Happy 2017!

Mother, Father, God, Universal Power 
Remind us daily of the sanctity of all life

Touch our hearts with the glorious one-ness of all creation,
As we strive to respect all the living beings on this planet.

Penetrate our souls with the beauty of this earth,
As we attune ourselves to the rhythm and flow of the seasons.

Awaken our minds with the knowledge to achieve a world in perfect harmony
And grant us the wisdom to realize that we can have heaven on earth.

~ Jo Poore

VBL : Lawrence "Larry" Vrba

Lawrence Larry Vrba is a gifted jewelry maker who has been making fine collectible jewelry for over four decades.

He was head designer at Miriam Haskell in the 1970's, making jewelry for Broadway shows and the Metropolitan Opera, as well as for boutiques, vintage jewelry shops, banquets and balls.

His pieces are almost always quite large, grand, and over the top - spectacular and stunning.

Vrba works from a huge collection of vintage beads and rhinestones out of which he creates his treasures.

Little Christmas Tree

Little Christmas tree
No one to buy you, give yourself to me
You're worth your weight
In precious gold, you see
My little Christmas tree

baby it's cold outside

Winter is coming and baby, it's cold out there! Time to wrap up and make sure our heads are well covered. 

Move over grannies and marms, knitting and crocheting are now cool and crafty hobbies, especially this time of year.

Your head and heart warming skills can be used to create creative, fun, and warm winter hats.

NYC's 43rd Village Halloween Parade

New York City sure knows how to put on a grand and spectacular holiday extravaganza! 

Nothing is wilder and more over the top than the largest parade in the world, the New York City Halloween Parade! It is lauded by Festivals International as “The Best Event in the World” for October 31.

glamour & gore : Venice Carnival & Masquerade Ball

Venetian Carnival celebrations, scandalous nights of anonymity, balls famously rife with decadence and gluttony, lasciviousness and lust, are traditionally attributed to the decadent Venetian aristocracy of the 16th Century. 

Sadly their reign was rather short-lived, and after the fall of the Venetian Republic in the 18th Century, the masquerade balls migrated from the opulent ballrooms of Venice to their sleazy back streets, where their grandeur quickly turned gruesome. 

Halloween Horrors [NOT!]

Chic-y crawlies are all the rage at 188 Galerie for the fall season. 

VBL spooky sparklers

Just in time for Halloween and the holidays! 

VBL arachnid accessories

These frighteningly fashionable finds from Vintage Black Label are now available online and at the store.  

paper marbling art & history

One of the oldest and most elegant methods of decorating paper is paper marbling. 

Originating in China, suminagashi has existed in Japan since the 12th century, the Turkish variegated marbling art of ebru arrived in Europe in the 16th century via Venice, the trade gateway to the Orient.

VBL: surf on our turf

Summer's last hurrah is going out in a blaze this year. Amidst the blistering sizzling heat we are feeling like land locked rock lobsters. 

If wishes were fishes. . . .

Rather than bemoan our frying lot, let's celebrate this summer sizzle out in nature - camping and hiking or with backyard picnics and luau feasts instead. 

Luau spread at 188 Galerie

summer breeze

With summer in full swing, 188 Galerie showcases yet another Vintage Black Label classic - the Aloha or Hawaiian Shirt.

Vintage Black Label | Aloha Shirt

As waves of heat rise from New York City's urban jungle - conjuring visions of verdant tropical forests - we dream of cascading waterfalls, pristine white sand, and cooling fronds of paradise.

Luau Spread at 188 Galerie NYC

All is not lost if you find yourself city bound instead of off on an island paradise this summer!

VBL : Japanese Bomber Jackets

The bomber jacket or MA-1 flight jacket has a long and colorful history that stretches from the first world war until today. 

Although it may have started as a garment best suited for chilly, cramped cockpits, the bomber jacket has become an iconic counterculture staple. 

Now available at 188 Galerie

From vintage collections to high fashion houses, this garment has been reinterpreted in countless imaginative versions through the years. 

Bomber jackets have evolved from standard issue classics to the wardrobe staple of our current closets. 

Sogara Yuzen

188 Galerie is a boutique that showcases decorative paper products from all over the world. 

Last autumn, we blogged about The Art of Washi, the traditional papers made from the long inner fibers of three plants native to Japan - kozo, mitsumata and gampi. 

This month's blog features Sogara Yuzen which means "single view" in Japanese and refers to the large, hand-screened sheets of paper that show vibrant elements of Japanese art and culture.

Yuzen is also called Chiyogami and refers to the repetitive patterns found in many kimono textiles and origami papers. 

Iconic Japanese Fashion

Before the 1860s, Japanese clothing consisted entirely of a great variety of kimono. 

They first appeared in the Jomon period, (14,500 B.C. ~ 300 B.C.), with no distinction 

between male and female. 

Japonism on display at 188 Galerie

The kimono (きもの) (着物^?) is a Japanese traditional garment. The word kimono, which actually means a "thing to wear" (ki "wear" and mono "thing"), has come to denote these full-length robes. 

New York Fashion Week 2016

Fall/Winter 2016 events took place February 11 to 18, 2016 at a variety of locations around New 

York City, including Skylight Moynihan, Skylight Clarkson, Chelsea Piers, MADE Studios, and 

showrooms around town.

NYFW is a semi-annual series of events (generally lasting 7–9 days) when international fashion 

collections are shown to buyers, the press and the general public. It is one of four major fashion 

weeks in the world, collectively known as the "Big 4," along with those in Paris, London and 

Milan.

Vintage Black Label

188 Galerie is unveiling a new line of vintage fashion and new products. 

A love for vintage designer clothing, costume jewelry, and iconic labels converge in New York City 

at 188 Lafayette Street, near the corner of Broome in SoHo.