Talking Shop with Ranjani

Earlier this summer, I attended the launch party for trendspotter and author Ranjani Gopalarathinam's New York's 50+ Best Little Shops. This week I met up with Ranjani for lunch at SoHo's Palacinka cafe to discuss her book (which, being the small business/indie lover that I am, I adore), as well as what's on her mind, what's of the moment, and what's next for fall.

Lauren Cerand: 50 shops is not a lot, yet there's such an amazing diversity of places that someone can go in New York to pick up what's on the cutting-edge in terms of fashion. What guiding philosophy did you use to curate the mix?

Ranjani Gopalarathinam: It was a very organic process. The first layer of stores came from my having lived in the city for five years, and so it began with a list of places that I like to go all the time. And then I built on that list by interviewing friends of mine -- I have a lot of friends who work in fashion, in magazines -- and it also became kind of a word of mouth thing, too. I would go into a store, and someone would say, "You should go into this store...there's this designer," and in some way there were places that I already knew were great and cool and that I liked a lot, and I would go in there, and they would often turn me on to two or three more places. It was just one of those things, too, where I told all my friends that I was working on this book, and so every time I saw them, they'd be like, "Oh my god, you have to check out this store!" and people still do it, and the book's been done for months [laughs].

LC: There are some great lists that I loved, interspersed throughout the book -- places to stop and take a break, or art galleries to check out, and then some really quirky themes as well. How did you decide what the most complementary things would be, and how were they narrowed down, because it was done with a really sharp eye for what would be useful to the reader...I think that there was a section on fountain pens?

RG: Right, on writing instruments. How did that come about? I think that was just an idea that I researched. That didn't really have anything to do with the natural flow of movement through the city that the rest of the book did. That's usually how it worked, though. I'd think, "I'm in a neighborhood, and I just finished shopping -- what would I like to do?" Like, the places to eat and the art galleries were all places that I love and really wanted to mention.

LC: It seems like, when choosing what shops to include, you had a consideration in mind for people who have, perhaps, more flair than budget at their disposal, and I thought that was really cool, even one of my favorite things about the book. Are there one or two places that you'd single out as having the best overall shopping experience for someone who might just be getting started in terms of discovering what New York has to offer?

RG: There's a store and a gallery called Saved Gallery in Williamsburg, which I think has gotten a lot of press since I "discovered" it, but I'd say that overall, it's a very "New York" store. It's very cool, very eclectic. They have a lot of antiques in there, and then they - the two guys that run it - are graphic and clothing designers so they have stuff in there that they've created, and then there's a tattoo parlor in the back. And the guy who does the tattoos is an amazing artist named Scott Campbell. And while you'r'e there, you can check out all these cool clothes, and jewelry, and furniture. Stuff that you wouldn't find anywhere else. And as far as a great New York store goes, it's run by these New York transplants who are very smart and they know what they're doing, and they've created a space that fits into the neighborhood really well. In Manhattan, there's John Derian. And...Barney's. I mentioned it in the book, and people were like, "Why did you mention that -- it's not a little shop!" but it's like, "Barney's is not a little shop -- it's the shop. And so I had to include it.

LC: I know the book's been out for a while, and obviously was finished quite a while before it appeared in stores. I'm curious to know whether any shops open after you turned in the final copy that made you say, "Damn! I wish that had opened six months earlier."

RG: I did squeeze a lot in right up until the last minute. But, yeah, definitely. There's a store called Dane 115 on Crosby that I've been wanting to check out. I haven't actually been there yet, but I've heard some great things.

LC: You've spoken about the methodology of pulling together your list, and now I'd like to know the criteria -- what you were looking for when you went into a shop. I know it's innovative designers, how involved the owners are in curating the mix, and what's on sale, but is there anything beyond that really made you say, "Okay, this is not (or is) going to make the cut"?

RG: I suppose anyone who tries too hard. You know, I don't really like overdesigned spaces. I like people who are friendly...It's a feeling. It's a knowledge of labels, and design, and all the things I like, and then how that's all presented. And of course, the willingness of people to talk to me and share their experience of having a store in New York and what that's been like for them was also really important. A lot of times I got into really personal details with people, like about how hard it can be just to survive. Like Daily 235, the store where I had my launch party -- those women have been there since the mid-nineties. They have really struggled to keep that store open, mostly because the neighborhood has changed so much since they opened it. That was what kind of inspired me, not only to include them in the book, but you know, get them involved in my book launch and to help them feel like more of a part of the neighborhood. Because you know, if you talk to one of them, and you're like, "Have you seen that new store across the street?", they're like, "No" -- they're too stressed out about trying to pay their rent. But on the same token, they have such a great shop that's such a unique place that's certainly not like any other in Manhattan. Stores are such a vital part of the city, and that's what I was trying to show with my book, how they create a whole network of feelings and ideas and the kinds of things that people really come to New York to be a part of and experience.

LC: Yes, definitely. The central thing that really liked about the book is that it appeals to people who might want to shop at independent stores for political and personal reasons, and then also to the trend-oriented shopper who maybe cares mostly just about being ahead of the pack, which is really cool because for the most part those are two really distinct audiences.

...On a slightly different note, what advice would you give someone who is thinking of opening their own little shop? It seems like you have a great eye for the kinds of places that succeed at creating a very unique ambiance, and I know it's very much about the attitudes of the people that operate it, but is there something at the street-level that draws you in to discover it?

RG: I would say just really sticking to your sensibility. For example, with Saved Gallery and Daily 235 and John Derian, those are all shops that began from a small, organic place. One item, one thought, or one feeling moreso maybe than perhaps a specific, concrete idea that any of these people might have had about starting a business. Many of these stores didn't even start as a full-fledged store. Like anything else, having your own point of view on what you're selling and really sticking to that is key.

LC: I know that you contribute to Cool Hunting, and that you also do some work trendspotting. I'd like to hear what trends in fashion that you love for fall, and which ones you hate.

RG: I like the trend towards combining a Gothic look with maybe a like, military/dandy thing, and I think that's a nice elevation of a basic military/cargo style that makes it feel a little more elegant. I hate anything...girly... [motions, pantomiming]

LC: Ruffles and bows?

RG: Ruffles and bows. Pink. I hate that.

LC: I hate that sort of "maternity chic" that's making the rounds this summer...you know, empire-waist tank-tops...everything is tent-y in a very unflattering way.

RG: So true. It's awful. You know, I just did this article on Benjamin Cho. He's such a great designer and he was just ranting, going on and on about how much he hates umbrella skirts. And like, bohemian tops, or whatever. And he was like, "If I see one more, I just don't know what I'm going to do." And it's so funny how these trends can just get absolutely beaten to death.

I would say, as for positive trends in dressing: definitely just doing your own thing. Not always buying new clothes. Thinking about color.

LC: Many people are influenced by lots of things outside of the medium they work in, and I'd be curious to know what you're feeling influenced by right now, whether it's art or music or or film or literature or anything specific that's shaping your aesthetic philosophy as we go into Fall.

RG: Good question. The New York Film Festival is coming up, and I'm really excited by that. I haven't been before, and I'm excited by the chance to see those films and what's sort of trickling down visually. I've been listening to a lot of Brian Eno lately. I'm trying to keep things on an even keel and trying not to get too crazy before the summer ends. Just keeping things simple, because Fall tends to be a chaotic time.

LC: Yes. I think that's a great note to end on. Obviously, I'm going to encourage everyone to pick up the book, but is there anything else you'd like to add?

RG: No. I'd just like to thank you so much for giving me the chance to talk about my book and my ideas!

Ranjani Gopalarathinam (pictured, right, at her launch with the owner of Daily 235, Jasmine Krause) is a freelance writer who lives in Brooklyn. She contributes to publications like the Fader, Soma, V, and Time Out New York, and in web land to coolhunting.com. She is the author of New York's 50+ Best Little Shops (Rizzoli/Universe) which is a collection of stumbled upon and otherwise fascinating places to shop and play in New York.

This summer, in between the self-inflicted joy of freelance writing gigs, you can find her headed eastbound to play with the fishes in the ocean, or eating at the bar of her favorite NYC joints.

In September, look for her feature on NYC couture by designers like Benjamin Cho, Zaldy, Alexandre Herchcovitch, and more, in Soma magazine.

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