Crystal Slipper
It is the witching hour of ghosts, demons. It is pitch dark outside. The windows reflect the interior of the consignment store only. It is nighttime. I am prone to superstition and though, the witching hour occurs at midnight, in the suddenly black winter evening, the hour of the supernatural is here. The sun sets in late afternoon, leaving us alone with black magic by six o’clock.
To dress-up is our only protection in the silent hour. We are fashionable, or aspire to be. We wear a twenty-first century costume: a floor-length strapless gown, covered by a synthetically-treated lamb shawl, an elastic-banded bracelet, a pair of black-armed sunglasses, a blonde wig and a velvet clutch. We pretend that we are going to a gala.
We are decadent. We have nothing to do; our lives are shallow. We attend parties, receive telegrams, court men and women. We ruminate on every comment and glance. Occurrences that have never taken place, but are speculated to have taken place, stretch to epic proportion, to over five-hundred pages, if this were a novel.
Vintage bejeweled bracelet, Soho
Judith Leiber clutch, Soho
Chanel velvet clutch, Soho
Charlotte Olympia transparent clutch with interchangeable pouches, Soho
Squirrel models Linda Farrow shades and Helen Yarmak fringed lamb coat, Soho
Squirrel models a Ferragamo strapless, sequined gown, Soho
Winner - Christiane Hultquist
Christiane Hultquist, Costume Designer, was the January $500 Anniversary Gift Card Winner in December!
After visiting several INA locations, she chose a Vivienne Westwood button down top, DKNY sunglasses, a Donna Karan skirt and a Vintage Black Knit Dress.
INA NYC is giving away $500 Gift Cards on the 20th of each month this year in celebration of our 20 year Anniversary. How do you win one? Check out the INA Facebook page and look for their announcement. "Like" the post and you could be next!
Soul Cycle
Sure I had heard about Soul Cycle before, the indoor cycling craze. I had heard of stationary bike excursions in a darkened room, this room full of candles. But on Monday night, Ruby Andreolli, manager of INA Nolita, organized an employee trip to a lower Manhattan location of the spinning phenomenon, and I actually tried it.
Before the class, here, in the locker room, fresh-faced.
After the class, flushed.
Fifty exercise bikes faced a wall of mirrors, and the leader of the class cycled on a platform in the front of the room, facing us, and called out affirmations over a wireless microphone.
The affirmations went something like, “ I will get everything I want in 2013.”
“I will reach out and grab everything I want right now.”
“After this class, I am the most focused and will achieve all of my goals.”
I was meanwhile forming my own list of affirmations, not oblivious to the spandex on my every side:
“I will trawl the INA racks for cycling gear, and why not leather trimmed leggings? Unless of course, I can find lightweight harem sweats.”
“I will find a gym bag with an extra-long strap and an interior nylon drawstring lining.”
“Or one with both a long and a short strap.”
“I will invest in workout shirts NOT rummaged from a thrift store, but a few designer t-shirts at bargain prices, and at least one racerback.”
Bottom to top: Helmut Lang multi-color racerback tank & Vivienne Westwood black t-shirt with red lips (both Nolita); Helmut Lang black leather tote with one long and one short strap (Noho); Marni black leather bag with oversized gray strap and drawstring interior liner (Noho); T by Alexander Wang elastic waist charcoal sweats, new with tags (Noilita); Barney's Co-op silk drawstring harem pants (Nolita); VPL faux suede legging, new with tags (Nolita); Y-3 cream leather lace-up high tops (Noho); Y-3 black & white leather sneakers (Nolita Men).
