Recently, artist Jose Carlos Casado created a special video installation with the singer/rapper M.I.A. This was part of the Soho House launch of her new album, Matangi. The event took lace at the 1896 Studio in Brooklyn as everyone rocked out and had a blast. The party took place inside a massive warehouse and was part of SPIN and Soho House’s “Satellite Nights” concert series.
M.I.A. played some crowd favorites which included “Paper Planes” and “Bad Girls”.
It’s amazing how much underwear people will buy. Or how much Under Armour at least expects them to buy. They will soon be opening their first NYC location in early 2014, much to the anticipation of their many fans. While company executives will admit that they are planning to open in Soho, they won’t yet disclose a location.
As North American division president Henry Stafford told WWD, “New York is an area where we’re significantly underpenetrated and we’re going to open in a great location.”
The store will carry sportswear for men and women.
In addition to this exciting news, Under Armour is also planning to launch a men’s lifestyle line. Called the 35th and ) for the Georgetown address were Under Armour got its beginnings, the line allows customers to wear their products in and out of the gym.
If you just can’t wait to get your hands on their products in Soho, you can enjoy the sample sale that will take place from Tuesday, October 29 through Sunday, November 3rd at the 260 Fifth Avenue store between 28th and 29th streets.
Whether you loved John Lennon, you love art, or you just want to be part of the latest thing to hit SoHo, get to 72 Green Street soon. For what would have been John Lennon’s 73rd birthday, an exhibition is being showcased there of his drawings.
It includes 100 drawings and song writing that he created between 1964 and 1980 and includes a wide range of expressions.
As Peter Haskell of WCBS880 explained, “The nature of his drawings are pretty simple for the most part, cartoonish almost. Very, very cool stuff with some amazing history.”
The suggested donation for entering is $3 and all proceeds will benefit a nonprofit group that offers meals to homebound elderly people in New York. As Citymeals-on-Wheels executive director Beth Shapiro said, “I’m hoping that we reach $20,000, which is about what we did last year and it’s huge for us. Every meal that we deliver is $6.42, $20,000 goes a long way.”
All of the works in the show are available to be purchased. The show is presented by Yoko Ono, Bag One Arts and Legacy Fine Arts and Productions.
Unfortunately, if you’ve enjoyed shopping at Treasure & Bond, the SoHo store whose profits all went to charity, you won’t be able to do so any longer. They recently closed the store at 350 W. Broadway between Grand and Broome streets. The commendable goal of the store was to donate 100% of the profits to charity to benefit kids in NYC. The store first opened in August of 2011 and pledged to donate to locations like The Edible Schoolyard NYC and the Association to Benefit Children.
As the Nordstrom spokeswoman explained, “Treasure & Bond was always meant to be an experiment where we could try something new to give back to the NYC community. We’re really proud of our efforts, but after two years we had yet to turn a profit.” Over their two year run, they did raise $200,000 for charities.
The bikes are ready and the stations are in place for the bike sharing program to start in SoHo. But, some people in SoHo aren’t taking to the new Citi Bike racks well.
There are now two bike racks in Lt. Joseph Petrosino Square at Lafayette and Kenmare streets. And, as Sean Sweene of the SoHo Alliance said, “The people of New York will have to view this ugly Citibank advertising in a place formerly reserved, and preserved, for art.”
There have been complaints all around from people saying that the bike stations are on landmark blocks and others arguing that there will be lost parking spots. Recently, people in Greenwich Village were given tickets after a new bike stand was installed.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg, blowing off the criticism, said on WOR Radio on Friday that the anti-bike criticism “makes good theater.”
9000 bikers will start riding on Monday who have signed up already and the bikes will then be available to the general public starting June 2. An annual membership costs $95 and a day pass is $9.95.
If you love Michael Kors‘ designs, you’ll soon be able to love them in Soho. Apparently he will soon be grabbing a 15,000 square foot location at 520 Broadway where he’ll be selling his popular womenswear, wristwatches and handbags.
As Gary Dana, an executive vice president of Douglas Elliman said, “This is the third deal we’ve done with Micahel Kors in Manhattan. Michael Kors has been looking for the perfect Soho location with us for over a year.”
Their new space will include three stories and is a space that was previously owned by Club Monaco.
If you were lucky enough to be hanging out at the Apple Soho store this week, you just might have caught a glimpse of Alicia Keys. She was there to unveil her new children’s App for iOS called “The Journal of Mama Mae and LeeLee.” Created together with AK Worldwide and Bento Box Interactive, this immersive storytelling app focuses on the touching story of Key’s relationship with her Nana.
First debuted on October 25th, the app can be downloaded for iPad, iPhone and iTouch users at the Apple App Store. As described on the website for the app, “the app encourages exploration through music, journaling, rewards and more. Underscored by Alicia Keys’ original music and inspired by Keys’ own relationship with her Nana, the app tells the story of a relationship between a young girl (LeeLee) in New York City and her wise grandmother (Mama Mae).”
On display in downtown Utica, New York recently were the works of several artists from the Upstate Cerebral Palsy Artistic Realization Technologies Program. These artists’ works joined in with paintings from the Downtown Utica Development Association’s Project U Art in Windows. This special project showcases the work of local artist which is then displayed in the windows of shops in Utica’s downtown locale hoping to promote both the downtown area and the area’s artists.
More specifically, the Upstate Cerebral Palsy Artistic Realization Technologies Program supports artists who create their works using the latest in laser technology.
“There are so many ways that they’re benefiting from it,” said Melinda Karastury, studio assistant with the program. “They get to express themselves creatively. Also, there’s an evolution of process. They start with just exploring paint colors, then paint brushes and textures. Over time, they get to incorporate it all into their paintings.”
One couple from New Hartford, Dyte and Steven Giuffrida were also present at the gathering of the artists on the corner of Genesee and Devereux streets. Along with them was their daughter and artist Stephanie, who, according to her parents, has benefited greatly from this program.
“She absolutely loves it,” Dyte said. “She really feels like she can do something on her own. I think it’s very good for her self-esteem, which in turn, makes us very happy.”
Written by Evan Linder and Andrew Hobgood, with contributions from Mary Hollis Inboden, Megan Johns, Thea Lux, Beth Stelling and Maari Suorsa, the show was directed by Sara Gitenstein.
As the SoHo Playhouse, Inc. artistic director Darren Lee Cole said, “We are extremely excited to announce the addition of 5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche which will make our fall season complete! New York’s theatrical elite hoped this show would never see the light of day but after the amazing response it received at the Fringe they had no luck trying to stick their finger in the dyke.”
The cast includes Caitlin Chuckta, Rachel Farmer, Megan Johns, Thea Lux and Maari Suorsa. And, according to press notes, it “takes us to 1956 where the Susan B. Anthony Society for the Sisters of Gertrude Stein are having their annual quiche breakfast. Will they be able to keep their cool when Communists threaten their idyllic town?”
The show will run until early November on Saturday nights at 10 pm and on Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays at 7:30 pm.
The 23rd annual summer benefit, SOFO Goes SOHO took place last weekend to raise money for the support of the East End’s museum. This year, the event honored Christie Brinkley for her activities with the environment.
The evening included cocktails and hors d’oevures, a great DJ set by Nick Cohen and Alexandra Richards (daughter of Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards), and mingling with friends.
The South Fork Natural History Museum and Nature Center were chartered by the New York State Department of Education in 1989. It is the only state-of-the-art natural history museum on the Southern Fork of Long Island and is a privately funded nonprofit that relies on the support of donors and fundraising events.