Grrrrr again

Hmmmm. I wonder if the economy is starting to turn around. I remember a time in New York when you needed to either dress fashionably or be famous in order to be treated well by store clerks at the higher end stores; the downtown Barney’s excluded, they were always nice.

Then the faltering economy of the Bush 1 years forced shops to treat what few customers they had left a bit more politely. I do remember being spoken to at Bergdorf’s. Unheard of! Even though we had 8 years of peace and prosperity during the Clinton years, the nastiness did not return. Maybe peace and prosperity makes people happy. But the best treatment I had when shopping was during the Bush 2 years, with the economy flailing out of control. Too bad I couldn’t afford anything anymore. (and if there are readers who don't know me, please know that I am not shallow enough to judge a presidency on my ability to buy things I do not need.)

Yesterday I made visit number 3 to a new shop on Great Jones called The Future Perfect (I know, dumb name). And on visit number 3 the same shopkeeper/sales lady treated me with the same disdain as she did the other 2 times. Maybe it’s because I didn’t look hip enough, or because I have a few wrinkles (ok a lot) or because I picked up a number of objects and said “Oh I have that” or “I got these in Paris”

or “NK just found these on-line and bought a set”. The biggest insult had to have been saying that “I got these coffee mugs at the MoMa design store”.



I went in yesterday to see if they had a glass pitcher (ya know for cucumber water-ceramic isn’t working) or to see if there was anything new. Same shitty attitude.

Later that evening as I was recycling magazines, I ran across a New York mag on “Design Liberation” from May 11, 2009 that I hadn’t read yet (slipped through the cracks). Decided to flip through before discarding. Lo and behold there was a piece on The Future Perfect. Couldn’t wait to see what they said cuz now I am gunnin’ for ‘em.

I quote: “ David Alhadeff’s Williamsburg store The Future Perfect is one of the city’s design bellwethers, a cheerleader for innovation and craftsmanship, and the place where many New Yorkers first saw Scrapile by Carlos Salgado, or Jaime Hayon, or Jason Miller.”

Design bellwether? Really? Maybe for Williamsburg. 3 of the items that I have which they are also selling I found in museum design stores. Ok, one of the stores was in Paris but so what? Who cares?

Anything that can be purchased from a museum store won't be exactly unique. Many many many people probably own these things. (remember I am not the one trying to say that I am oh-so original here).


I believe NK found the Lovegrove&Repucci dishes on The Daily What.

Then the article takes us around the owner's apartment where I see he has the same Phillip Starck chair that you can get at Barney’s. Or a ton of other places.




And gee, we even have the same Modernica daybed.



We bought ours 13 years ago. Not to undermine my surroundings and objects but I am not in the business of trying to find what is the most innovative.

I am sure that Mr. Alhadeff is a very nice man. And I don't have the impression that, in his home, he is trying to be preciously one-of-a-kind. He just has a nasty shopkeeper on Great Jones who seems to think she is in a rarefied environment . Anyhoo, I guess the economy must be doing better if you can afford to be disdainful toward potential customers

Oh and trust me, if she had been nicer, I would have raved about the store and told everyone to go there. They do have some things you won’t see very often including this taxidermy rat lamp.