also worked in the industry.
How did you learn to design?
We’re both mostly self taught - our grandparents were really helpful in teaching us the basics when we were younger. Right now our clothing is all from Argentine designers, once we get our website down we’ll start bringing in some of our designs.
Where do you seek inspiration when creating new designs?
Let’s just say we’re inspired by literature and the passion of the Romantics, there is something really eye opening in the words of Emerson---this is just a taste of what is to come on our website and in our designs!
What’s the most significant accomplishment since you started the business?
I think it has to be when one of our dresses made it to the Vienna Biennale. A local street-artist, revolutionary, Swoon purchased one of our dresses, she was part of a team of 30 Brooklyn artists to travel to the Biennale on trash containers, it was so radical and outrageous, we’re really motivated by people who want to make change.
What are the plans and hopes for the year to come?
We’re definitely going to have an online store very soon---before the fall season begins. And we’re very excited to present all of our new funky, fun lingerie. We hope to continue the relationships that we’ve made with our customers, we’re grateful for their loyalty so far and we promise that there are some great things coming ahead. We’d love to have our stuff carried in some local boutiques and in other markets.
JuanaNYC can be found at Artists & Fleas Indoor Artist & Designer Market every Saturday and Sunday 12-8pm or online at www.juananyc.com/index.html while they renovate their website.
