A multi-cultural human bazaar. I read that once in a description of the East Village in Manhattan. How true, how true.

A warm spring like afternoon couldn’t have been more perfect to ramble around and explore this grungy, hip and oh so fascinating area of the city. Walking along East 12th street between Avenue A and Avenue B, she caught my eye.  The lighting, the hat, the suppleness of the skin, the eye lashes, the lips. She immediately had me under her spell.

artikal boutique in the east village, nyc

It was if I could feel my grandmother’s presence.  You see my grandmother was a buyer for yarns and crafts at a large department store in my hometown of Roanoke, Virginia.

my grandmother

She loved to knit, crochet, create and was an expert in her field.  She had style, a presence, a couture look about her. When visiting her, I would often be at the bus stop when she arrived home from work watching for those long slender legs to step down those steps to the curb.  The shoes, the knit skirts and coordinating tops and oh…the hats.  I would always be mesmerized, regardless of how many times I saw her getting off that bus.

Seeing that hat in the East Village brought me right back to those moments.  As I was photographing a voice behind me…That’s my studio, would you like my card?  A brief chat and we were both on our way.  Hours later I researched Artikal, the studio, and learned the owner grew up in northern Virginia and from a young age was inspired to create.  She had been influenced by her grandmother, an award-winning dressmaker who loved to crochet.  Years later here she is in the East Village having mastered millinery techniques and now ships hats all over the world.

Now, if I can just get inside of her “by appointment only” boutique to take more photos of those incredible hats.

Stay tuned.