Brooklyn Flea

Susan Blank has a philosophy that many Flea vendors share: the more useful, the more beautiful. That “a little black frame” can be as arresting as one wrought in gold. Blank Frames has both plain black and gilded frames. And ones made of hand carved wood, and mirror, and ironwork, and, well, you get the "picture." We sat down to talk to Susan about her frames and learn a little about how prop scouts for movies and galas work along the way.

What brought you to the Flea?
There was a lot of buzz and it was something different, so one day I finally tried it. Brooklyn is very fresh—it’s a different take on the market. We just have a lot of fun here.

What drew you to frames?
It was a metamorphosis. We did them with art, and people often like the frames more than the art, so we finally got a clue: “Hate the art, like the frames.” I’m really drawn to so many of them, the more elaborate and exotic ones especially. But all of them are lovely. If you have a glass chandelier in your home it may not throw the best light—yes it’s beautiful but you still need the basic thing. A little black frame can be just as beautiful as an exotic metal one.

Describe something that could only have happened at the Flea.
We sell so many frames to so many different people. We have regular clients, a lot of hotels and set dressers. One time we had a Coen Brothers film come in and get some frames. The prop scouts like us a lot.

What is working with the prop scouts and stylists like?
Once a stylist told a friend who was doing one of those fancy charity balls, one with George Harrison’s wife, about us. I think the guy who gave our name didn’t even buy from us, just liked what we had. Then the charity ball people came in and bought something like 50 really fancy frames, all because of this guy who just happened by one day. It was wonderful.

It was a mad mad mad mad Mad world at the Flea this past weekend as the minutes counted down to the long awaited fifth season premiere of Mad Men on Sunday night. Granted it was the penultimate weekend of the Flea’s winter season at Skylight One Hanson. And some visitors came to relish the gorgeous Romanesque Beaux Arts interiors of the Flea’s winter home one last time or two before we head outdoors for the spring-summer season.

But there was definitely an added frisson in the air, as fans of the show who’d decided to make a night of the season opener cruised vendors’ booths, scooping up the swank trappings of a viewing soirée even Betty Draper wouldn’t turn up her nose at.

Not surprisingly, shoppers had no trouble crossing things off their list: Stainless steel cocktail shaker with just the right patina, check. Modernist hors d’oeuvres tray for serving an authentic James Beard 1963 Chutney Canapé Spread, got it. Mid-century ashtrays and cigarette lighters eye-catching enough to display long after the last guest has said goodnight—more than you can shake a stick at.

As for the attire, well, it’s a fact that on any given weekend, the Flea is the happiest of hunting grounds for those looking to sport some serious Joan Holloway style. (Even Mad Men costume designer Janie Bryant has been known to peruse the market on occasion.) Though tougher to find these days, pencil skirts, hostess pajamas, silk sheath dresses, and other '60s staples are ripe for the picking. So whether it’s a Peggy office-ready look you're after or something a little more "Zou Bisou Bisou," a.k.a. Megan-esque, Flea vintage vendors deliver the goods.

Awards season wraps up this Sunday night at the 84th Oscars, when 2011’s biggest cinematic cliffhangers will be revealed: Who will take home movies’ most coveted gold statue—and what will they be wearing when they do it?

Will My Week With Marilyn Best Actress nominee Michelle Williams go with the elegant understatement of recent Oscar de la Renta, Chanel Haute Couture, or Erdem champagne-hued standards, or will she mix it up? (Her appearance earlier this month at the 2012 British Academy of Film and Television Awards in an H&M column gown will lend her arrival some added suspense.) In the Best Supporting circle, Octavia Spencer, who took the Golden Globe for her turn as The Help’s brassy Minny, has made increasingly bold red-carpet statements. Will her colorful winning streak continue? As for the A-list presenters and spectators, their current runway faves portend Stella McCartney (Kate Winslet), Armani Privé (Anne Hathaway), and Gucci (Jennifer Lopez) sightings.

But the more compelling question for those of us who love vintage is who will take the bigger risk and rock some old-school Hollywood glamour? Going vintage hasn’t always seemed a suitable red-carpet choice. It rarely crossed starlets’ (or their stylists’) minds until the 2001 Oscars, when Julia Roberts, in a 1992 Valentino, fittingly paved the way, winning Best Actress for playing another type of firebrand: legal clerk-turned-environmentalist Erin Brockovich. And many stars have since followed suit—most recently Kristin Davis, Tina Fey, Christina Hendricks, and Gillian Anderson.

But there’s no telling who else will make what’s old—or in the case of Julia’s Valentino, older—new again. And at this point, it’s a little late to pitch vintage. The pre-Oscar juice-fasts to make choices fit mean most final selections are already hanging on the back of the dressing-room door. But it’s fun to play armchair stylist, and the recent picks of these stars from across the entertainment galaxy suggest a trip to the Flea might have awarded them more than a few sartorial runner-ups.

For your consideration…

The schedule for Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, which begins today and runs through Feb. 16, is jam-packed with runway shows, parties, and events. But given Catherine Malandrino’s recent Flea visit (not to mention Maggie Gyllenhaal and Padma Lakshmi making the rounds), don't be surprised if a few fashionistas steal away this weekend to see what’s showing at Skylight One Hanson.

A review of vendors’ collections last weekend suggests that those who do will like what they see, as many of the looks on offer now at the Flea made a showing on Fashion Week runways last fall. And that’s fitting—spring is certainly a time of rebirth. Or maybe it’s just that when it comes to fashion, the loveliest notions just never get old.

Break out your drop-waist dresses and Edwardian walking skirts, ladies—and gents too if so inclined! Downton Abbey is back, in its long-awaited second season on Masterpiece (Sundays, 9 p.m.). And, despite the sobering footage of dreamy Downton heir Matthew (Dan Stevens) doing time in the French trenches of WWI, Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery) & Co. are still dressing beautifully for dinner.

Though we had to wait 11 months for the second installment, interest in the show hasn’t waned among viewers or, by the way, the many fashion designers—Marc Jacobs, Tory Birch, Ralph Lauren, Rachel Zoe—who, inspired by the decade that dawns by this season’s end, worked '20s silhouettes into their Spring 2012 collections.

Sunday night’s episode is set in 1916, but traces of the Women’s Rights Movement and the Great War’s upending of gender roles will make their mark on the Crawley sisters’ wardrobes, bringing them eagerly into the 20th Century. Lady Sybil (Jessica Brown-Findlay) kicked things off last season when she graced the family drawing room in harem pants. Not to be outdone, Lady Edith (Laura Carmichael) jumped behind the wheel of a tractor in trousers on Sunday night, when a hunky local (married) farmer who doesn’t drive asks for her help. By the time this season ends, it’ll be 1919 and I’m betting the Downton debs will be all too ready for the flapper dresses to come!

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. If you want to get your Downton on for this coming Sunday’s episode, Flea vintage vendors are stocking lovely items (above) that evoke both the elegance and craftsmanship of that bygone era, which is no small feat given their rarity.

The Flea’s kid clientele is a savvy bunch. From a young age, they quickly learn their way around the food, with Dough and Pizza Moto clear faves. And as they get older, there’s plenty else to keep them coming back. From fashion—one young friend of mine recently rocked a Sue Harmon prom dress at her bat mitzvah—to the Flea’s very own School of Rock held every weekend in the vault. Aspiring musicians can learn their licks at Eat Records, where Casey spins all day long, or just dress the part by scanning the classic concert tees at Juicy D’s.

Come the holidays, vendors kick it up a notch, stocking a colorful array of vintage toys and whimsical collectibles that are sure to make even die-hard gamers look up from their screens. Here, some of last weekend's offerings for kids and kids at heart:

This past weekend, as New Yorkers returned from over the river and through the woods, Flea vendors settled back into their winter home at Skylight One Hanson. And although the weather outside has been unseasonally delightful, the holiday rush is on. But there's no need to panic! There are great gifts all around the market.

Those broken ornaments of Christmases past are easily—and sustainably—replaced with one quick trip to Frank Fazio Design, where you can pick up pristine sets from the '60s still in their original boxes. And for those of other faiths who light candles this time of year, gorgeous mercury glass candlesticks at Un Jour Georges were one of many bright ideas for observant shoppers—including those looking to shed just the right light on their holiday cocktails!

Come see for yourself this Saturday and Sunday, where a robust collection of remarkable designer clothing and accessories, jewelry and distinctive treasures will make shopping a breeze for those on your list who have everything.

By Marion Hart, Camel Girl Vintage

Let it not be said that city slickers are immune to the passing seasons. The leaves on the trees that grow in Brooklyn do change. And judging from the racks of the Flea’s vintage outfitters on Sunday in Williamsburg, it seemed everyone was gearing up for the opening of deer season. Navajo-inspired wool jackets and ponchos, both cropped and blanket-like, were in abundant supply. Perfect to wear fireside after a long day on the trail, these rustic toppers also had their citified complements in more refined tailored pieces that could have inspired the southwestern styles that Isabel Marant, Moschino, and Proenza Schouler sent down their fall 2011 and spring 2012 runways.

Each fashion season has its southwest send-ups. And you can always count on Ralph Lauren for a storybook collection of outdoorsy apparel for all well-heeled rustics, whether they live in Brooklyn, Burlington or Taos. But if you’re after the real thing at a fraction of the price—from hand-tooled accessories to the staples and spoils of a hunter-trapper style—you’ll find the Flea a well-stocked preserve of vintage treasures.

Though coverage of last week's New York Fashion Week would have you think spring is right around the corner, there's winter—and much of fall—to be weathered first. No one knows that better than the Flea's vintage vendors, who have already begun outfitting customers for the lower temps in styles that are strikingly similar to those seen on runways the last time Fashion Week came to town.

You'll find many signatures of the Fall-Winter 2011-12 collections at the Flea, from the sweeping Edwardian lengths of Rodarte's Mulleavy sisters' coats to the oh-so-'80s broad shoulders of Stella McCartney's David Byrne-inspired jackets. In fact, it's hard to come up with an era that doesn't make a showing this season. So if you want a piece from the swinging '70s that looks couture—or you're curious about where designers often get their inspiration, shopping vintage is the way to go. To wit....

This past weekend, love of the '70s was in the air. At Celebrate Brooklyn Saturday night, the Godfather of Go Go Chuck Brown got the party started for Dr. John and the Lower 911 with the mix of R&B, funk, and early hip hop he trademarked in D.C. clubs from the mid-to-late '70s. The following day, Brit deejays Horse Meat Disco, in their second engagement this side of the pond, took those still standing back to New York, circa 1978, at Mister Sunday’s Gowanus Grove party.

When it comes to fashion, too, the '70s just keep on giving. The fall collections of such fashion powerhouses as Gucci—Creative Director Frida Giannini’s homage to “Anjelica Huston photographed by Bob Richardson”—and Chloe hark back to the fabled decade, yet put a new spin on ladylike. And that theme continues right into the 2012 resort wear of Rachel Zoe and Christian Dior, not to mention the many other lines featuring wide-legged pants we’ll see hanging loose and groovy from retail racks come January.

And though retailers are trying to get us focused on fall, the summer season is still in full swing at the Flea, where ‘70s-loving vintage vendors understand you still have at least one more month of hot summer nights to dress for. So whether you’re looking for the perfect maxi to wear shaking your goove thang at Roberta's Tiki Disco on Sunday in Bushwick or a kaftan and romper to take to the Rockaways now and on next February’s warm-weather getaway, the Flea is the place to be.