Good Morning & Hello Friday!

• Much to say about retail and inflation. (See #1 – 6 below)
• I’m also fascinated by the many Indian fashion boutiques popping up in NYC. I’ve written about it before but I’m picking up even more momentum for these brands and I need to learn more. Major thanks to my friend, Nisha Choksi (multi-disciplinary creative, focused on design, art, & fashion) for being such a great trend resource and for providing excellent insights and input on the market. (See #1 below).
• Another big trend: weight loss and sobriety. This week I caught an amazing interview with Billy Gardell on the Pete & Sebastian podcast (see #9 below). Gardell lost 138 lbs and his story is incredibly inspiring. It’s also heartbreaking to hear how being overweight restricted him from doing the many routine, small things we all take for granted. Highly recommend checking it out
• Finally, two museum shows that will influence fashion and design in major ways for years to come. I have not been able to find out if either exhibition is traveling but if you’re planning to be in NYC over the holidays put them on your to-do list. (#10 below).

And with that, please scroll down for more.

RETAIL

1. major expression of Indian culture in Retail, fashion, and restaurants.

1. This week, in Soho, I noticed Anita Dongre’s store on West Broadway. This is her second store in NYC. It made me curious because in September I had noticed an absolutely gorgeous Indian pop-up on my street (BisouNYC) – which I later discovered was part of the 1st Official South Asian New York Fashion Week.
2. I immediately reached out to my friend Nisha Choksi to ask if my perception of the growing influence and momentum of Indian culture was real. She provided numerous recent examples (see pics below). I cannot thank her enough for the info she sent my way. I’m digging in and following all the key players on Instagram – the learning has begun!

Key designers/ influencers/ events:

• Sabyasachi Mukherjee: India’s most famous designer and the world’s most influential creator of wedding wear. His luxurious new West Village store will introduce Americans to the painstaking art and exuberance of Indian weaves, embroidery, and craft. He’s also carried by Bergdorf’s. Clients have included Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas and he also dressed Isha Ambani, the daughter of India’s richest man, for her wedding festivities (Beyoncé performed!). (Source: Vogue)
• Falguni Shane Peacock: two of India’s top designers whose custom high-fashions are worn by prominent celebrities including Kal Penn, ClassPass founder Payal Kadakia, and reigning Miss Universe Harnaaz Sandhi. (Source: Vogue)
• Diwali has become a $15 billion market for retail and e-commerce companies, with fashion making up 20% of the total. 2022’s star-studded Diwali celebration, held at The Pierre in Manhattan, received extensive coverage both in America and India. (Source: The Cut)
• Major influencers and supporters of Indian fashion and culture include Anjula Acharia (Founder & CEO of A-Series), Alvina Patel Buxani (marketplace strategist), and Anita Chaterjee (CEO A-Game Public Relations).
• Maneesh K Goyal, restauranter, and co-owner of Sona New York is spearheading the move to put Diwali not only on the map but on an equal footing with Lunar New Year which is celebrated throughout the world by Asians and non-Asians alike.

2. Leap: the retail platform behind many of today’s coolest stores

1. Leap first got on my radar a few weeks ago when I noticed signs for a Fred Segal store opening in Nolita.
2. Leap was also just hired by Rohrer Realty Partners to bring five new retailers to the D.C. market including premium leather bag company Hobo, Naadam (a cashmere shop), and Rent the Runway. (Source: Georgetowner.com)
3. Other stores operated through Leap include A Pea In The Pod, Mack Weldon, MZ Wallace, Sugarfina, and ThirdLove. Key markets besides NYC and DC include Chicago, Miami, Coral Gables, Austin, Dallas, LA, Venice CA, SF, Scottsdale, and Boston.

3. Stores within stores

1. The newest small-format Kohl’s is having its official grand opening today (Nov 4) at Tacoma Mall. One of my retail friends has been flying out to Tacoma monthly and now I know why!!! Congrats Steven! Aside from Tacoma, stores will also be opening in San Angelo, Texas, Morgantown W.Va., and Lenox, Mass.
2. The Tacoma concept store includes a “Sephora at Kohl’s” shop (with another 250 set to open next year). The Tacoma store also has an active-lifestyle theme with a special focus on hiking gear from Columbia and Eddie Bauer. (Source: The News Tribune)
3. Target has tripled the number of “Apple at Target” shop-in-shops this year.
4. Walmart has “Claire’s stores-within-stores,” in more than 2,500 of its locations. They’re also working with Popable to rent retail space to small businesses for short-term leases.
5. Macy’s rolled out Toys R Us locations to all its US stores in the lead-up to the holidays. Great idea since they also sponsor the nationally-televised Thanksgiving Day Parade featuring the latest toys as balloons. (Source: Insider Intelligence)

4. Vallarta Supermarkets. Why can’t we get one in NYC?

1. Vallarta, a specialty market that caters to Latino communities, currently has 58 stores in California.
2. It offers a variety of items not found in typical supermarkets, e.g., a “tortilleria” for fresh tortillas made in-house daily, a bakery with dozens of Mexican pastries, and a meat and cheese counter with offerings unique to Vallarta. They also have a food court, with fresh carnitas, carne asada, and tamales.
3. And attached to the store is the Sayulita Tap Room. This sports bar is always packed whether for NFL games, international soccer games, or the biggest fights in boxing. (Source: DesertSun.com)

5. I’m back to online shopping. Here’s why.

1. I’d rather NOT be getting dozens of boxes delivered. BUT that’s not to be. Store shelves are largely barren. The only places where I can consistently find items like detergent, garbage bags, and cleaning items are in Chinatown. And although the prices are good and the shelves are fully stocked, the selection of brands is very random.
2. Maddeningly, in NYC (and many other major metros), politicians are committed to turning a blind eye to retail theft. Absolutely no repercussions for clearing out the entire store. It makes me CRAZY and nobody lifts a finger to stop it. Most recently saw it going down at that new Target I had such high hopes for, at CVS, and REI. The only place where an arrest was made was at Sephora and they will get more of my business as a result. Having security just stand by as shoplifters walk out with bags full of stuff makes no sense whatsoever.

6. Inflation!! How are you handling it?

1. I’ve become selectively more frugal esp. when it comes to grocery shopping and transportation.
2. At Whole Foods, a quart of milk went from $1.39 to $1.99, i.e., up 43% in a year! I’m increasingly seeking out NON-ORGANIC items because they’re much less expensive. And I’m buying more fruits in Chinatown where blueberries were $3.50 this week vs. $6.99 at Whole Foods.
3. Uber has gotten VERY expensive with so many surcharges. My last trip to JFK was $100 (without tip). It used to be about $60. NYC taxis have also gotten more pricey. As a result, I’m finding myself on the subway more often (even latish).
4. I buy so few clothes or shoes that I have not noticed any uptick there.
5. Where I am continuing my spendthrift ways (and I don’t care), is with restaurants. I just love going out to eat but even I’ve noticed it’s way more expensive. I have resorted to requesting the least expensive bourbon for my Perfect Manhattans and when drinking wine, I now look at the price of a glass, e.g., this week I opted for sauvignon blanc at $16 a glass vs. Sancerre at $23 a glass!!! And finally, I denied myself the white truffle pasta at Il Gattopardo but my dear friend Joe indulged and shared with me (for which I am enormously grateful). Sometimes you do just have to treat yourself (see video below).

HOLIDAY SEASON

7. Bryant Park Winter Village opened this week

1. Bryant Park’s Winter Village is always a fun time in NYC. Visitors and locals love it equally.
2. You can reserve skate time, you can shop, and you can eat and drink to your heart’s content.
3. NOTE: The Rockefeller Center Ice Skating Rink opens this Saturday, November 5.

8. Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade Balloon Inflation: Wednesday, Nov 23 (4-6 pm)

1. I’ve been turning out for the Balloon Inflation on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving for at least 15 years. It’s one of my favorite NYC Holiday Traditions.
2. Sadly, each year there are fewer giant inflatable balloons in the lineup (I’m sure it’s expensive).
3. That said, I will be there again on November 23rd and I will be on the lookout for Stuart the one-eyed Minion from “Despicable Me 2,” a new green dinosaur, an Apatosaurus, the debut of the animated sensation “Bluey,” and a new “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” balloon. Of the returning balloons, my favorites include “Ada Twist, Scientist,” Chase from “Paw Patrol,” the Pillsbury Doughboy, Papa Smurf from “The Smurfs,” “SpongeBob SquarePants” and Pikachu and Eevee.

HEALTH & WELLNESS

9. Billy Gardell lost 138 lbs and gained a new lease on life.

NOTE: There are many interviews with Billy Gardell on this topic but the BEST is this one on Pete & Sebastian’s podcast. It’s from .50 thru to the 28-minute mark. I’ve included a few of his comments below but highly recommend you watch/listen because it’s a truly remarkable story. (And I’ve got to warn you that Pete is not exactly my cup of tea but he’s worth putting up with to hear what Billy has to share with us.)

Billy Gardell weighed 350 lbs for much of his adult life. He recently LOST 138 lbs and shares how he did it, what prompted such a radical move, and the impact it’s had on him and his family.

• I feel like I got out of jail/ really grateful
• What prompted it was covid/ before vaccine
• The checklist of the people it might kill the quickest – I had a full bingo card
• Everything but over 65: smoking, sleep apnea, type 2 diabetes, obesity
• I was so big, I couldn’t move/ if i exercised I’d hurt myself
• Once hospitals were open to non-Covid patients, I went in and elected to have gastric bypass surgery
• It’s not a solution but it’s a bridge that gives you a tool to change your life
• You have to change EVERYTHING but if you do this, you get a new life
• My cholesterol is down, my blood pressure is down
• I gave myself an additional 25 years of life
• Not having to take a deep breathe when you tie your shoes
• i got to jump in the water with my family for the first time. as a fat guy who used to have to sit on the dock, it’s been revelatory
• I had never seen the armrest on a plane until this year
• and there’s more……HIGHLY RECOMMEND WATCHING/ LISTENING

ART: TWO BLOCKBUSTERS

10. Alex Katz at the Guggenheim and The Tudors at the MET

1. Alex Katz, at 95, is an inspiration. His wife, Ada, who is his most frequent “sitter” is a nonagenarian also.
2. This is an absolute knockout show (altho there are also plenty of Katz “haters” coming out of the woodwork).
3. I’m sure it will be traveling so keep an eye out for listings in your city. It’s up at the Guggenheim until Feb 20, 2023.

The Tudors at the MET

1. LOVED this show. And it’s exquisitely installed.
2. It will be up until January 8, 2023.
3. Anyone coming to NYC over the holidays – HIGHLY RECOMMEND

PREDICTION: Both of these shows will have an outsize influence on designers and decorators in the years to come. KUDOS to all involved.

And that’s a wrap, my friends!

This weekend, if I am correct, is the last time we will have to deal with the time change for Daylight Savings. And on that “timely” note, wishing you all a great weekend!