Innovative Designers and Artists at the New 1Thirty9 Boutique

Fashion and art are happy bedfellows. Fashion is often considered art; art often responds to popular culture and becomes fashion.

Jena Min and Bi Li recognize this marriage, and celebrate it with 1Thirty9, a high-end boutique, art gallery and design atelier, which opened on June 1.

1Thirty9 is housed in a stunning store front space: endowed with sumptuous dark wood, floor-to-ceiling Austro-German art deco mirrors, antique medicine cabinets and double glass doors. Currently the space serves as a high-end, luxury clothing and accessories boutique, with splashes and tastes of art along walls and in cabinets. By fall, however, Min and Li plan to convert the back room into a full art gallery.

The art presentations at 1Thirty9 are and will be curated by Maddy Rosenberg, in collaboration with Dumbo gallery Central Booking.

“We try to focus on new, innovative, emerging designers and artists who are working on collections,” says Min of 1Thirty9’s vision.

Indeed, discovering new talent, both in fashion as well as in art, is a key focus in the project, as is finding artists and designers who are speaking in a new voice.

“[We are interested in artists who are] out of the ordinary, have a new point of view, are cutting edge, something different…” elaborates Min.

An example of the innovative and unique offerings at 1Thirty9 is Bi Li’s own clothing label, “Earth Speaks,” which uses fabrics made of Hemp.

Hemp, an underappreciated resource in the US, grows naturally and without pesticides in China, and reveals itself as somewhat of a wonder fabric.

Durable, eco-friendly, naturally anti-microbial and a superb insulator both against summer heat as well as winter cold, hemp is a refreshing option for environmentally conscious comfort seekers.

Li’s designs are incredibly chic, proving that dressing eco-friendly does not require a sacrifice in style. Her pieces come in earthy shades as well as vibrant tones, and many feature lovely embellishments like semi-precious stone buttons.

Perhaps my favorite design label at 1Thirty9 is Fleet Ilya, which is made up of London-based designers and craft workers Fleet Ilya and Resha Sharma, who make outrageously wonderful leather corseted belts and holsters. Fleet Ilya blurs fashion accessories with leather bondage (they make restraints too, though 1Thirty9 keeps their stock a little more PG), and uses traditional saddle-making techniques to make these sculptural leather pieces.

New jewelry designers are also on display, such as Suzanne Morianz whose Neptune collection of silver pieces is inspired by the sea, as well as Swash, which makes luscious silk scarves.

In the gallery area, artist Mariliana Arvelo, who is Venezualian but works in the neighborhood, has her vibrant photographs of India displayed. Donna Levinstone, who makes gem-like pastel landscapes, and Beatrice Coron, whose cut arches paper work you will recognize from the subways, and who is working on a window installation, are also featured.

I b-lined to Kahn/Selesnick’s playing cards, which are very charming to gaze at.

In addition to new and exciting designers and artists, 1Thirty9 carries some of your favorite luxury staples like Chloe and John Varvatos sunglasses and Matt Bernson sandals.