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Three Looks - Lauren
Writer, vintage lover, strawberry admirer: meet Lauren! We met Lauren at our inaugural book club meeting, held last year at our Soho shop. More book clubs, more of our Soho shop to come, but until then, let's join Lauren as she wears Catbird (and some excellent dresses) with great aplomb and joie de vivre.
Look One
A passion we share with Lauren: baskets. Oh, and stacks, so many fine and good ring stacks!
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Look Two
A Full Heart a Baby Pearl Collar, rings rings and more rings, and a boyfriend are Lauren's boon companions for a walk to get some matcha at Secret Garden.
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Look Three
Before heading out to dinner with a friend (the delight of doing this again!) Lauren has a little moment with a Gumball Ring, the Portraiture Pearl Earrings, a sprig of goldenrod, and an expertly-applied cat eye.
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Photo Journal: Anthony + Austin
My son and I were checking out at our favorite bookstore, Books Are Magic, when I noticed Anthony's perfect Catbird stacks and they noticed my Catbird email! Learning that they and their partner, Austin, get each other Catbird jewelry for meaningful occassions is the best possible thing I could ever hear. We invited Anthony & Austin to spend the afternoon with us and chat about all things jewelry and love!
-- Rony, Founder & Co-Creative Director
Where are you both originally from?
Austin: We moved around a lot growing up, my mom had a restless heart. But, for me Sebastopol, California always felt like my home with vivid memories of misty mornings and ancient redwoods.
Anthony: I grew up on Long Island, we also moved around a lot, my parents are divorced and bouncing back and forth between them unfortunately nothing really felt like home. I do sometimes miss being able to just walk outside to lay in the grass and read.
How did you meet?
Anthony: We actually met on OkCupid. After talking for awhile we decided to set a date to get coffee in the East Village. The day of our date I rushed onto the subway platform and I thought I saw someone who looked familiar, so I turned to them and said “Austin?”. It turned out that we actually lived off the same subway stop in Bushwick, and our apartments were only 4 blocks away from each other. Our date started on the subway platform and fast forward 7 years, here we are. It does seem pretty unreal how much of a rom-com our first date was like, after coffee we started walking around and we happened to walk down a street where they were filming a movie and it was completely covered in fake snow in the middle of summer. We got ice cream at the end and when Austin forgot the word for bench (I guess because he was nervous, something he’ll never fully admit) he asked if we should sit down on the “long chair” which I’ve never let him forget.
What are your jewelry uniforms?
Austin: I always wear a stack of yellow and rose gold hammered rings with a Cosmic Witch Ring, mirrored on the other hand with a Twisted Stacker and an opal and diamond Sleeping Beauty Ring. I love a healthy flow of necklaces so I’ll wear a Sleeping Beauty, Unicorn Horseshoe, and a Tinsel Chain with a Fort Tilden Charm regularly. I love a good anklet so I always wear a Sweet Nothing with a Mermaid Treasure Charm even over my nursing compression socks, it gets a lot of attention on the unit. And as my grandma always said, "A lady always has a string of pearls!" So with that in mind I always wear a pearl bracelet, whether it’s a string of Catbird Sweet Sixteen pink pearls or a Serpentine Delilah Pearl Bracelet. Then there’s earrings I never leave home without at least four!
Anthony: The thing I wear every day, because I can’t actually take it off is my Forever Sweet Nothing Bracelet that matches Austin’s. It’s only ever come off once, after our cat Dorito clawed it off getting a little too rambunctious playing tag. My Gentle Spider Charm crawls to different spots everyday, sometimes I wear it on my 1976 Bracelet or on my Sweet Nothing Chain, or I’ll hook it onto the backing of an earring stud. I never actually take my rings off, I have a mix of different Catbird rings stacked with a Black Diamond Tiniest Ring, Naga Snake Ring, and Moon Guardian Ring from Sofia Zakia.
So you both have quite the Catbird collection!
Austin: It was actually Anthony that first introduced me to Catbird. For our first anniversary Anthony surprised me with a dinner date at Beauty & Essex - and I’d been living as a pretty broke nursing student then so it was pretty impressive! Anyway, towards the end of our dinner, Anthony presented me with my very first piece of my Catbird collection, a Classic Hammered Ring. Now it’s almost been seven years since that day and it’s still my most treasured piece of my collection.
Anthony: Later that year Austin completely surprised me with a Catbird Rose Thorn necklace for Yule. It’s been a tradition to get each other Catbird pieces ever since.
What does jewelry mean to you both?
Austin: For me jewelry is magic, from the inherent power lying in the natural stones to the dedication of the inspired artist that made them - pure magic! I also connect very deeply with jewelry and my grandmother - she had an impressive collection with some original Tiffany pieces to family heirlooms. I recall getting ready with her, trying on some of her necklaces and huge strings of pearls, and sorting through her collection with her to get her jewelry uniform on for the day.
Anthony: I have a deep fascination with medieval alchemy. Gold was one of seven metals they used to represent the heavenly bodies. Gold fittingly represented the sun, and jewelry makes me feel like I’m wearing rays of sunlight.
When did you know it was love?
Anthony: As gushy as it sounds, the first time we told each other we loved each other, I had been reading Austin short stories as the sun was setting and we were just laying in my bed and staring into each other’s eyes, and in that moment I knew it was love. He was able to ground me and know me unlike anyone ever had. That’s when we first told each other “I love you” though he always says that he said it first.
Describe your perfect New York day together!
Austin: Quite recently we had a pretty perfect New York day together this April. First, we have found that every perfect day has to start with brunch with a few mimosas. Anthony then took me to the Brooklyn botanical gardens for the very first time - it was simply incredible surrounded by newly flowering cherry blossoms, a beautiful Japanese garden, and flower petals gently blowing through the air. We then traveled into the Lower East Side, visited a pencil store owned by one of Anthony’s friends, picked up a bouquet of peonies, and a jar of pickles from a newly opened book store. Towards the end of the day I think we had walked close to 12 miles, so we made our way back to our Bushwick home and treated ourselves to some pretty amazing Chinese takeout.
A + A 's Shopping Edit
Catbird Spotlight: Chelsea Mak
"Like if Norma Kamali skipped cotillion to go to a punk show and then met her godfather for dim sum the next morning before reporting for work in her 80s power suit," is how LA based designer Chelsea Mak describes her eponymous clothing line. How does she wear her own work? "The more unexpected the combination the better...with good jewelry, like all my Catbird pieces!"
effortless dress is a balancing act inspired by Chelsea’s childhood
I was born and raised in LA but spent a large part of my childhood in Hong Kong and Taiwan where my parents are from, living in Hong Kong from ages 2 to 6 and then visiting every summer thereafter.
Being connected to both LA and Hong Kong definitely made such impressions on my style. From LA it was the laid-back casual way of dressing, I learned from early on that even if you spent hours putting an outfit together it should come across like it took you seconds. From Hong Kong it was the opposite — flip flops and jeans might be considered sloppy so it was a balancing act to exist in both worlds which has translated through my designs — a balancing act between old and new world, high and low brow, east and west.
dressing for this newest spring we’ve been waiting for
I’m really into the idea of using the Vienna Blouse as a light jacket over everything and the more unexpected the combination the better. I have a floor length muslin slip dress I’d like to wear over it as well as a vintage Norma Kamali piece that’s a white cotton onesie; over jeans and nude bodysuit would be cool too. All with good jewelry, like all my Catbird pieces!
what you can’t stop imagining is worth the pursuit.
Striking out on my own felt a lot like jumping off a cliff unplanned for. At the time I was working for a brand I believed in, a boss I looked up to and co-workers I loved also but I could not stop thinking about what the main label of the brand would look like if I started one. There were so many huge unknowns but I knew that I wouldn’t have been happy if I stayed where I was so I took the plunge. It was very scary for the first few months but also very exciting.
The Vienna, Amalia and Gallery blouses are the core pieces in the line so designing a new collection will always feel a bit like building out a wardrobe around those three pieces. Since they are all quite feminine and bold and in the classic silk white taffeta, I like the other pieces to be more masculine, unassuming and offbeat.
A large part of the collection is made from deadstock silks found at the fabric market in Shanghai so those qualities very much dictate how each collection will look. I also find a lot of inspiration in old movies, books, and bands so each of my collections will usually reflect how I was feeling during that moment in time.
How Our Team Wears Chelsea Mak & Catbird
"I want women wearing Chelsea Mak to command a type of attention that you wouldn’t get from other brands, it’s more about feeling smart and interesting than sexy and showy.Women who wear Chelsea Mak are creative, well-read and in the know and that’s a lot of us!"
Airina wears the Gallery Blouse with a Dollhouse Locket slung on a Tinsel Chain paired with a Sweet Nothing Choker and a Snow Queen Ear Climber.
Mariela wears the Amalia Blouse with the Baby Pearl Supreme Hoops.
Necklaces: Magic Moonstone Collar, Silver Sweet Nothing Choker and the Sleeping Beauty Necklace in White Gold.Tatiana wears the Jaffe Top with a slew of Catbird Classics.
Earrings: Snow Queen Hoop, Heart Stud, Little Secret
Necklaces: Gumball Pearl Charm, 18th Century Bow Charm, Anemone Charm on a Sweet Nothing Choker.
Chelsea's Shopping Edit
Photo Journal: Sabrina
Why are you dressed like that? A question posed to those who dress with creativity, vision, individuality - from those who just may not totally get it. For Pratt fashion student Sabrina Brokenborough, she’s adopted the phrase to create a visual diary of her looks, a mix of vintage petticoats and bonnets with heavy Japanese street fashion influence, self described as “very girly. I like big skirts with lots of ruffles and lace. I'm really into florals right now and dusty pinks too.”
On style evolution.
I've been playing with fashion since middle school, but high school was really when I was able to use the internet to buy clothes that weren't accessible to me otherwise. I think I saw a Fruits snapshot on Tumblr of some girls wearing Lolita and Gunne sax dresses and it just clicked. I wanted to dress just like them.
I've noticed a switch in my fashion style recently. I used to wear a lot of primary colors and short skirts, but now I mostly lean into softer pinks and florals. I wear a lot of long skirts now. I don’t know, I appreciate the way the fabric moves around my ankles when I walk.
Right now there’s a little bit of a divide between myself as a person and myself as a designer.
I think going into fashion design I like to explore a lot of unusual fabric combinations and textures while in my usual style is pretty predictable - peter pan collar, ruffle, florals, petticoat, big skirt, and plaids for the fall. Maybe in the future my designs will reflect more of my personal style, but for the moment I'm happy to play with fabrics and textures.
The fashion industry can be a little intimidating to break into, especially now since the world has been turned upside down. Best case is to get an assistant design position at a brand I love. I don't think I'd go head first into creating my own brand.
I think it's important to remember that life is really really short and you don't want to waste time being uncomfortable while trying to fit in.
I feel like especially in the age of the internet it's easy to find a group of people with similar interests experimenting with fashion. Before it was easy to think that no one dressed outside of the norm, but now the world is really your oyster. Basically, look up alternative fashion tags on instagram and connect with people online with fashion styles you admire. Really focus on buying clothes you feel drawn to. Don't buy anything that you don't 100% love.
Inspiration lives everywhere.
I have a collection of old fashion books that I like to flip through. I really liked how frivolous and over the top clothes used to be.I think we lost a bit of that to the practicality of modern life. I like to watch 1950s movies for the costumes especially if they were designed by Edith Head, but sometimes the racism and sexism from those movies make me cringe.
From the shows.
Gucci Fall/Winter 2020. So many dresses with lace and ruffles and beautiful collars. I like how they paired the ornate skirts with soft sweaters and I appreciate how the dressing room was clear so you could get an idea of the amount of work that goes into making a fashion show. I think it's important to highlight the work goes into making clothes and these presentations, it makes you appreciate the art.
The fashion decade.
The 1830s! Love the big sleeves and bonnets.
On icons.
From real life it’s Misako Aoki, from fiction literally any "girly girl" character in a movie or TV show.
Elements of an outfit.
A cohesive theme and matching colors and textures. There needs to be a good color balance throughout, really honing in on the core colors and working around that.
To jolt creativity in the city, a visit to the garment district will do.
Just walking around and looking at the different fabrics gets the gears going. I always just walk around and think "Oh wouldn't it be cool if that fabric was used for this or could be made into that?".
Always berets.
I have a stack of berets on the top shelf of my closet and I just pick whichever color goes best with the outfit. I love berets. I'm getting pretty close to owning one in every color.
Places to find vintage.
I like to lurk around on eBay and instagram for nice dresses. The best deals are from clueless sellers trying to get rid of their grandma's old clothes, that's where you can find gold. In New York I usually scout around the usual places like L Train, Buffalo Exchange, and Goodwill. However, my favorite thrift store is the Philly Aid's thrift store in Philadelphia. I've found the best stuff there and it's always worth the trip - t's a really nice place that benefits AIDS/HIV treatment and research programs.
The perfect day.
--Breakfast and tea at Ladurée, they have yummy french toast!
--Walk around the MET (especially if the fashion exhibit is up)
--Drink a bubble tea and walk around the Upper East Side window shopping
--Afternoon tea at Lady Mendl's
--Buy a bouquet of flowers to bring home :)
Shop Sabrina's Edit
Sabrina's Guide to Brooklyn
Petee's Pie
505 Myrtle Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11205
Lot of yummy pies! Before COVID they had a cute little outdoor space in the back
and they would pour your tea in a nice teacup.
Prince Tea House
6122 7th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11220
Great decor and they light a candle underneath your tea pot to keep it warm. Very
beautiful interior and a great menu for lunch or dessert.
OJBK Bubble Tea
525 Myrtle Ave, Brooklyn 11205
Their bubble tea is really good and sometimes they display student work in the shop,
which is always nice.
Fort Greene Park Farmers’ Market
I like to buy the pies and zucchini bread they have on weekends.
The Brooklyn Museum
Sometimes they have fashion centered exhibits and it's good for a walk.
Fulton Fabrics
402 Bridge St, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Good for when you need fabric in a pinch and can't make it to the garment district.
Photo Journal: Bodega Bouquet
"Mrs. Dalloway said she would buy the flowers herself."
- Mrs. Dolloway, Virginia Woolf
We asked our friend Karla Smith-Brown of Olivee Floral to show us the secrets to making your own flower arrangement at home with a few bundles of flowers & greenery from your local bodega / grocery.
You can watch the full tutorial here!Join us in flowering at home! Or if you are in Brooklyn, swing by the Olivee Floral pop up this Valentine's Day at Sincerely, Tommy (343 Tompkins Ave, Brooklyn 11216)
Karla will be there from 10am to 2pm.
Hometown: Toronto, ON Canada
How long have you lived in NYC?
8 years!
How long have you been working with flowers?
My earliest flower memory is being in the garden as a child, planting flowers with my favorite aunt. I will always remember how free it felt to move my hands in the dirt. After deciding to take my love of flowers more seriously, I took a course with Stems Brooklyn and AVS Flower School. Then I began working at Edelweiss Floral Altelier where I truly learned the most about all aspects of the flower industry. Working in the shop was like a crash course with so many invaluable lessons on best practices when handling flowers, and helping clients, along with foundation design techniques. I really admire their work and feel honored to have been part of their team!
Where did the name Olivee come from?
Olivee Floral is actually named after my great grandmother, Granny Olivee, the powerful matriarch in my mother's family from Saint Elizabeth, Jamaica. I went back to Jamaica for the first time as an adult a few years ago, and my experience really inspired me to bring her energy and honor my heritage in my work. Olivee's wild, unyielding, natural style is a direct reflection of the lush, bountiful land in Saint Elizabeth and the resilience of its people.
Where do you look for inspiration?
Mostly contemporary art, specifically work that explores color theory and texture. Artists I love include Cassi Namoda, Chioma Ebinama, and Tschabalala Self.
What is your favorite flower? (Okay - what are your top five!)
It definitely changes based on the season, but right now I'm crushing hard on Poppies, French Tulips (especially Jonquieres Tulips), Japanese Ranunculus, Anemones (especially the Pink Tiger variety- which is featured in our Sassy Pink Valentine's Day offering), and Hellebores.
Describe your work in three words
Natural, Vivid, Refined
What are your favorite bodegas to buy flowers from?
Broccoli Farm on Franklin Ave, SoHo Garden on Prince Street, and Trader Joes always has some great options too :)
What's a good tip for extending the life of your arrangement?
Keep it clean! Change the water in the vessel every other day to prevent bacteria from accumulating and bonus points if you give your stems a fresh trim after changing the water.
In your opinion, what are the elements of a good arrangment.
For Olivee's floral's signature style, I believe it's important to use a variety of greenery to create texture, fullness, and choose blooms from different styles, gesture, and size to create interest and use bold complimenting colors with a focal pop to mark the clear star of the show!
Thank you for joining us, Karla! Be sure to follow along @oliveefloral, and don't forget to buy the flowers yourself.
Shop the Story
Three Looks - Janine
Our friend Janine has an assured sense of personal style (and about a million ear piercings!) so we asked her to show us how she wears and stacks her Catbird classics for three different looks!
Look One
Attending a belated family birthday celebration for my older sister.
Look Two
Waiting for my Zoom Irish step dance lessons to start. Practicing to warm up.
Look Three
Decided to dress up to prance from my room to the kitchen to the living room! That kind of day.
Thank you Janine, for stack stack stacking with us! Next time, we'd like your incredible glow secrets, please.xo CatbirdPhoto Journal: Brian
Photo Journal: Jules
Recently, we visited our friend Jules (and Winnie - her dog!) in her beautiful new dance studio, Good Move, just a short walk away from our Bedford Ave. store! We dressed Jules up in #catbirdstacks and she showed us some of her moves - shimmering, glimmering, shining!
Shop the story:
Snow Queen Necklace 
Mermaid's Treasure Charm 
Baby Cygnet Ring 
Dollhouse Locket Hotel Holiday
Shop the Story:
Diamond Kitten Mitten 
Dollhouse Heart Locket 
Sweet Nothing Ring 
1976 Bracelet Special thanks to our friends at Chantecaille for making our shoot extra beautiful!
Photo Journal: Shania
Shining, Shimmering, Going Places!
A different kind of commute. Still quite gritty but with a little more glimmer. We met Shania at the Sweetgreen in Williamsburg around the corner from our store, and we asked her if she would like to take a ride on the G train with us.
Shop the story!
Baby Pearl Hoop 
Papillon Charm 
1976 Choker 
Kitten Mitten 
Snow Queen Hoops 
Peaceful Girl with Fist Charm
