A DAY IN THE LIFE: ALICIA AND GARY OF THANK YOU HAVE A GOOD DAY
We've been longtime fans of Alicia and Gary's work, always leaving inspired after a visit to their Brooklyn and Upstate studios. Their one of a kind pieces are truly works of art, leaving no detail untouched. We love their commitment to reworked vintage and antique textiles and wanted to learn more. Read on for a day in the life of Thank You Have a Good Day...
Morning routine? What's for breakfast? Coffee or Tea and how do you make it?
Coffee is absolutely non-negotiable. ;) Gary wakes up first and turns on the espresso machine, a very vital part of our morning. Once warmed up and ready, it is time for the oat milk flat whites and maybe a quick bite — locally baked baguette and jam for Gary and a slice of Knead Love bread with avocado lemon and olive oil for me. We always talk about what the day looks like over coffee every morning: what projects we are working on and what needs the most attention, what we have coming up, new ideas, etc. It is also when we do fittings on any new pieces and shoot anything we want to share on instagram.
Getting dressed / Current go-to outfit? (We like details:)
We both have our “uniforms”. Usually some iteration of old workwear pieces — well worn and loved — often paired with prototypes from the collection. It’s been cold upstate so layers are key. Lots of vintage wool jumpers, parkas and barn jackets. My wool Skier pant has been in heavy rotation recently, always paired with my favorite smile sweatshirt.
Utilitarian clothing and workwear has always been a big inspiration and jumping off point for us thinking about and designing the collection. Both of us have been collecting and wearing old workwear for years. Form and function, making clothing that can be lived in and enjoyed is very important to us.
Commute routine?
The commute to the studio is a dream. In November we moved into a house with a beautiful old barn and planting shed on the property. We immediately converted the barn into our studio and it’s been an amazing space to work. The light is incredible and there is plenty of space for all of the textiles, for cutting and sewing, and for shooting product for the website. We are also in the process of creating a showroom space where we can host clients and friends who may want to come and see what we're working on. The commute to the Red Hook shop is a little bit longer. :) We travel to Brooklyn every week to work in the shop. We really have the best of both worlds.
What next? What’s on the design table?
We are currently working on a collection for Spring/Summer — exploring and introducing more menswear silhouettes and sourcing some of our textiles in a way that will allow us to make more than one or two pieces per textile without sacrificing our mission of sustainability and creating in as responsible and thoughtful of a way possible. We love making one of a kind pieces but are also excited to play around and try something new this season.
What’s for lunch? Who / What / Where dinner?
Sadly, lunch is a largely overlooked meal for both of us (and sometimes breakfast, too). We tend to not take much time for meals once the day gets going. Dinner is usually our main meal. We cook at home most nights and eat very locally and seasonally, relying on the small farms and markets close to us. Even the beeswax candles we burn while we eat are hand dipped nearby. Gary loves to cook so he enjoys taking on most of the cooking duties.
Favorite playlist for afternoon power hour?
Gary listens mostly to podcasts while he works; most recently a program with two historians from the UK called, "The Rest is History." And I am all over the place — the shop playlist runs the gamut. Anything from Bill Evans, to Pylon, to The Smiths, to the soundtrack of Young Girls of Rochefort, to Aldous Harding, to The Halo Benders.
Night routine / Wind down?
After we are done with work for the day we pour a glass of wine and talk about the day; what happened in the studio, the shop, who may have reached out to us. If Gary has a new piece he has been working on we will look at it together, try it on, and talk about finishing details — what closure, which buttons, what kind of collar, pockets. Then it's time for dinner. :)
Favorite thing you’re watching / reading / listening to?
We’ve been watching a lot of documentaries on fashion recently — it's interesting and inspiring to see the vast range of backgrounds, approach and process, especially as we are growing and learning and evolving. Also, YouTube has become brilliantly and hilariously addictive. Gary loves working on our old 1966 Ford truck and repairing and servicing his 1960s Rolex so we find ourselves watching programs about car engine repair and vintage watch service. And then if time allows, anything from how to build a log cabin, how to unstick stuck farm equipment, how to move a 1890s Gothic barn 36 miles in Rural Nebraska, how to service a 1920s Singer leather repair machine to how to make shoes by hand… the list goes on and on and YouTube never seems to disappoint. Haha
Anything else you’d like the Vestige community to know?
We love working with kindred spirits and we are thrilled to partner with Ashley and her wonderful team at Vestige. Creating a collection in a way that feels thoughtful and responsible is of utmost importance to us and having the opportunity to be supported by people and shops we love and admire is an amazing feeling. Making clothing in a sustainable way is not a simple, straightforward or easy path — but it is well worth the challenge and we wouldn’t have it any other way.
Thank you, A and G
