Cover design by Jennifer Merrick.
“I don’t like trends,” Desiree Pesce, co-owner of the vintage and designer clothing store Air Studios in Hoboken, told me last Wednesday while sipping tea in her boutique at 55 First St. “If polka dots are the hot things, then I don’t want any polka dots on my floor. And I don’t like to have 12 of the same pieces, because then there are 12 people in Hoboken walking around in the same dress.”
It’s philosophies like these that make Air Studios a delightful yet dangerous place to shop. I stopped in last week to purchase a reversible olive green and bright orange tote bag and left 15 minutes later with not only the tote bag but a pair of navy blue slacks as well.
Desiree Pesce, 26, and boyfriend Steve Tomasini, 25, opened Air Studios two years ago. Named after the renowned recording studio in London where the Beatles and Oasis made their albums (Tomasini is a big Oasis fan), Air Studios not only sells mint condition vintage clothes and original pieces by up-and-coming international designers, but also peddles Lucite tables and exhibits local artwork.
Both Pesce and Tomasini grew up in Bergen County and have long been fans of the fashion industry. But their decision to open the shop, Pesce said, was the result of a single and fortuitous event. After Pesce graduated from Rutgers University, where she studied journalism, she landed a job with clothing manufacturer Kenneth Cole. She spent a year in New York as an assistant, then was sent to Arizona where she worked in the company’s merchandising department.
“The idea to open the store all started with a coat,” Pesce said. “I had bought a coat at Screaming Mimi’s in Manhattan. It was a white raincoat. And then, when I was in Arizona, I was in this big thrift store and I saw the same exact raincoat that I had spent $120 for. It was in better condition and it was like next to nothing – maybe $12.”
At that moment, Pesce realized she could make money by simply purchasing vintage clothing out West and selling it back East. So, she and Tomasini, who had begun dating shortly after they graduated from high school, started to collect vintage clothes.
“All of the leather and suede is so well preserved out there,” Pesce explained. “No one ever wears the stuff because it’s so hot. It gets to like 120 degrees. So there is great, great vintage hunting out in Utah, New Mexico and Arizona.”
The first things you notice when you walk into Air Studios are two headless hot pink mannequins. Last week, one was wearing a white tank top and black quilted A-line bell skirt and the other was adorned in a gray zipper jacket and floral lace skirt. Six sparse racks of original women’s clothes – featuring pieces made by independent designers from New York, Los Angeles, and even New Zealand – and one rack of vintage threads surround the centerpiece display.
Last week, Pesce gave me a tour of some of her favorite pieces. She showed me a blue and gray tie-dyed angora sleeveless turtleneck sweater dress by Illig ($169); a beige micro-fiber pleated mid-length skirt by the New Zealand designer Kate Sylvester ($174); and a tan backless fleece top and scarf by Plum ($142).
“We’re also trying to get higher, better known designers like Katayona Adeli,” Pesce said. “And in the spring we’ll have Jill Stuart shoes and some pieces from her spring line.”
When selecting the new clothes for her store, Pesce said, she looks for innovative designers who do not conform to mainstream fads. The result is an inventory that, like its proprietor, is fashionably vogue without being conspicuously trendy. When it comes to her vintage picks, however, Pesce takes a slightly different approach.
“With vintage, I look for anything that is in perfect condition,” she said. “And sometimes I’ll even go after a trend. Because it’s vintage, so there’s only one. Like this season it’s blouses.”
Pesce showed me several tie top blouses that go for between $50 and $70. She also showed me a highly coveted vintage velour Courreges top. Unfortunately, the top is no longer in stock – I bought it.
“I love the vintage: old pieces that have history and character,” Pesce said. “[Steve’s] got an excellent eye for the new designs. He knows what will sell. And you can walk into the store and he’ll know what size you are. He’s just got great eye.”
When asked if they ever disagree on designs, Pesce laughed and then walked over to a rack of clothes. “Steve’s a little bit more avant garde than me,” she said, holding up a black lace floral top by Kate Sylvester. “Like this one. It’s feminine but kind of rock star also, in a weird way. I would wear it with a pair of leather pants. Steve hates it.”
She pointed towards the mannequin wearing the black quilted A-line bell skirt, which is also by Sylvester. “Steve picked this one out,” she said. “It’s really modern and funky. I tend to be more traditional. We were at a showroom once and the sales rep said, ‘Don’t you guys ever agree?’ But when it comes down to it, it’s better to have two people’s opinion. And we always find a way to compromise.”
Not only does the couple plan to expand their women’s line in the spring, but they also intend to start selling men’s clothes.
While accomplished 20somethings may be more commonplace today thanks to the Internet, it’s still surprising to see a 26-year-old achieve such impressive success.
“We did this all on our own,” said Pesce. “There are no backers and no loans. We saved our money and did it ourselves. That’s the most rewarding part.”