Sandra Bendor Arrested For Offering Kisses at ArtsEcho

Dear Friends: At ArtsEcho Galleria we always have Hershey's kisses on hand to welcome people.  We get lots of tourists visiting our charming little gallery.  I recently greeted a very tall Swedish gentleman with a bowl of Hershey's and asked if he wanted a kiss.  After my arrest...well, you can't blame him...not everyone knows that the iconic little silver-wrapped chocolates are called kisses.  And just to segue into Mother's Day, (you knew I had to get that in here somewhere) we have other silver kisses at ArtsEcho...these are Sterling Silver and look like this: My two lovely daughters (that's the hand of one of them modeling the rings) are the kind of young women who make any mother proud.  At ArtsEcho I get to meet so many young women who are enterprising, hard-working, hard-studying, thoughtful and creative people.  At a recent Chashama party on 43rd St (that's the excellent arts organization run by Anita Durst that discovers and promotes artists and finds spaces for them to exhibit) I met Nubia Blaque who is an incredibly talented handbag designer.  Nubia is creating spectacular things for our small but growing "Sustainable Couture" collection.  She made this amazing backpack with leathers, suedes and silks from our collection of existing fabrics.   Here she is reflected in our 1912 Art Nouveau mirror: Stop on by for a look at these marvelous creations, and/or to BUY A GREAT GIFT FOR MOTHER (that's just a hint) WHICH WE WILL PUT IN A LOVELY GIFT BAG (more hint). We'll also offer you a Hershey's kiss... Warm regards, Sandra and the ArtsEcho Galleria team. PS:  We're open today, Saturday, from 12 - 8.  Tomorrow (yes, that's MOTHER'S DAY) we're open from 10am for those LAST MINUTE WONDERFUL GIFTS like these gorgeous silk scarves from Southeast Asia that cost $38: PPS:  We're at 455 W 43rd between 9th & 10th and you can call us at 646 692 6277. PPPS:  Please pass this email on to all your buddies.

400 Years of Mothers Days

Dear Friends: Have I ever mentioned that we have WONDERFUL PRESENTS for Mother's Day??  (Now I have.) Glorious rings, necklaces, earrings and bracelets (elegant in sterling silver with gemstones or blingy animals in Swarovski crystals).  Not to mention the loveliest silk scarves and thin-as-air silk shawls (perfect over summer dresses when the air-conditioning reminds you of Reykjavik in February).  And those adorable vintage bags and hats.   According to my good friend Wikipedia, we have been celebrating a day for mothers since the 1600s.  Mothering Day, as it was then known, was a holiday for the English working classes.  It was an unusual day in which servants (who were grudgingly given one afternoon off every other week) could travel home to see their families.  And of course, presents were taken home to Mother. Since humankind made its appearance on this little globe of ours, there have been about 26 billiion people born.  Now that's a lot of mothers.  Here are a few of the lovely things that we have for your mother...wife... daugher...sister...friend...grandmother...boss...girlfriend...significant other... Mystic Topaz & Sterling Silver      Hand-Tooled Leather & Purple Agate   You have another WEEK to decide (and if you can't, we have very useful GIFT CERTIFICATES...let Mom make her own decision...that way she can try on some of the pieces from our great vintage collection as well.) Warm regards, Sandra and the ArtsEcho Galleria team PS:  We're here from 12 - 8 on Saturday and 12 - 6 on Sunday.  And 12 - 8 from Tuesday through Friday as well.  You can reach us at 646 692 6277.  PPS:  We're at 455 W 43rd St on the way to the delightful Pier 84 park on the Hudson. PPPS:  Please pass this email on to all your friends who love superb vintage clothing. PPPPS:  This week several people told me that they hadn't come in previously because the shop looks so expensive.  WE ONLY LOOK EXPENSIVE!!!!  We hear (again and again) that we have the lowest prices for wonderful vintage clothing in the city.  Come in and see for yourself. PPPPPS:  Enjoy the lovely weather this weekend.

Creating Art From Paper (or) How to Stand Out Among 50 Siblings

Dear Friends: Here at our charming little outpost in HK (that's Hell's Kitchen not Hong Kong) I get to meet amazing people from all over the world.  This week we've had visitors from almost every Scandinavian country...I've been "Toosen Takk-ing" a lot.  Our artists also hail from many countries.  Gerardo Latino, that incredible master of paper whose work garnishes comments like "Holy cow!" and "That can't be paper!" every single day, is from Managua, Nicaragua.  From a very poor background, the only thing Gerardo had to create art from was small scraps of paper that he would find in the street.  Much of his art is based on his early and very close-up experiences with nature. "The Scorpion" by Gerardo Latino, Archival Watercolor Paper, 32" x 36", $4500  When Gerardo was a child he often played with scorpions.  They would crawl in and out of his bed.  He said that they will only bite if you close your fingers over them.  Hmm....good to know. "Mayan Pacal King", Archival Watercolor Paper  12" x 14", $900 About his 50 siblings: Gerardo's father was a salesman of shoes and sandals all over Latin America for many years.  Although he never married, he has families in several different countries.  Gerardo commented "My father didn't drink or smoke, but loved beautiful women".  Gerardo has met 37 of his siblings.  His mother and full sisters live today in Costa Rica and he recently bought them a house in the lovely city of San Jose. ArtsEcho Galleria commissioned the portrait of Albert Einstein that has amazed so many of you.  Gerardo told me that he made 5 attempts to create the piece since he had never made a human face.  There are many layers to the face and each of Albert's famous hairs is attached separately to achieve the affect.  "Portrait of Albert Einstein" by Gerardo Latino, 32" x 36" Archival Watercolor Paper, $4800 I love Einstein and I always tell the kids who come into our warm little haven that he is my home-boy.  I don't have a clue as to what Einstein's physical formulas mean but I know that he was a great humanist and a pacifist all the way up to WW II (and we all know that you couldn't be intelligent and a pacifist in Europe during the war).  Also, his image is the only truly iconic one (other than politicians, sports figures, models or famous entertainers) recognized by people of all ages all over the world.  I can't think of another intellectual or scientist who is Marilyn-Elvis-famous other than good old Albert.  Can you? Here's one more to help you think.  It's called "Inner Search": "Inner Search" by Gerardo Latino, Archival Watercolor Paper, 12" x 16", $1600 Warm regards and Happy Easter and Happy (end of) Passover to all, Sandra and the ArtsEcho Galleria Team PS:  Many thanks for all the wonderful birthday wishes, you lovely people! PPS:  We're at 455 W 43rd Street and you can also reach us at 646 692 6277. PPPS:  Our hours are 12 - 8 Tuesday through Saturday and 12 - 6 on Sunday. PPPPS:  Lately we have been having ad hoc soirees at ArtsEcho when several people meet one another in our shop.  Being very curious I love to find out where people are from and what they do (I don't ask how much they earn)...yesterday evening we had an ESL teacher from South Korea, a Portuguese teacher from Brazil and a Spanish teacher from Mexico!  I made everyone a cup of my famous (secret recipe) cocoa and the party began! PPPPPS:  Please forward this email to all of your many terrific friends and tell them about our gallery and the incredible prices on spectacular vintage clothing.  And if you know anyone who writes for any newspapers...blogs...magazines... PPPPPPS:  Enough with the PS's.

Long Black Silk...and Pucci on Steroids

Dear Friends:   Still wearing my earmuffs, but just planted lovely pansies in the window boxes framing our charming little gallery.  Hope that the pansies will survive and that I'll be able to take the earmuffs off before July 4th.  Inside our warm and cozy place we've been photographing some of the irresistible items that we've just acquired and here are a few photos to regale you all... This lovely black dress ($76) is pure silk...scrunchy, light, figure-hugging and ankle length.  Worn here with an antique straw hat ($78) from Venice (Italy, not California) and a vintage faux coin belt ($42).  (...just coined "faux coin".)      And here is a fine and soft viscose dress ($68) with a fabulous Asian print motif of fans and flowers and a high V with bracelet length sleeves.  The dress just skims the knee.     On to a silk dress ($88), fully lined.  The silk has all of the little slubs that characterize this kind of douppioni silk made by those active little devils, the mulberry silk worms.  The stripes are slightly uneven as if they were drawn by hand.   And here is the "Pucci on Steroids" dress.  Emilio Pucci was known for his amazing prints, and this dress just goes a bit farther.  Neon, psychedelic colors were all the rage in 1971 and are still (or perhaps again) all the rage in 2011.   Warm regards, Sandra and the hardworking, hard flyer-distributing ArtsEcho team. PS:  Thank you all for the many birthday wishes.  Here's I am in my favorite chair at ArtsEcho Galleria (of course) holding a ubiquitous cup of tea.  Ladies (of a certain age) are never supposed to tell, so I won't...but I was born when Harry S. Truman was President...4 years before Eisenhower was elected and 3 years after the end of WW 2.  History buffs...?       PPS: We're at 455 W 43rd St between 9th and 10th and you can reach us at 646 692 6277.  We're here from 12 - 8 Tues - Sat and 12 - 6 on Sunday.    PPPS:  Please forward this email to any wonderful people you know (forget the rest...we only do wonderful people here...).

Useful Antiques at ArtsEcho Galleria (other than Sandra...)

Dear Friends: Who's that giggling man in the photo? Here's a hint: he was one of 13 children, born in 1836 in Indiana.  Still can't guess?  OK, he's William S. Wooten. And for the next question: who on earth is William S. Wooten? Well, in 1874 he invented the Wooten Desk which was a 19th century marvel, and (of course) we happen to have one on hand at ArtsEcho, our charming little gallery.  The Wooten Masterpiece at ArtsEcho Galleria The Wooten Desk was an ingenious solution to the ever growing complexity of business details generated by the Industrial Revolution. Presidents Grant, Garfield and Harrison used them.  So did Queen Victoria and John D. Rockefeller.  Henry Ford loved his.  You can see one of the originals at the wonderful Thomas Edison National Site in West Orange, NJ, exactly 18 miles from Manhattan and one of the best trips you'll ever take.    Perfect for the Victorian parlor when the doors are closed. Now ours is for sale (as you might have surmised).  It's a handcarved, mid 20th Century reproduction and costs $6500...(just a little pricier than our lovely 1980s blouses that start at $32).  The original Wooten Desks, produced from 1874 - 1891, go for $125,000 - $750,000 (in case you've saved lots of pennies in a very big jar).  And they are still very useful.  Laptops fit them perfectly and CDs are the exact size for all those cute cubbies.  It's as if Wooten had measured a CD himself. Warm regards, Sandra and the ArtsEcho Galleria team PS:  Just a reminder: the concert "21st Century Music & On", at Merkin Hall on 67th Street (in which I am singing three terrific songs by prolific composer Ronn Yedidia) is tomorrow, April 3rd, at 8pm.  PPS:  We have so many new and wonderful items in the store.  Including adorable spring-y dresses from the 40s, 60s, 70s and 80s.  PPPS:  And, to remind you all that we are a very dog-friendly store, here's a photo of our Guy, surely one of the most photogenic (and patient!) dogs in the world.  PPPS:  Please pass on this email to your vintage apparel, unusual jewelry, wild antique (and animal) loving friends. PPPPS: We're at 455 W 43rd St between 9th and 10th, just down and across from that sweet park where the Farmer's Market is opening...now that it's (can it be?) finally spring.

Terracotta Neckties in 221 BC (or) Careful with the Bolonese

Dear Friends: I'm always amazed when I see vintage ties (or any ties for that matter) that are clean and pristine with no telltale signs of last night's wasabi, borscht, pad tai or bolonese.  For people who love fabric, design, color and minimalism, ties are quite amazing.  They pack an enormous creative punch in such a tiny little space.  Although fairly standard in length and shape, they are wildly versatile in fabric, width, color, pattern and even message (political, cultural or Betty Boop).  The only thing I don't get about ties is why guys wear them.  Our Famous Men's Department Well, we women do get to be creative with almost every part of our wardrobe but until fairly recently, ties were the only way that men had to express sartorial inventiveness.  And then it had to take place between the lapels of grey or blue suits.  We have ties by Balmain, de la Renta, Dior, Givenchy (he made ties when he wasn't busy creating the wardrobe for many of Audrey Hepburn's  films) and many more.  Jerry Garcia of Deadhead fame made great ties and we just got one designed by Miles Davis of all people (who knew?) and you can see his music in the design (back row, second from right).    And here are the "Terracotta Warriors" from 221 BC found in 1974 near Xian, China.  They were discovered by some (probably very surprised) farmers while drilling a well.  They represent the main defending force of the Emperor Qin.  So far about 2000 have been unearthed and about 4000 more are still underground.  And they are wearing ties!  Even the horses are wearing ties. Warm regards,   Sandra and the charming ArtsEcho Galleria team including Chandra, Zaghara,  Stephanie and Catrina.  PS:  Busy week coming up.  Many of the terrific things in our vintage and designer collection are featured on Live Auctioneers next Friday, April 1st right here.  You can sign up and bid and get great bargains! PPS:  Thanks for the wonderful response to my announcement of the April 3rd Merkin Hall concert ("21st Century Music & On").  Hope to see many of you there and at the reception following.  PPPS:  We are busily getting tags and prices on lots and lots of wonderful new ArtsEcho vintage.  Stop on by to see what awaits! PPPPS:  Lest you forget, we're at 455 W 43rd St between 9th & 10th in Hell's Trendy Kitchen.  We're here from 12 - 8 Tues - Sat and 12 - 6 on Sunday.  You can also reach us at 646 692 6277.   PPPPPS:  Please tell all of your many friends about our charming little gallery.

8 BILLION POUNDS OF FABRIC...EIGHT BILLION POUNDS!!!

Dear Friends: If you guessed that 8 billion pounds is the amount of fabric that we in the US throw into landfills every year, you win, sadly, the cigar.  Actually, it's between 8 and 9 billion pounds, but who's counting?  Well, we are.  And to try to do something about it, we're collecting superb fabric and giving the fabric to artists and fashion designers to use in creating beautiful new works of art and wearable art.  There is so much gorgeous fabric out there and we need to use it and use it well! Luisa and Nicki, our neighbors who own the wonderful store, Domus, on 44th Street (just west of 9th Ave), gave us a huge donation of fabric swatches this week (gorgeous polyester and viscose from Italy)...for fashion designers and fiber artists to use in their work.  That's Luisa with a handwoven shawl from Domus' amazing collection of beautiful things from all over the world.  And speaking of gorgeous polyester, here's a photo of one of our classic 1980's poly dresses.  It is modeled by Sabrina of Basic Model Management with hair and makeup by Victoria Ducane.  The photo was taken by a new friend of ours, fashion photographer Jon Macapodi, who is using our collection for his work and letting us use his stunning photos!  It's what a Russian friend of mine calls a vin-vin situation...  And speaking of vin...this time the French kind...we will have some lovely vin on hand tomorrow after 5 to toast the (almost here) spring!  I was going to say that's a vin-vin-vin situation but I won't sink that low. Warm regards, Sandra and the (growing!) ArtsEcho Galleria team PS: Yup...455 W 43rd...close to 10th...look for our very vintag-y and Fabulous & Friendly Female Flyer Folk For Flyers with discounts! PPS:  I can't resist alliteration. PPPS:  Please pass this email on to your friends! PPPPS:  We are getting new (well, vintage new) items every day...