The Sartorialist

This photograph represents three things I desperately needed at that moment in my life.

A subject to shoot.

A restroom.

And a cappuccino.

I spent a great day on Sunday riding my bike all around Inwood, Harlem and Washington Heights. This is about 200 hundred blocks from where I live in Greenwich Village, and after spending about four straight hours on the bike (and as any New Yorker knows Uptown Manhattan is very hilly), I was in desperate need of a restroom (this is a common but usually undiscussed challenge\need for any street photographer). In addition I needed a cappuccino to keep my energy level up, and most important of all, a worthy subject.

I found all of those precious gifts waiting for me in one spot outside the Starbucks in Inwood. This gentleman was as much of a character as his look would suggest and I didn’t think about it until afterwards, but I’m starting to believe that his name wasn’t actually Freddy Red. It just sounds a littttttlllleee too convenient. Makes me wonder what kind of wonderfully mischievous life this guy might be hiding OR his name really is Freddy Red and it was a fun encounter.

I look forward to my next trip Uptown.

I was walking in SoHo the other day and noticed this new store called “The Laundress.” The concept is something that I was drawn to immediately.

We spend so much money on our clothes and if we really want to get the full life out of these expensive purchases that we make, then it makes me happy to see a place that you can go to for help. Maybe more of these will start popping up in cities and towns. A place where you can learn about and buy products that will actually help you launder your clothes in a sustainable way.

Sustainability is something people are always talking about and my alternative of dry cleaning doesn’t seem like a very “sustainable” option. So washing with care and using quality products but equally important the right products seems like the best option.