Travessia (at 176 Stanton Street), the Lower East Side's first gallery/boutique combo shop opens their doors tonight for a free party from 7 p.m. to 12 a.m. In celebration of the big day, Pulse caught up with the store's owner, Hiroko Rodriguez, to find out what we can expect from the new shopping hot spot.

Can you tell us about why you decided to open the store?
I wanted to create a space for both art and fashion, where people could experience and see the reflection of our society. With the boundaries of fashion and art truly crossing over, it was only a matter of time before this evolution became a reality at the retail level.

What do you provide shoppers that is unique or different?
Travessia is providing discovery and experience of the designers and artists, some of which are exclusive to our store in the US. People come here not only to search through a rack of clothing but also to stop and experience the environment made by the artists which will be changing with the seasons. Most of our visitors truly feel the uniqueness of the space and in turn, spark up conversations to further the experience. In this way, the visitor becomes part of Travessia in their own way.

How do you find new lines or artists?
Mostly through my travels around the world and through friends.

Which designers do really well at Travessia?
Custommade is doing very well. I think it's because their vision of a
woman is closest to most women's self portraits. Their clothing is well-balanced and is somewhere in between "girl" and "woman". Depending on your mood, it can be sweet or sexy. Other popular brands include Klasica, Starstyling, Noma, and Mwanga.

Are there any trends you would like to see go away?
Any trend has a reason to be a trend. It's people's feeling now. So I enjoy any trend. Even when people see it as "bad taste." If everyone only had "good taste" it would be so flat and boring. Clothing is a spice of life so everybody should have a different taste!

What piece of fashion advice to you most often give to your customers?
You never know what will fit you until you try it on!

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Similar Topics:fashion, Talking Shop

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