paris postcard: think pink

perennial beauty...

at the oldest covered market in paris, the marché des enfants rouges, in le marais

may 24, 2011

© anita aguilar

hell's kitchen flea, part 1: hey ladies

i haven't bought or dressed vintage in about 10 years, but was drawn to the hell's kitchen flea market out of curiosity (i.e. photo ops) and proximity. it was good summer day to stay in the city--a warm, but not burning sun, no humidity, a bit of breeze. spirits were sure to be lifted and, in any case, it would be an easy walk across town.

the hk flea is markedly different from the bk flea (where the delicious foodstuff is the point, for me) in that it is 90%, if not 95%,vintage, and reasonably priced. (i didn't think it was possible to find quality vintage at proper cost in this town any more? rumor is the legendary antiques garage in chelsea will be closing soon, and the vendors moving to hk. the garage always tested my patience--poorly lit, cramped and a bit dirty-- too hardcore vintage for me ). and it looks like a food truck is on the way (you knew it, right?). will be interesting to see how much the vibe at the hk flea changes, as it grows.

BUT there is a wonderful showroom, on the north side of west 39th, between 9th and 10th where small designers sell new and pretty things...

i met anna, a charming designer from northern spain who sells the lolos lolas lolitos line of shoes, bags, and tshirts at the market every weekend.

i am a bottoms up girl--i see shoes first and best. anna was offering cute thong sandals for $40, espadrilles for $50--if memory serves, bright summer colors (pinks and primaries), bold stripes, lace prints, tie-ups...i was distracted by these: wedges, with a buckle. see the stitching? handmade. love it. and the fabric--a silvery, but not flashy, metallic. cotton/canvas/comfortable.

i also had a wonderful time chatting with sally tseng, a designer whose line of well-tailored, sleek, and feminine pieces has been a hit with the young hollywood set.

she gently talked me through my issues with silk and short skirts (i generally avoid both) and got me to try on this simple, elegant racer-back number. within a minute--and for a song-- i'd doubled my summer dress collection. (now i just need somewhere to go? but no rush, i guess--this one is classic, perfect for summer, or layering in the spring or fall.)

she's working on her next collection, but in the meantime, find her--and anna-- at the flea. you will be happy you did...

all photos © anita aguilar

AMO the ARG: going to the market, going to the fair (recoleta, day 5- parte 3)

the feria plaza francia--aka, feria hippy--occurs every saturday and sunday, from 9am-7pm...this is like the markets that pop up in ny during the holidays in bryant park and union square, only much much bigger, and with more places to repose/recover.

made of recycled subway passes...(very BK)

handcarved mate jars and cheese plates

cute espadrilles! though i'll never buy this kind of shoe again.

i don't know about popcorn and candy apples. but it's eye-catching.

i picked up a couple of batches of these adorable pencils/crayons

daniel carballo makes these by hand using all natural products.

this is inio

he makes these cute wind-toys. if i had a yard with a tree...

love saying "panchos super pancho"

mmmm freshly roasted nuts...very tempting

but i opted for gelato...

and lazed around for the rest of the afternoon...

all photos ©anita aguilar

postcard: to market edition

selling buko (young coconut) at market! market! fort bonifacio, taguig.

market! market! is actually an indoor market (part of a larger mall) which features fresh produce and regional specialities.

at a roadside market at tagaytay

apparently, i missed an opportunity to try one of the best local candies. she tried hard to get me to buy freshly made rice flour sweets. suspicious tourist pays the price. tagaytay, philippines.

natural beauties

pretty eggs. lauded for their lusciousness by bill buford. pricey, too, at $10/dozen.

from the the lovingly tended araucana/americana hens of david graves, of berkshire berries.

union square greenmarket. march 21, 2009.