Good morning, friends. It's a crap day here in the city after an amazing stretch of heavenly weather. Oh well. Hunkering down and thinking about Brooklyn (I'm usually thinking about Brooklyn).
As I've mentioned before, I'm no pioneer. I tend to live in neighborhoods that have long since jumped off, and are hovering towards an unattainable abyss. So when I opened my August Vogue, I was intrigued to find a fashion story called "Bonjour, Brooklyn", a piece featuring the most gorgeous girls with the most stunning children fashionably trolling around my hood. Look- there's Devon Aoki strolling a pram in front of Bedford Cheese! And a direct quote: "Though artist Elliott Puckette was raised in Tennessee, she- along with daughters Bella and Violet and family pets Louis (the dog) and Odette (the rabbit)- chose leafy Boerum Hill to put down roots". Here she is below.
And if that wasn't enough to show you how chic Brooklyn is (duh), Jeffrey Steingarten, Vogue's resident food savant regales Brooklyn as a top food destination, touting the gastronomic virtue of restaurants like Brooklyn Fare, Pok Pok, and Roberta's. Is it me or is he a bit late to the party? Isn't Brooklyn so ten years ago or is it just me? I thought I was way behind the curve moving to Brooklyn when I did- long after any bubble burst, long after women with names like Elliott moved in, and way too long after Rag and Bone boots were part of the uniform of the super cool Brooklynites I see, oh, everywhere.
What's interesting to me is not that Vogue seems kind of behind the curve on this one, but that indeed Brooklyn really is becoming chic in its casual, effortless, charming kind of way. I suppose that's why the French call it "Le Brooklyn"(don't think it's a coincidence that that lead photo could easily be a French mom in her striped top in front of some historic monument a Paris) and talk about wanting to visit. And Le Brooklyn has become synonymous with all things cool, but you already knew that. How come Vogue didn't? I just found the article kind of hilarious, but not at all off base- rich arty girls have been moving there in droves with their rich arty families in tow. Fashion has long since been super glamorous- with all of those designer collaborations (next up Isabel Marant for H&M. OMG.) happening that high/low thing is way more chic than overdone, fussy, or simply too "fashiony". The unkempt chic of Brooklyn has become aspirational, and though these photos are not exactly unglam, there is an ease to them that photographer Boo George did beautifully- styling is lovely and perfectly on point. The looks is pretty and tough and cool all at once- and never overly thought, or at least it's supposed to look freewheeling and fuss-free. It's true that you can go anywhere in my neighborhood wearing just about anything, but since it's New York, you still need to bring it. Just not quite as hard.
One thing I will say though- recently Vogue declared Birkenstocks as chic and "sexy". I'm not there yet, but maybe I'm the one behind the curve. Give me a couple of years.
And that's what's up this Brooklyn is indeed the borough kind of Thursday in the 212, though wishing I was hanging cribside in the 718. All the love, and come for a visit. Oh, and thanks Vogue. I'm already being priced out of my precious neighborhood, and sure this article is only going to make it worse, for all ten people out there that don't know of the magic powers of the very best borough. (Please don't make me move to Queens). XO