A Hester Street Fair Day in June

A Beautiful Day
at the Hester Street Fair
Saturday I debuted my beads and hats at the Hester Street Fair on New York City's Lower East Side. The Fair is held in a pocket park that is actually owned by the shareholders of Seward Park, my co-op. For 50 years this little morceau of land at the eastern end of Hester Street was padlocked. Those were the bad old days on the Lower East Side. Then some years ago, an entrepreneurial shareholder had the idea to open up the park and plunk down a fair on weekends from April to October.

I have just set up my wares for the day. 

I am wearing my $5 yard-sale dress, one of my

necklaces with a giant diamond bauble, and

a vintage Parisian straw boater which I have

embellished with giant dots.

Helping me in my endeavor were my husband, Richard,

my sister, Susan (in pink) and my sister, Jeanne.

 Here's the full view. I had 20 necklaces and seven hats.

All the necklaces are named after flowers.

Jeanne supplied some little wooden crates, and

I used Ari Seth Cohen's photo of me, as

it appeared in Marie Claire Italia, for a sign.

 In fact, here is Ari Seth Cohen, blogger, writer and

movie maker of Advanced Style fame. He

stopped by on his way to a weekend in Cape May, New Jersey.
See Advanced Style here.

 Rosemary Wettenhall took time out before opening her

West Village shop, Madame Matovu.

Rosemary tried on the Diamond Bauble and

deemed it a must-have addition to her wardrobe.

Color-block Girl lends her
hueful self to the display.

Coming all the way from Long Beach, Long Island,

were friends Julie and Andy Hornberger and

little Sienna. Julie is wearing my

Forget-Me-Not necklace which she purchased

at my last open studio.

Elke Kuhn, with a smashing flower-adorned

straw boater and tropical fruit bracelet.

Elke took home the Hyacinth necklace.

A wonderful crew (from left to right) Tessa from Australia,

Debra Rapoport, Joyce Carpati and Elke.

This was a wonderful surprise. This lovely lady is Elisabeth with an S.

She is a fan of my blog, and ventured south from the 

Upper West Side of the city to come to the fair.

Elisabeth added color to her accessories with my Pansy necklace.

My friend, the brilliant milliner, Lola Ehrlich, 

wearing the perfect cotton skirt for a summer's day.

I am flanked by jewelry designer, Diana Gabriel (left) and

the Countess of Glamour and owner of 

Off Broadway Boutique, Lynn Dell.

If truth be told, the retinue of fabulous fashionistas

stopping by my table attracted no small amount of attention from

fellow-boothers and fairgoers alike.

Valerie, one-half of the team, the Idiosyncratic Fashionistas,

sporting one of my fedoras.

See their blog here.

Valerie and Lola.

She wears it with such panache.

Yes, this little number found a new home

in Valerie's closet.

What if you were sitting at your table at the Fair,

and you saw two old friends who live in Hawaii, strolling toward you?

Well, that's what happened!

Robin Lung, a filmmaker currently working on a

documentary called Finding Kukan, and Paul Levitt,

a painter and teacher, stopped by with a friend.

(OK, they were in New York anyway, not just for the Fair.)

I pose with Valerie in my Paris hat.

Wish I was there.

It was a great day.

Color, sunshine and friends, old and new.

What more can you ask for?

À Bientôt!