by Rabia AhmadThrough the massive doorway, past the pinstriped wool drapes, and beneath the handmade crack pipe chandelier waits a lair of boy paraphernalia; BBlessing is a shopping oasis for the gender outnumbered by neighboring girl-friendly boutiques.
Daniel Jackson of Surface to Air fame undertook the impressive job of designing the interior of the store doing everything from designing the jewelry cabinets and displaying his handmade metal-hardware line of jewelry, to selecting the local New York artists whose boys' club-themed works bring the walls to life. Past the Todd Selby portraits of "rabid" Star Wars fans and in front of Alfredo Martinez's 90-minute video on the assembly of guns, sits a merry mix of tchotchkes, including Harry Allen keychains and an admirable selection of vintage Linda Farrow sunglasses—rest assured, the shop still manages to carry an enviable selection of edgier men's clothing.
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The back of BBlessing boasts racks of Yoko Devereaux blazers, Rag & Bone jeans, Surface to Air T-shirts and hoodies beside shelves peppered with colorful vintage shoes and Eugenia Kim fall-to-winter hats to pair with a tweed Opening Ceremony coat. For fall, look for new labels, including "Raf" denim pieces by designer Raf Simons and incredible outerwear by Preen and Patrik Ervell...a blessing indeed.
BBlessing, 181 Orchard Street, New York City, 212-378-8005; www.bblessing.com.
This Lower East Side shop is a boy's room full of fashionable gear, Velvet Underground, and pictures of guns.