Sarah Bunter NY

– King’s Pharmacy

My first destination as soon as I land in Brooklyn.  Though very much your average pharmacy (not ‘chemist’ as I’m told), Kings Chemist has the best soundtrack to a store I’ve ever experienced.  Always British industrial pop – New Order, The Cure, Echo etc – with smatterings of messy american girls bands such as The Go-go’s and L7… I always forget my actual purchasing agenda and leave with dinosaur stickers, Crayola shaped birthday candles and a 3000 calorie health-bar.

– Jeffery’s shoe department

A danger to myself, my sanity and my savings.  Alaia, Balenciaga, Chanel, Pierre Hardy…nothing too silly or spindly, proper heels for proper girls with proper jobs.  Well…proper-ish.

– East Village flea market

Less manic than most, there are a lot of discoveries to be made in this vacated schoolyard games court.  The stall holders are also friendly and haggle very well in the customers’ favour.  My $15 bought me a floor length black silk-jersey gown and a messed up dorky-looking cartoon T-shirt from a chatty man called Alpha who would like to come to England sometime…

– Jumelle, Bedford Ave

Very simple, very calming store stocking fail-safe international favourites APC, YMC and bits of Comme.  They also once displayed the amazing ‘Bunter’ dress by Ostwald Helgason in the window – a very proud moment for me, a very polite moment for them as I excitedly explained how it received its name…