Joinery: A Slow Fashion Stalwart in South Williamsburg
Photo by Heather Phelps-Lipton
IF THERE WERE SUCH A MONIKER as “slow fashion” as the antithesis to the Forever 21s of the world, Joinery in South Williamsburg would fit the bill. Since 2011, founder Angela Silva has found success by putting in the time that an exceptional boutique deserves through heavy research of her designers, who tend to be the hardest kind to discover due to their independent- and startup-sized budgets. “We spend more time than we can afford researching, developing and presenting products because it’s what we love to do,” Silva says. But in a neighborhood that’s changed so quickly in just the three years since Joinery’s founding, moving slowly doesn’t necessarily meet the bottom line.
“We are definitely affected by the chain stores that have started carrying some of the same designers we do,” she adds. “Associating themselves with ‘the little guy’ has obvious marketing value for [them]. But for our small shop, sales of those ‘little guy’ products actually keep the lights on.”
(We’re hoping the lights stay on long beyond the chain stores.)
263 S. 1st Street, Williamsburg
