Today in New York: Alyssa Zygmunt

Once a Medical tool designer and then a fashion designer, Alyssa Zygmunt is more than happy to design things that go *outside* the body rather than *inside* the body. In her spare time, she considers herself a modern anthropologist and archaeologist collecting, categorizing and analyzing the things around her. You can find her picking up pigeon feathers and rusted metal buttons outside the luxury loft apartments that were once garment factories dotting the coastline of Williamsburg.

Alyssa finds life in New York still awe inspiring. She credits TV shows like “FAME” for introducing the creative lifestyle to her at an early age and the notion that artists “go to NY to grow and learn.”  When she turned 16 years old, all she asked for was a trip to NY for her birthday thinking it silly that she had never been to the place where she would ultimately live, the city of opportunity where dreams come true. Ironically, she delayed fate by going to San Francisco for 3 years after college before making NY home in the year 2000.

She did recently leave her full time fashion job to focus on growing BROOKLYNrehab from a one-woman handcrafted operation to a small business with limited edition production.

BROOKLYNrehab is available in boutiques in major destinations such as NY, SF, Chicago, Toronto, and Australia. ..

:: Why and when did you start BROOKLYNrehab? BROOKLYNrehab started as a hobby in 2009. I was working full time as a fashion designer for a larger company here in New York City. I designed denim and outerwear. While it is great to be constantly researching new trends in colors, fabrics and shapes, it was often a disappointment to make so many compromises to meet the bottom line. At the end of the day, I came home full of desire to create a world of my own vision. BROOKLYNrehab became that outlet for me. I originally started with vintage objects that I enjoyed styling in a way to suggest new uses for these aged beauties. Then I started updating these vintage pieces like adding modern text layered on top of souvenir photos and postcards. Later I made molds of actual found objects.

:: From where do you get your inspiration? I’m inspired by sights and sounds of the city. I consider myself one part designer and one part anthropologist. I collect, observe, and absorb all that surrounds me to create fun takes on modern souvenirs like the pigeon feather sealed in a test tube and the fake bedbug labeled with its Latin name Cimex Lectularis. I am also inspired by what is missing here, NATURE. The lack of wildlife and natural objects drove me to create them out of clay. Simple creatures like birds, squirrels, owls and deer are transformed from mundane to high end when cast in fine porcelain. To some, these creatures are everywhere and even considered a nuisance, but to me they are exotic and almost mythic, since I never get to see them in real life. Tree branches and mushrooms also become immortalized in my ceramic menagerie.  The name “rehab” also implies my desire to save nameless, faceless restaurant supply ceramics from the landfill. My custom decals create a sense of ownership and establish a deeper connection between person and thing by applying personal images or names to the surface. The general idea is that you would think twice before throwing away an object with your name on it.

:: Who are your ideal buyers? I love people with a sense of humor and whimsy. My items are fun and are not to be taken too seriously. Recently I am selling to stores as well as individuals. This is amazing because through them I can reach a much larger audience, though I still love the ETSY community and how personal the selling experience can be. Buyers tell me little stories about why they are purchasing an item and why they want it or the meaning of a personalized message.

:: What is your favorite NYC place? Bakeri! It is a lovely cafe in Williamsburg with a vintage feel. The fresh baked goods are divine. The little nooks, communal table, and backyard garden tables are an oasis for whatever mood I am in.

:: Do you think New York can still be considered the place-to-be for young creatives?

Yes! The city itself has so many opportunities for young people to find each other and showcase their work. The crowd is international. Raw materials are in abundance. Sometimes the expense of the city can be limiting, so many people like myself have moved into Brooklyn where there is more space for the money thus expanding the creative circles even farther.

::Where do you shop in NYC? I love the wholesale florist area in NY, the little fashionable boutiques in Nolita, and the vintage stores in Williamsburg.

:: If I say Italy, you say? Passion, food, family. I’d love to go someday!!!

Francesca Masoero
Francesca Masoero non è la campionessa di canottaggio che appare se digitate il suo nome su Google. È l’altra, la multitasker. Ha un (in)utile dottorato in cinema e marketing; racconta in modo non convenzionale e creativo New York, Torino e Bologna su NUOK e scrive di eventi, lifestyle e cultura per Lookout Magazine; si occupa di marketing, comunicazione, pr e web 2.0 tra Torino (la sua città natale) e New York (la sua città ideale). In più, a volte fa la stylist e a volte la cool hunter. È creativa, ma pignolissima. Sembra zen, ma è perennemente sull’orlo di una crisi di nervi. La salvano le piccole cose della (sua) vita: il rock’n’roll, la pasta al pesto, internet e il suo nuovo bellissimo frigorifero da 300 litri, pieno di quello che il suo fidanzato chiama “cibo da conigli”.