A flying visit to New York

Me next to a Damien Hirst painting in my hotel!

My Stockists are the most important people to me and to my business. It’s all about them. I am their ambassador – and they are certainly mine! Recently I spent five days in New York and was thrilled to meet up with so many great Stockists, many of whom have become firm friends over the years. And, staying in downtown Manhattan, I was able to slip away and do another thing I really love, taking pictures of New York’s fantastic buildings to play around with on Instagram. From graphite grey modern towers to these ornate and intricate brownstones near Gramercy Park. I was also extremely taken by this fire truck with its explosive and vibrant colours.

I loved the colours of this fire truck!

I arrived on Sunday, and Monday morning was spent filming a pilot for The Design Network (an online community and video network) - I’m dying to share some of the footage, but I’m not allowed to yet! There was me and three of my Stockists: Liz Western Brantley (Liz Douglas Designs) who set the whole thing up; Justin Power (Pioneer Goods) and Suite Pieces’ Amanda Peppard. 

From R-L Amanda Peppard, Me, Justin Power, and Lizzy (my daughter-in-law)

After a fabulous, creative morning I was lucky enough to have a very sociable afternoon! We took over well known French Style, New York cafe, Pigalle, just off Broadway, for a giant tea party. I was absolutely delighted, and honoured, to meet over 40 stockists from the New York area – well, broadly speaking. In fact, they came from Connecticut, New Jersey, Maine, Virginia and even Minnesota. I got the chance to chat with everyone – old friends, stockists of many years standing, and it was a chance to meet some of my newer stockists, which is always exciting. 

Verdigreen Home, in the East Village

Me, Azie & Chettie from Verdigreen Home

On Tuesday morning I went to meet with various magazines, and in the afternoon I visited another Stockist, Verdigreen Home in the East Village. The owner, Azie Shelhorse, came to Oxford for training over the summer, so it was wonderful to have the chance to go to her adorable shop and meet her assistants and, of course, her very lovely customers. One of my very favourite things, which I really, really love, is visiting their shops, and seeing how they present my products, it’s a constant source of inspiration.

Mary Anne and I back in the 70s (and that's Rod in the background)!

In the evening it felt like I’d travelled back in time – one of my oldest friends, Mary Anne, was with me in my band, The Moodies. She lives in NY and is helping a friend who is writing his thesis on the correlation between art schools and the music of the 70s/80s. He seemed to know more about that time than I did! And even mentioned that a Moodies film was shown as part of an exhibition at Tate Liverpool a couple of years ago – I’d love to have seen that.

I was flying out on Thursday, but before I left, I had time to pop over to Greenpoint (it’s the new Williamsburg – where all the hipsters hang out!) in Brooklyn and catch up with Amanda Peppard and her girls at Suite Pieces – what a cool place. We chatted over pizza, which rather completed my New York experience for 2015.

Me, Amanda Peppard & her team from the 3 Suite Pieces shops

Yours, Annie