All About the Buttons

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[Photos and Text Ari Seth Cohen]

I ran into this lovely woman on my way uptown and I asked her if she worked in fashion because of how stylishly she was dressed. She told me she has been a seamstress her whole life and that her mother was a seamstress as well. They used to sew on buttons together, “That’s why I am looking at your buttons, so closely,” she replied. She told me that her name is Louisa with an “A” and that she has lived in New York her whole life, but that her family was from Genoa. I couldn’t quite make out how old she said she was but amazingly it is between 95 and 97. When I asked her about her lovely hat she said, ” I made it, anyone can make a hat all you have to do is roll the fabric back and add a few buttons.” What an inspiring lady!

Jack on the Ladies’ Mile

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[Photos: Ari Seth Cohen, Text: Maayan Zilberman]

While taking a lunch break with my friends Ari and Debra from Advanced Style, we came upon this handsome gentleman waiting for his date in front of The Gramercy Tavern. “Just Jack”, as he’d like to be called, stood out because of his excellent posture and impeccable (and subtle) choice of fabric combinations. Jack was born in Greenwich Village, and has lived in New York City all his life. We were standing in his very favorite section of town, called “The Ladies’ Mile”, which most now know as the Flatiron District. During the “Gilded Age”, at the turn of the century, this neighborhood south of Madison Square was the most magnetic center of all America, according to Jack. His eyes lit up when we started talking about the beautiful architecture along 6th Avenue, and he told us that the neighborhood is protected, which is a big reason why all the nice restaurants are right here.

In 1892, Richard Harding Davis of the New York Sun noted that “private carriages line the curb in quadruple lines, and the pavement is impressively studded with white-breeched grooms. It was here that the most elegant ladies came to buy the finest objects sold in America. “

I asked Jack if he always dresses so nicely for a Tuesday afternoon lunch (felt like I was flirting, maybe I was, maybe I wasn’t) and he said it was actually his “Bloody Mary Afternoon”, and he wore a tie especially.

Looking Fine Rain or Shine

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[Photo and Text Ari Seth Cohen]

Debra has been in California for a few weeks and we met up today and decided to dress up for the rainy weather. Who says you can’t have fun and look fantastic in the rain. The great thing about Debra is that most of her fabulous wardrobe is either “Thrifted or Gifted”. She always looks like a million bucks but has set a rule for herself not to spend over 5 dollars on any item. Once a year she may splurge on something more expensive, but she follows her rule pretty strictly. The outfit she wore for these photos was a jacket dress given to her by a friend in California and an old belt ties around her head for added dramatic effect! If you have any questions about Debra’s mantra “Frugality is Fun” or if you are looking for a great licensed Reflexologist email her at:

Debrathenutritionista@gmail.com

A Dream in Neoprene

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[Photos and Text Ari Seth Cohen]

Advanced Style runs the gamut from eccentric to chic. I always try and capture people with a unique perspective on personal style and talk to them about how aging has influenced and affected their style. The most usual response is that with age they have grown comfortable with who they are and are free to express themselves. This woman from St. Tropez came to the New Museum in this brilliant orange neoprene suit she purchased in France from designer Elizabeth de Senneville. She told me that she was surprised by all the attention she was receiving from people and showed me a text that she had sent to her designer friend saying that Americans were loving her outfit! She makes a nontraditional material look classic and elegant.

Prince Williams a.k.a Bill Boiz

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I have seen Bill Boiz around town and have always admired his amazing coordinated style.I was so happy to run into him in Union Square and get the opportunity to chat and take a few photos He is a fashion week staple and the New York Times called him A “New York Fashion Icon” in an article which you can read an excerpt from below:

“To those who stop to chat with Prince Williams, out of curiosity, or admiration for his style, the narrative is always the same: The cane comes from the Ivory Coast, where his father was born, the son of an African king. His love of fashion came from his father, a diplomat in Paris who impressed upon his son the importance of making an elegant first impression. Age 50-something, he’s a longtime designer for private customers, now working on his first collection.
Prince Williams’s business card names him as Bill Boiz, and has a ’30s-style illustration of a man in coat and tails; the business, it reads, is located in Suite 329 at an address in Times Square.”

Check out the full article HERE.