Improving
January resets, pursuing perfection, or, maybe just shop somewhere great
Hello Dear Pals,
It’s January and half of my friends are dry, are cleansing, are committing to Whole 30. The other half are going way “upstream” with Peter Attia; lifting weights and finding ways to “retard their decline” omg the phrasing. I don’t observe New Year’s Resolutions (except one year when I vowed to stop eating fruit that I know in advance is going to be disappointing - a good call), but am very familiar with the impulse to improve and the joy that optimism brings. It’s impossible to live if you feel everything is just getting worse, but it’s important to be thoughtful about that quest. Everyone has heard the research about lottery-ticket winners losing their minds because one huge improvement followed by years of decline is shitty, it’s got to be little nibbles of dopamine at appropriate intervals.
Or, as the author Jane Smiley put it, all any parent wants for their children is the worst novel ever: a long, boring, unbroken line of little wins. I love this sentiment, and I try to think of frustrating episodes as plot-twists, but in my heart I want a long, boring, unbroken line of little wins.
And to that end, when aging starts to feel like a loss (which can happen to anyone, not just people who newly have fingernail ridges and are experimenting with readers) the thing that I choose to control and improve is how I dress. My thesis is that you, me, everyone, can dress better, more personally, more powerfully than they did last decade, and it’s such a profound boost we should all engage. My favorite way to shop is in-person and always has been - I can’t resist an amazing outfit that I can take with me, but I can always abandon an online cart. This speaks to the magic of a beautiful store, and brings us to the feature this month: retail.
We have been lucky enough to work on some of the best shops in the country over the years; Ayla Beauty, McMullen and Hero Shop, and in all cases we sought to channel the singular vision of the founder and act in service to the products. To provide an atmosphere where people can see themselves as more beautiful, themselves but improved. These chic and thoughtful stores give the opportunity for an unbroken line of small but sincere wins every time you visit, every morning when you get dressed. Improvement one purchase at a time, babiezzz.
RETAIL
First up: McMullen’s Oakland Flagship
We started with a concrete shell with actual dirt on the floor, and a zippy whirlwind design phase with founder Sherri McMullen. From there the build-out was quick and surpassed even our high expectations - every subcontractor delivered spectacularly. In 2021 Vogue declared it one of the six best stores in America and said browsing there was “like perusing through shopping heaven.” They most definitely meant the clothes but it’s nice to be adjacent to that kind of praise so I’m mentioning it.
This project was also special because it was the first time we provided graphics and branding support. The signature logo was hand-drawn by me and fabricated first in neon, then went on to live as the primary wordmark. The secondary logo used on the light box sign was also designed in-house, and we collaborated with a workshop to recreate the feel of a sign I saw during a trip to Tokyo. One of my favorite touches was making a custom cohort of diverse skin-tone mannequins - most in Sherri's Pantone (479C 80%), then a few lighter and darker for true inclusivity.
Thank you to former RADsters Maria Wu & Olivia Rogers; Flynn Architecture; Oak Park Construction; special shout-out to Rago Neon. And thank you to amazing Sherri McMullen, decisive and chic at all times
Next: Hero Shop!
This was a thoughtful and subtle collaboration between owner Emily Holt and designers Rose Louie and Alex McAuley. I was on sabbatical for almost all of the heavy lifting, and came back into the picture just in time to take a victory lap at a fun little margarita party. Sidenote: returning to work after a meaningful break and feeling proud and impressed with zero stress was really nice, not going to lie.
Anywho, many components of the store remained the same, but lighting, casework, clothing racks, shelves and dressing rooms and rugs all subtly leveled up. Similar to the best visit to a dermatologist, this project is glowy and looks expensive but you can’t put your finger on exactly why.
Thank you to RAD Team: Rose Louie and Alex McAuley; Emily Holt you are a classy inspiration; Special honors and clapping emoji to Greg Bergere and Katie Kilanowski from Go Build Studio
Finally our OG Retail project: Ayla Beauty
This job came to us because my friend was shopping at Ayla and saw Dara struggling with a paint chip - not just struggling but crowdsourcing opinions from strangers. My friend recognized a kindred spirit in a desperate situation and told Dara to call me, and we hit it off immediately and started right away. The budget was tiny, but as I mentioned above Dara has an extra gear as a no-drama project manager in addition to multiple Ivy League degrees and entrepreneurial expertise. And so… the sweetest beauty studio you ever did see was done in six months, and six months after that it was featured in Wallpaper* Magazine.
Thanks to former RAD Designer Maria Wu; Leigha Weinberg for the spark; and to sweet Dara Kennedy for the trust and inspiration over the years
And now, my favorite way to digest information:
The end! We made it. Next month will be (cue Hallmark movie of the week voice) a “very special episode” in which I bring you behind the scenes of our Kips Bay Showcase room - opening on February 22 in Palm Beach. I thought long and hard about committing to a showcase house (the stress! the expense! the TIME!) but you don’t say no to Kips Bay, friends, and now that it’s (just started but also) almost done I am lit up with excitement, and I can’t wait to show you how it came together.
See ya on the other side,
Last Word: A nip of my omnivore’s book club where I never tag the author because I like to let ’er rip on all books great and sleazy. Almost 150 book reviews of all flavors saved in stories
wish you a long, boring, unbroken line of little wins x
How can i read any other substack after this? I love you and your writing with all my ❤️