This is what a human vending machine looks like, apparently (via Uniqlo)
TIMES SQUARE—Depending on who you ask, Uniqlo's "human vending machine" stunt will either be the "best promotion ever" (The Cut) or will "ruin shopping forever" (Gizmodo). At least both agree that the repercussions will be felt for a long, long time. The promotion consists of Uniqlo reps in silver bodysuits who heat-scan shoppers' bodies and then induce mimes to do a little dance. In the end, everyone gets new innerwear (which we suspect means "underwear") from the company's new Heat Tech line. Be in Times Square November 18 at 1pm if you want to see shopping history altered...forever. [Gizmodo; The Cut]
BED-STUY—Much like the return of grunge, the rise of the Brooklyn flea market is a recent trend that continues to make sense even in these new, lean times. The newest will open in November in an indoor space at Bedford and Lafayette Avenues, just on top of the G train. All weekend long, some 30 vendors "will be selling vintage furniture, designer jewelry, art, high-end new and used clothing." [Gowanus Lounge]
Chelsea's last remaining flea market, the Antiques Garage, was supposed to close late this fall, pushed out by a developer who wanted to turn its spot on W. 25th between Sixth and Seventh Avenues into a hotel. But that was before the economy tanked. Now, Jeremiah's Vanishing New York brings news that the Garage just signed a new lease. A vendor at the market explained, "It's a month-to-month lease, but I expect we'll be here another year or two. The developer can't get a hotel license. There are too many hotels around here as it is."
· Chelsea Will Lose Last Flea Market [Racked]
· Antiques Garage Saved [VNY]
Time Out New York has mapped a "homolicious walk" through gayer Manhattan. Homolicious retail establishments on their tour include the Hell's Kitchen Flea Market, Chelsea sex toy shop the Blue Store, West Village sex toy shop The Leather Man, and the West Village's Oscar Wilde Bookshop, which is the oldest gay bookstore in the world. We don't mean to be complete children about this, but isn't the shape of their tour map a bit...suggestive? [TONY]
Looks like the Flea has company. The Brooklyn Urban Arts Market opens this weekend on Myrtle Avenue in Fort Greene. Unlike the Flea, it's got live music as well as vendors and food—expect Africa Baambata later in the summer. [Myrtle Minutes]
At some point, the new Brooklyn Flea in Fort Greene will enjoy a warm and sunny spring Sunday afternoon. In the meantime, we stopped for the Round Two under yesterday's overcast sky and found a decent-sized crowd was still around, although it was thinning out as closing time started approaching. (Brooklyn Flea also got some major publicity in the Sunday Times this week.) Some new vendors we on hand selling antiques and vintage goods and there were still a lot of designers and artisans selling everything from t-shirts to art and furniture to stationary. Brownstoner reports that vendors that used to be at the Chelsea flea market will start next week. As for the "no dogs" thing remarked upon last week, signs at the entrance proclaimed that it was the policy of the school in whose yard Flea happens.
· Stylish Times at The Flea [Brownstoner]
· Scavengers on the Urban Savannah [NYT]
· Brooklyn Flea Finally Comes Alive in Fort Greene [Curbed]
Brooklyn Flea honcho Jonathan Butler on week one in Fort Greene: "Agree completely that the vendor mix needs to skew a little more towards the old-school. We have 4 or 5 new antiques/furniture vendors starting next week plus a whole bunch of other vintage dealers in the pipeline from all the press of the past couple of weeks. Re: the dog policy, we know it's a bummer for a lot of people, but for some reason the school doesn't want dog piss and crap on their running track. Go figure!" [Racked Comments]
With the amount of press that Jonathan Butler and Eric Demby garnered for their Brooklyn Flea, it should have come as no surprise that despite gloomy weather and train issues, the thing was packed to the gills when it debuted yesterday in Fort Greene. The trip over was fun: the closer you drew to the Flea's home on Lafayette Avenue between Clermont and Vanderbilt, the more clogged the sidewalks became with folks heading home from the event. Once inside, the turnout made it a bit hard to shop, but aside from that, there were definite Flea highlights and lowlights.
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