My Not-A-Normal Summer Show experience

This past Saturday I took a trip down to the old Barney's on 101 7th Ave hosted by Normal NYC for their last go round at such a HUGE and iconic location. Three floors of endless home, art, food, apparel, accessories, and my favorite, vintage and second-hand designer shopping in such an amazing way to not only discover unique items but also brands and sourcers to shop at in the future too (which I really loved as an NYC newbie, I was picking up business cards left and right). It was held this past weekend, but you can still get tickets for next weekend as well and I could not recommend it enough. Tickets are priced starting at $20 and even if you don't find any treasures to take home (which would be very hard to do), it's the ultimate "window shopping" experience and just so cool to experience yourself. Fair warning though... it was HOT, so wear athletic clothes or something light because I can't promise they'll have that fixed by weekend two LOL. But besides that, it was such a great experience for anyone who loves fashion, art, home, or any retail sector.

My friend and I had the 10am-12pm entry slot time and I was able to arrive right around 10am and get right in, practically no line, and all the staff is super sweet, they even passed out waters since I think the lack of ac wasn't something they had expected. Besides the staff, all the vendors were great to talk to as well. They were all very kind and great to strike up a convo with if you have any questions about their brand or if you have any specific items you are looking for. I even found a few vintage vendors that shared that they also do personal sourcing, so if you are going in looking for a REALLY specific piece, make sure to ask if they source so you can find some contacts to help you later on!

Now that I've told you a little about the market and my experience, let's talk about some of the brands I found and loved out of the 200+ in attendance!

Right when you walk in to the left there is an AMAZING brand called The NY Archive that had an AMAZING vintage/second hand shoe section. I myself picked up three pairs... don't judge me one pair was for my mom. But they had all your favorites from my personal favorite Manolo Blahnik, to Chanel, Fendi, Gucci, Prada, D&G, and more. Literally a DREAM shoe closet and such an amazing assortment of shoes. They were mainly heels, and that goes for the majority of the market, but I was able to snag an unique pair of Manolo flip flops, so if you look hard enough, you can find plenty of flats as well, if heels aren't your vibe! Just a little bit over from The NY Archive is Everything I Love Is Vintage, and they had a great collection of some vintage designer bags and are priced not super low but very decently. I had my eyes on this small Gucci bag that I unfortunately had to pass on after my

blackout moment with the shoe purchase I had literally JUST made. I needed to give my wallet a quick rest. Rebelonging, also still on the first floor here, had a small, but STUNNING Fendi baguette collection, however, fair warning, all the baguettes you'll find here are priced just as they are everywhere else: out of my budget.

Moving to the right side of the entrance, there's a cute retailer in booth 40 called "New York Is My Boyfriend" that has some super cute embroidered hats and graphic tees and such with their saying on them. And if you're in the market for a cute mock neck but don't want to spend $100+, they have a one with their saying for around $80 if I remember correctly, so definitely check them out. In the front corner of the right side you'll also find Moore Vintage Archive, with another great selection and very friendly people who are very helpful if you are looking for any sort of style in particular! I almost snagged this killer pair of dark green alligator loafers!! Now talking jewelry, you need to check out Remeinz!!!! Based off the map for weekend 2, she won't be at the market but she has an online retail store that you can shop on. The owner is actually the best, she makes all of her items handmade, and in all three stops I made to her booth as I debated this chain wrap necklace (I got it), we struck up multiple conversations and she even gave me a recommendation for this bar she went to the night prior called Eel, she's awesome. Right next to her is Martina Dietrich Couture that had these fabric necklaces that were done in a way I hadn't seen before and absolutely loved, super fun colors for the summer, too. The last stop on the first floor you have to hit is Obsessed Designer Vintage, they had a WHOLE RACK of Burberry trench coats and I was so tempted, but again, she was out of budget for today... but if you're in the market for one, this is a great opportunity to find your perfect new trench!

Now let's go to the lower level, or LL if you're looking at their map. This is a smaller level but where you need to go if you're on the hunt for accessories like sunglasses or jewelry. There are a ton of great jewelry options, Mosin is a great stop. They had this stunning silver choker with a simple square pendant I almost bought and Aveta had a fun collection and even provides a permanent bracelet service! I bought a ring from her and she was able to size it right then and there to my perfect size for whichever finger I chose! Now we all know I'm a sucker for some sunglasses, but on the lower level the brand that caught my eye the most was Carla Colour. They had such unique frames and the Myrtle style had me in a chokehold. My next sunglass purchase (which realistically doesn't need to happen for a while) WILL be those sunnies.

Now, I spent the majority of my time on the first floor, partially because the second floor was closed for a good 30-45 minutes when I first got there and also because I did the majority of my financial damage on the first floor so I was scared to get too attached to something elsewhere and then be forced to spend more money, of course. However, when the second floor opened and the line of people to go up dissipated, I made my way up and found a few cool spots (none of which I purchased from, but will be keeping up with for future purchases). The first was The Viola Boutique. Yet again another AMAZING assortment of shoes, all so unique and from brands like the previous shoe dreamland, Manolo Blahnik, Jimmy Choo, Dior, this fabulous Pucci pair of heels, and these adorable Chloe flats I would have purchased in a heartbeat if they were my size. Another great sunglass find on the second floor I found, and the last one I have to mention, is Trust Fund 21 Vintage. They had a fabulous selection of designer sunglasses, mainly Dior, Cartier, and a Fendi pair if I'm remembering correctly, where they take these killer vintage designer frames and give them new life with brand new lenses and they look literally brand spankin new. They had so many interesting but classic everyday sunglasses and it's a great way to get unique designer sunnies that not everyone will have, but still in perfect, fresh on the floor, condition.

All that to be said, I could not recommend this event enough! A great mix of new small business to check out, collector level vintage pieces, and well priced second hand luxuries that come with such a fun experience. If you're looking to expand your collection, or just getting into vintage and secondhand shopping, this is a fantastic place to shop. I know I mentioned the Burberry trenches, but I failed to mention the racks upon racks of clothing at this market that could literally take you longer than both weekends combined to go through! I didn't have it in me to go through all the clothing items after I had already committed myself to hauling around my three pairs of shoes from the get go, but if you have the time and free-hands I definitely recommend searching through all the apparel items to find some hidden gems!

xoxo,

Blakely