Casa de Rodriguez
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Neighborhood: East Village Type of Place: Hat Shops Description: I got a little lost on the way to a friend's house a few weeks ago. Heading (the wrong way, it turned out) down Stanton Street, I ducked into Case de Rodriguez, in equal parts because I liked the looks of the hats in its windows and because I needed some directional help. What I found there, beyond my bearings, was exactly the kind of shop that makes me love writing this column. In the shop portion of the space, you'll find wonderful hats (and some great shoes, with other accessories arriving shortly—but I'll get to that later). In the back, you'll find David Rodriguez and a sewing machine. You'll probably find his assistant, Nick, as well; and given David's welcoming, sociable nature, you're likely to find a few friends who've dropped in to say hello. You will not find any exploited sweatshop laborers, toxic work conditions, or blaring announcements of a sale in Aisle 3. You will not find a receipt thanking you for being customer 36,841,002. Creativity, good-humored determination, a dream (literally and otherwise), and a sewing machines: That’s what started Casa de Rodriguez and keeps it going; that’s what fills the shop’s work space; and that’s the spirit that makes writing about stores the inspiring and even joyful experience it can be. David and his wife, Jody, met at design school in Los Angeles in the early 90s. After David had a dream—the while-sleeping sort—about making a hat, Casa de Rodriguez was born, with the couple at first designing caps and hats for the SoCal surfing set. They came to NYC in ’96 and arrived at this space on Stanton Street 2 years ago. David was too tactful to tell me so directly, but I saw on the CdR website that Alicia Keys, Leonardo Di Caprio, Donna Summer, Val Kilmer,.Busta Rhymes, Melissa Etheridge, and Mary J. Blige have been customers. Though the company has been and remains a joint creative effort, these days you’ll more often find David at the shop/studio’s sewing machine and Jody holding down the fort at home with the couple’s two young children. “New arrivals” of other types are expected here as well: Shoes have recently entered the mix, and belts, earrings, necklaces, and some vintage pieces are coming soon. Traditional hats, I learned from David, are blocked; but CdR hats are cut and sewn from flat patterns, providing the designers more freedom to use various textiles and shapes and to create hats for which the fabric leads the design. As David describes things, CdR is going for an "eclectic, funky chic.” As a friend visiting the studio when I dropped in explained, "Putting on one of these hats gives you the confidence to go out and be all kinds of interesting versions of yourself. People are drawn to you when you wear one." A few notables: The "Guatemalan Striped Fedora, “$140; the “Gardening Sombrero” (with the words "My garden kicks ass" in neat type on the brim), $240; a lovely pink cloche with a yellow flower, $130; and a green and beige "Airline Bonnet" based on old-school stewardesses wear, $180. Shoewise, I loved the chic whimsy of Barbara Bucci’s flower-print wedges adorned with a cloth butterfly. Terrific shop, great designs, and an inspiring vision and zest: Sometimes a wrong turn takes us exactly where we should be. - Pamela Grossman; May 24, 2005
Casa de Rodriguez 156 Stanton St. New York, NY 10002 212-995-8880 http://www.casaderodriguez.com/ Map Subway
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