Welcome to the Neighborhood

My dear friends,


Welcome to the Neighborhood!

This is a new place. Somewhere quiet, and contemplative: A clear sky and three bright stars, A whispered prayer, a mourning dove.

This is growing up down the block from an ice cream shop, a cafe with a chubby baby stuffing pancakes into its’ mouth, a bulldog drinking from a water fountain in the park.

This is kindness woven into our days: A sunflower left on your front porch step, an invitation for dinner, a shoulder to sigh deeply into and unload some weight.

I have been thinking about what makes a community, and how to build connections through design, throughout my entire life. My neighborhood growing up was the starting point, but there is no going back.

It was the small things (i.e. a first day of school celebratory cornbread tradition, or how stopping to say hello could turn into a spontaneous dinner party) that made me feel part of something bigger. My neighborhood and most importantly, my neighbors made me who I am today. So as an homage to my upbringing, over the next year, I will be creating a clothing collection dedicated to and inspired by those memories and people.

This newsletter will archive that process and hopefully, create a community of its own. I hope to share my experiences growing up and think out loud about the idea of community...  what it means, how it is built, and grows, what brings people together, and how to find it. 

My goal is to use design to create useful garments that can hold these dear memories: dresses with pockets full of clover, dance-worthy clothes, playsuits that pull you towards play, and away from the mundane. I hope to create clothes that can be passed down and around, can shape-shift to fit a mother and daughter, clothes that bring you closer together. Stains are encouraged.

As for the format of this newsletter, it will be a little free-form, however, I plan to come out with at least one publication every two weeks that will include life updates and happenings, collection process, and reflections. I will also from time to time send out one-off emails that are more reflective on a specific topic or thought. Feedback is highly appreciated, so if you have suggestions, or want more/less of something please do let me know,(you can respond directly to this email)! All past newsletters will also be archived, so if you miss something, or want to go back you can always visit the blog*

If you would like to share this newsletter with a friend please feel free to forward it their way. They can also sign up to receive future posts at nosyneighbor/mailchimp.com 

I'M CURRENTLY:

LIVING: In New York City!  I'm working a Summer Internship in the city this Summer, and I couldn’t be more smitten with NYC
LOVING: My friends. Pictured above is one of those lovely people, Elisheva
READING: In Defense of Food (by Michael Pollan) and thinking a lot about food experiences
LISTENING to: Like a Virgin, by Madonna (My 30-year-old Coworker was appalled I had never heard it before this week)
MISSING: My cat, Camille
FINDING: Courage to be myself, by myself

I'll be peeping my nose into your inbox again soon, but util then, much love from me to you.

Your Nosy Neighbor,
Nat

*The blog is currently being developed and I will report back when there is a landing spot for these thoughts and creations. Don't worry though, the back catalog is in safekeeping for now.