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Entertainment

Sneaky Peeks with Mary Meyer

Girls love Mary Meyer because Mary Meyer is the type of gal who will navigate a Bushwick block party in a bikini top while brandishing a bullhorn before volunteering for the dunk tank.

Girls love Mary Meyer because Mary Meyer is the type of gal who will navigate a Bushwick block party in a bikini top while brandishing a bullhorn before volunteering for the dunk tank. I don't know about you, but most of the designers I know would never think of throwing a party in their sacred studio space, but Mary Meyer did just that when she was located in a giant loft in Greenpoint. I saw Light Asylum play a party there one time, and the walls were covered in messages written in Mary’s own secret language. From my vantage point atop her kitchen counter I saw her front and center during their set, dancing hard and throwing her fists in the air. She's fun, she wants us to have fun, and she makes clothes that encourage that.

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She gives us t-shirts in new shapes when we don't want to throw on yet another thrifted novelty tee. She gives us leggings because we want them when we're too lazy to deal with denim. But she won’t let us slouch around in basic black, instead giving us expanses of pink-bleached cosmos and the genius geometrics of her own prints. She makes clothes that let us be lazy without ever being boring, and clothes that allow us to look sexy while still being reasonably comfortable.

Her Fall 2011 collection will be on the racks of her new storefront space in Bushwick on August 30th. The storefront, which also serves as her studio space, has only been open a month and is her first foray into retail. The space has high ceilings, white walls, and a stereo system with a sign that says "No Requests" (damn straight). There is also a pile of mannequin limbs lurking in a corner.

In addition to her line, Mary's section of the retail space (she shares it with Bogart and Moore) carries jewelry by Lila Rice and NIDO, bags by Cook and Gates, and sunglasses by Costalots. Meyer also curated a selection of shoes with Shoe Market, including custom Keds and Soludos.

While I was there getting a sneak peak at the soon-to-be-shopable fall goods, Mary was kind enough to let me nose around behind the scenes while she shot her Spring 2012 lookbook. I couldn't get too close with my camera because she guards her designs like the fierce mama lion she is, but her excitement betrayed her when she began talking about her foray into wovens.

She says the fabric has opened up new possibilities with shapes and types of garments, such as an amazing fishtail tank that can be cinched into a crop top, and a confetti print full-skirted party dress. The greater details of these items are still top secret. But from my sneaky peaks I can confidently say I am excited, and also, good Lord does the goth teen in me want that floor skimming skirt with two thigh-high slits.

BEVERLY HAMES