James Gripper (pictured above)
Front-desk agent, Park Slope
Who are you here with?
Just solo. I want to acquire a couple of Marc Jacobs things for my mother, sister, and a close friend, and I’m trying to surprise them. Also, I don’t want to torture them by making them wait.
Are the gifts for their birthdays?
They’re just a thank-you for being special women in my life. I’m a gift-basket kind of person, and they grow bigger and bigger the more I don’t see you.
How was the line?
It was a typical two-and-a-half-hour wait. I worked on a haiku — it’s part of the gift I’m giving my friend. Her name is Kayla, and I’m trying to come up with adjectives for each letter in her name. For K, I have kissable, kindhearted, knowledge, kinetic, keen, keeper. For A, I have Aquarian, ambitious, angelic, authentic, all the above. For Y, young at heart, yearning, youthful — Y is very hard to think of adjectives. I’m still working on the rest.
Amanda Ferdina
Homemaker, Rego Park
Carmella Pardilov
Student, Midwood
Stacy Ann Anderson
Model, Harlem
Why are you here?
To resell to my friends. I get things for like $50, sell it for $150. I’m also a model, but reselling is what’s bringing the food right now.
Baasil Khalil
Medical student, Brighton Beach
Kana Ono
Student, Downtown Brooklyn
Alexander Duran
Supervisor, Ridgewood
What’s your typical style?
It’s under construction. Three months ago I was living in Orlando. I wore skinny jeans daily, and when I got to New York, I was like, “Oh, these are not a thing.” So I bought very huge boots and pants. Today, I found a small cross-body bag that you can only fit car keys inside. It’s outside my comfort zone.
Jordan Hill
Chef, Flatbush
How would you describe your style?
I’ve been stepping out in more of my feminine side. If you remember Recess, the cartoon, there was a character named Spinelli — her character wore a red dress but always had a bomber jacket and combat boots. That’s essentially my aesthetic.
Gabriel Guerrero
Clothing reseller, Jersey City
Alexis Wolf
Student, Chelsea
Natalia Williams
Administrative assistant, Cypress Hills
Kulsum Vohra
Homemaker, Jackson Heights
When did you start going to sample sales?
My husband used to work near a sample-sale building, and one day he saw a big line and went to check it out. I sometimes go with him, but I prefer going alone, because he rushes me and I like to take my own sweet time.
Rachel Walton
Tour guide, Riverdale
Ashe Leen
Camera assistant, East Village
Brittany Polevikov
Researcher, Port Washington
Any fights today?
It’s more passive-aggressive. If you’re trying things on, sometimes people walk up and try to take them. You have to go, “No, that’s mine, sorry.” But I did take Xanax this morning in preparation, so I am feeling more Zen.
Amanda Moshell
Brand-partnership manager, Union Square
Marquis Neal
Model, Bedford-Stuyvesant
Morgan Locke
Vintage seller and filmmaker, Jersey City
Trevor Fast
Restaurateur, Soho
Are you feeling inflation at all?
Definitely. My landlord just sent over the new lease on my apartment, and my rent is almost doubling. But in terms of actual physical prices, I think here we’re already used to paying $12 for a glass of orange juice.
Amanda Ferdina
Homemaker, Rego Park
Carmella Pardilov
Student, Midwood
Stacy Ann Anderson
Model, Harlem
Why are you here?
To resell to my friends. I get things for like $50, sell it for $150. I’m also a model, but reselling is what’s bringing the food right now.
Baasil Khalil
Medical student, Brighton Beach
Kana Ono
Student, Downtown Brooklyn
Alexander Duran
Supervisor, Ridgewood
What’s your typical style?
It’s under construction. Three months ago I was living in Orlando. I wore skinny jeans daily, and when I got to New York, I was like, “Oh, these are not a thing.” So I bought very huge boots and pants. Today, I found a small cross-body bag that you can only fit car keys inside. It’s outside my comfort zone.
Jordan Hill
Chef, Flatbush
How would you describe your style?
I’ve been stepping out in more of my feminine side. If you remember Recess, the cartoon, there was a character named Spinelli — her character wore a red dress but always had a bomber jacket and combat boots. That’s essentially my aesthetic.
Gabriel Guerrero
Clothing reseller, Jersey City
Alexis Wolf
Student, Chelsea
Natalia Williams
Administrative assistant, Cypress Hills
Kulsum Vohra
Homemaker, Jackson Heights
When did you start going to sample sales?
My husband used to work near a sample-sale building, and one day he saw a big line and went to check it out. I sometimes go with him, but I prefer going alone, because he rushes me and I like to take my own sweet time.
Rachel Walton
Tour guide, Riverdale
Ashe Leen
Camera assistant, East Village
Brittany Polevikov
Researcher, Port Washington
Any fights today?
It’s more passive-aggressive. If you’re trying things on, sometimes people walk up and try to take them. You have to go, “No, that’s mine, sorry.” But I did take Xanax this morning in preparation, so I am feeling more Zen.
Amanda Moshell
Brand-partnership manager, Union Square
Marquis Neal
Model, Bedford-Stuyvesant
Morgan Locke
Vintage seller and filmmaker, Jersey City
Trevor Fast
Restaurateur, Soho
Are you feeling inflation at all?
Definitely. My landlord just sent over the new lease on my apartment, and my rent is almost doubling. But in terms of actual physical prices, I think here we’re already used to paying $12 for a glass of orange juice.
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