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.