Author: Igor

  • Exploring Astoria’s Underrated Stylish Menswear Scene

    When discovering New York City, most trend-seeking men tend to venture into Manhattan and Brooklyn to experience all the tourist-friendly men’s fashion shops along 5th Avenue and Williamsburg. While they’re undeniably cool destinations, Astoria, Queens is one of New York’s most overlooked neighborhoods for anyone seeking stylish men’s clothing within the five boroughs. Ranked among the coolest neighborhoods in the world, it’s a slower escape from Times Square and Columbus Circle without making you feel bored or amiss. New York’s sleepless spirit thrives in all five boroughs, and Astoria is no expectation from the city’s popular nickname (the city that never sleeps). 

    In this trend-focused city guide, we dive into one of NYC’s lesser known neighborhoods to discover the undiscovered stylish menswear scene with shopping and travel tips that we gathered from in-the-know locals. From trendy gastropubs to designer clothing shops, we explore all the dynamics of how and where stylish men’s clothing flourishes in Astoria.

    A Short History on Astoria’s Rich Past

    Astoria was named after John Jacob Astor, one of the wealthiest men of the United States during the early 1800s who gained his profits from opioid and fur trade. He predicted this area of New York would experience rapid economic development without ever setting foot in the city. This still holds true to this day as it’s now a hotspot for international film & TV sets, Michelin-rated eateries, and global corporate businesses.

    What the Trendy Locals Wear

    Like much of New York City, Astoria’s local men’s fashion scene ebbs and flows with the time of day and the mood of the venue. NYC is known to be a concrete jungle crawling with trendy individualists who dress to the beat of their own drum, like the kind of stylish mens clothing on Differio. Although Astoria is slightly more muted than the louder fashions of Manhattan, you can usually spot men in trendy athleisure and men’s streetwear during the day (e.g. skinny joggers and bomber jackets) and bolder going-out clothes at night (e.g. ripped jeans and leather jackets). 

    Must-Visit Avenues for Stylish Men’s Clothing

    Seeing a New York City map from a tourist’s perspective, these neighborhoods might look like an overwhelming maze of avenues, but Astoria offers a less complicated path for finding stylish mens clothing stores.

    Steinway Street

    Steinway Street contains nearly 2.4 miles of cafes, groceries, eateries, and stylish mens clothing shops with a diverse range of popular and local brands. You’ll discover a refreshing mix of big-name men’s fashion brands, as well as local boutiques with independent designers. This is the ideal window shopping destination for stylish menswear that’s also studded with plenty of restaurants because you’ll likely work up an appetite after walking that strip.

    31 Street 

    31 Street runs vertically on the map with plenty of options to buy stylish clothes for men. Head over to this long strip to discover trendy consignment stores, vintage boutiques, and large department stores. Just be aware, this street runs into Long Island City – an up-and-coming residential area – so don’t be surprised if you run into some high-rise apartments after a long walk.

    Stylish Places to Eat, Drink & Instagram

    Nightlife

    Astoria’s nightlife scene is a diverse one where you can always find a fashion-forward crowd wearing the most stylish mens clothing, shoes and accessories, which is especially great if you want to get a glimpse of what real New Yorkers wear on the daily.

    If you’re looking for an intimate, speakeasy-style space, head over to Mosaic, The Last Word, or The Sweet Aston for craft cocktails and gastropub fare; going-out shirts and chinos would be totally acceptable attire.

    Seeking a more low-key ambiance where you can just throw on casual-yet-stylish mens clothing, like skinny jeans and a graphic hoodie? Check out the Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden or The Sweet Spot Sporting Lounge & Restaurant for typical bar fare and craft beer selections.

    Museums

    Most people that appreciate fashion also find themselves appreciating art in all its forms, which is why we’ve included must-see museums on this list. You’ll be pleasantly surprised to find that you don’t need to commute outside of Astoria to get a taste of New York’s historic culture.

    Head to the Noguchi Museum to experience an indoor and outdoor space that celebrates the work of Japanese artist Isamu Noguchi. You can also check out the Museum of the Moving Image for an eye-opening media museum exploring the moving visual arts.

    For proper museum attire, you can most certainly don stylish clothes for men, but just make sure you’re wearing comfortable walking shoes.

    (Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, hours of operation for all mentioned locations may vary.)

  • Growing Old Disgracefully (Retiring to A City Is The Best Thing You Will Ever Do!)

    You’ll find plenty of city guides on this blog. However, rather than just visiting them, have you ever considered living in one? Well, if you can’t do so right now, you may well be able to in later life. In fact, a city can be the perfect place in which to spend your golden years. Read on to find out why. 

    Old doesn’t mean out of touch or no longer in vogue

    First of all, let’s start by stating that old age is nothing but a number. In fact, being older doesn’t mean that your taste suddenly disintegrates, or that you love for design, culture, and fashion fall by the wayside. Just ask icons like Iris Apfel!

    What we mean here is that just because you have a few years under your belt, it doesn’t necessarily follow you won’t want an active and culturally rich life. That, as well as the reasons below, is why moving to a city later in life is such a great choice! 

    Cities have fantastic public transport links

    One best thing about moving to a city in later life is that many of them like Ghent have excellent public transport. 

    Of course, this is beneficial because you don’t have to run an expensive car if you don’t want to. Something that can help save you some money and make sure you are doing your part for the environment as well.  All without limiting your access to any of the flights that city life has to offer.

    Cities are the perfect place to find others you gel with

    Then there is the element of community that can be much more pronounced in city life, as opposed to the suburbs. In fact, it’s not uncommon for those living in the ‘burbs to have no more interaction with their neighbors than the occasion mod of the head as they go to get into their car.

    However, cities bring together a vast range of people all into close proximity. Something that means you only need to do an online search to find like-minded individuals. Try terms like senior citizen group activities near me, or meet up groups + your particular interest to start. You’ll be flooded with opportunities to join involved in passionate and vibrant communities! 

    Cities are choked full of entertainment

    Finally, and perhaps one of the most appealing reasons that many people choose to retire to a city is because they are so full of entertainment and activities.

    Of course, you have museums and galleries. Many of which are often free or at least discounted for senior citizens. Something that means you can while away an enjoyable time without spending too much at all. 

    Then there are restaurants and cafes to try! Oh, and don’t forget the walking tours, the theatre and cinema events, and all the bars you can frequent too! Thus proving that if you are looking to grow old disgracefully and have the fullest, most fun retirement there is, there is no better place to settle than the City!

     

  • What Do You Want From Your Life?

    Have you ever taken the time to sit and think about what you want from your life? It doesn’t matter how old you are or what stage of life you are at, when you think about the future, what does it look like? Of course, this might change as time goes on, but there is no reason that this should stop you from living your best life right now. In this article, we are going to be taking a look at some of the things that people typically want from life, and how to get them. Keep reading down below if you would like to find out more. 

    Picture Credit – CC0 Licence

    A Family

    The first thing that many people want at some point in their life is a family. If you don’t want a family, there is absolutely nothing wrong with this, it’s not for everyone. However, if it is something that you would like then you can’t rush it. It will happen when it happens, and there are always ways to speed up the process or get the ball rolling if need be. Just make sure that you are ready for what this entails if you are set on starting a family because otherwise you’re going to be in for a big shock.

    Try to document all of those special moments so that you can look back on them in years to come. For example, look for a maternity photographer if you’re pregnant, and make sure to take pictures of you and your family enjoying those special moments in life!

    A Solid Career

    Another thing that most people want is a solid career. You want to feel secure in the career that you have chosen, knowing that you are good at what you do, while also enjoying it. Some people seem to think that you can’t have both, but you absolutely can. It takes finding something that you enjoy, and then being willing to work to get to where you want to be, making a name for yourself as you go. 

    To Be Happy

    But, the thing that everyone wants is just to be happy. This means that you need to do your own thing that will lead to your best life. Get rid of all the complications and distractions that take you away from doing whatever it takes to be happy. At the end of the day, you need to live your life for you, and you are the only one who will know what will make you truly happy. Follow what your heart tells you, and you will lead a happy life.

    We hope that you have found this article helpful, and now see some of the things that you can do if these are the things that you want in your life. Keep in mind that everyone wants something different, and you should never feel as though there is something that you should want, because this doesn’t matter. It’s all about what’s best for you, so take the steps necessary to live your best life.

  • Label: MADE IN MIMBRE

    Label: MADE IN MIMBRE

    Founded in 2007 by Chilean design studio The Andes House, MADE IN MIMBRE is a brand offering lighting products, furniture and other objects made with wicker. MADE IN MIMBRE’s handcrafted products are characterised by their minimal and simple shapes, designed to maximize the material’s qualities.

    Our Chilean contributing photographer Natalia Hurtado visited MADE IN MIMBRE’s store in Santiago and we interviewed its founders to find out more about this design label.

    www.madeinmimbre.com

    How did you come up with the idea of MADE IN MIMBRE?

    MADE IN MIMBRE was born in 2007 with the idea of producing high quality objects and furniture with good design and manufactured with local materials. It then developed into products only manufactured using wicker as an extension of our design studio The Andes House. 

    Why wicker and not any other material? Did you know from the beginning that you wanted to use this material or did you consider other options?

    When we first considered working with local materials – always keeping in mind our design and quality requirements- we realized that we could use materials such as clay, wood, copper, wool and marble. We decided to choose wicker mainly due to three factors: the way it was produced, its proximity to Santiago and the technique behind the material. 

    What properties can you find in wicker that you can’t find in other design materials?

    You can work with wicker in numerous ways and consider it for projects of different scale.

    We’ve manufactured lighting products, furniture, wall structures with 3Form-Hunter Douglas and architectural objects for the Violeta Parra Museum. The possibilities of wicker are endless and that makes us want to explore it in many different ways.

    You work closely with artisans from Chimbarongo in Chile. Tell us a little more about this process and how your designs come to life.

    Our design process is generated from the information crossover between artisans and designers. The artisan provides the knowledge about the material and the weaving process, and the designer proposes new shapes and concepts.

    The ‘fabric’ that you obtain from weaving wicker is a good light filter and you can vary its intensity depending on the thickness and gaps between the sticks.

    With MADE IN MIMBRE, we’ve developed lighting products through the ‘Molde’ and ‘Principal’ lines designed by The Andes House, and also through our recent collaborations with other studios.

    We currently sell our products at our store in Santiago and we also develop projects through The Andes House, collaborating with architecture studios that propose new techniques and uses for wicker. We’re starting to export our products as well, thanks to having attended a few design fairs over the past 3 years.

    You’ve recently collaborated with Swedish architecture and design studio Claesson Koivisto Rune and you have another collaboration lined-up for 2014. Why is collaboration important for any design studio?

    We’re always collaborating with other designers and studios based all around the world. We’re looking for a crossover between design and cultures that results in a product or collection based on MADE IN MIMBRE’s values. When we collaborate with other people we expand MADE IN MIMBRE to other countries. 

    We launched our first collaborative project at London Design Festival in 2013. Inspired by insects, nature and landscape, Swedish architecture and design studio Claesson Koivisto Rune designed the lighting objects Meduza, Chinita and Bellota. This happened after several meetings and chats at international design fairs between The Andes House and Claesson Koivisto Rune and we started working on the products earlier last year.

    The Andes House is currently manufacturing 7 designs propused by the Swedish design studio, with the help of artisans based in the Chilean region of Chimbarongo, and that will be soon available to be sold in Chile and abroad.

    Thanks to this first collaboration, we’ve managed to get another collaborative project with Italian designer Luca Nichetto. We’ve already started to work on it and we’re planning to launch the collection in 2014 and possibly in Tokio.

  • How To Give Yourself The Best Chance At A Career in Music

    There are a lot of people that dream about making music a lifelong career. After all, it is an incredibly powerful art that has the power to affect us all at some level in our lives. The good news is that there are more ways than one to make music a part of your professional career and the time has never been better. Here are a few tips to help you along the way.

    Image via Unsplash

    Establish short term and long term goals

    Having a passion for music can take you a long way, but having a clear idea of your destination will get you closer to having a successful career. There are many different ways to make money in the music industry, however, to “make it” you need to be really good at what you do.

     You can make money touring and performing or perhaps you’d be happy to get your song on a movie soundtrack. Maybe your calling is to be a successful event band and you make your money playing at weddings. Another option could be starting your own label and producing music.

     Set your sights on your final destination and work backwards. Determine what short term goals would make victorious benchmarks in your journey to realizing your dream. For example, if your long term goal is to tour, playing your own music, set the yearly goal to perform at a minimum of five local venues.

     Map out your road to success so you have a clear plan on how to get closer to realizing your dream. If you get lost along the way, you can adjust your blueprint to put you back in the right direction. Establishing your goals will give you ground zero and a way to gauge your success.

    Use professional images

    Your image is an extremely important aspect of establishing who you are and what your music is about. Invest in professional shots of you, your band and any additional shots to represent your image.

     When people see content r music associated with your images you don’t want to come off as amateurish with some low-quality pics. Make sure that the images you use in your social media, website and any other profile shots will convey the message you want people to get. Take vertical and horizontal shots to make sure they fit appropriately on covers and profiles.

    Create a social presence

    Choose two social media websites to consistently post content and engage with people. Two sites are ideal because you will need a lot of followers or subscribers and any more will dilute your efforts in making a substantial social presence.

     Social media translates to social currency. Not only does it look bad if your YouTube subscribers is a paltry 35 people, but when it comes time to let people know when and where you’re performing, you won’t get a great turnout from your fan base.

     You don’t need to be big on multiple social platforms, but it will pay to have a strong presence on one. Limit yourself to two profiles that you pour most of your effort into building.

    Treat your music career as a business

    Artists can sometimes get lost in their music and forget that there is more to building a career than just performing. Every musician needs a good team and in the beginning, you will need to do a lot of the work yourself to get your music noticed.

     Make sure you take the operational side of your music seriously. Plan ahead, be organized, punctual and reliable. People will be more likely to take you seriously when you make good on your word and are organized and focused on what you’re trying to achieve.

     Build a team with people who share the same passion and with whom you work well with. Just as much as you want to perform, there are people that will want to manage your bookings and fulfil specific roles that are necessary for creating a successful career in music. With the right people, your career will move forward much faster.

    Perform in front of a live audience

    It’s one thing to sing in a room full of friends and it’s a completely different experience to perform in front of a room full of people you don’t know. Take every opportunity to practice in front of a live audience to gain more experience in relating to the crowd and dealing with the issues that arise.

     If you’re just starting out, get to every open mike night in your city. If you’re out of options, hit up the karaoke bars and get as much practice in as possible. The more you put yourself out there, the more you perfect your performance skills.

    Invest in a vocal coach

    Unfortunately building a career in music requires financial investments in the right areas. Hire a coach to develop more vocal control can make a huge difference in improving your sound. No matter how good you are there is always something you can do better.

     If you haven’t mastered the correct singing postures, how to project, breathe and enunciate, you’re not maximizing your potential. Shania Twain attests much of her early on success to her vocal coach, Ian Garrett, (owner of the Canadian Academy Of Vocal Music) in her autobiography.

     A vocal coach will put you through rigorous voice training exercises to improve your singing voice and give you more structure on how you produce your sound.

    Record your music professionally

    Recording your songs in a studio can be quite pricey, but the end result is worthwhile.

     The experience of recording is a big step towards being a professional. Working with a sound engineer and producer on what you can do in the studio will spur on more ideas and give you the motivation to get your next track mastered.

     Recording your music professionally is also the best way to get your music distributed on sites that share music. No one will post a track that is made of low quality. Once you have a few under your belt you can consider posting to aggregator sites like DistroKid, CDBaby and TuneCore.

     When you have your own songs recorded and mastered and listed on aggregator sites, you’re creating more opportunities to start selling your music. The options exist to get your songs on Spotify, Itunes, Amazon Music and other media outlets that can start bringing you in some bucks.

    Realize your dream one step at a time

    Making a career in music is no easy feat. It takes passion, drives and a good business sense to put to establish a successful career that makes you good money. Although the process may be difficult, we live in a time where there are enough vocal tips, business tools and opportunities available that can make your dream a reality. 

    Put your money to good work by investing in yourself. There are benefits of voice training that amount to more than just a way to enhance your sound. Bring your music to life in a studio by professionally recording your work. Build your team and put your plan into motion to take the steps necessary to get you closer to making your music a lifelong career.