Get To Know Your Local Basic.Space Sellers
Introducing Carol Li of Janky Jewels, Juliet Johnstone, Chad Senzel, Serena Nickson, Lucas Capozzi-Shanks of Who the Fuck Are Tens Club?, and Gigi’s Little Kitchen, office had the opportunity to speak to these sellers who work with Basic.Space to get to know about them and their craft a bit more.
In 2018 Carol Li founded Janky Jewels in the city that she calls home– New York. She tells office that the process of designing her jewelry is never linear and that it’s important to incorporate mindfulness as at times, she can be her own worst critic. However, through playful designs and unlimited imagination, Janky Jewels is reminiscent of wearable aquatic fantasy. When asked about her process of designing her jewelry, Li states, “My process is all about building up– so I start with a silhouette or a material I want to utilize, and I go from there.” For her collection featured on Basic.Space, the designer draws inspiration from fish tanks and candy-making TikToks which she mentions reminds her of flame-working.
She emphasizes that Basic.Space is mainly centered around community and an organic structure that works well for her brain. By welcoming her into their space and lending their resources, Basic.Space has allowed Li to grow as an artist all while respecting her vision and integrity. She mentions, “I love when I get a text at a random hour from the team and it’s like, ‘I have this idea that we could work together on! Are you down?’”
Introducing Serena Nickson, a New York-based artist with work consisting of portraiture inspired by religious and spiritual iconography. However, her art can be seen on more than just canvas, as for Basic.Space, she hand paints clothing with natural dyes. She began painting with dye on tank tops in the summer of 2021 and casually sold them through her Instagram stories. While at first reluctant to sell her clothing on a website of her own, she decided to partner with Basic.Space which allowed for her to reach a larger audience and aligned with her vision to maintain small collections. From denim pants to silk mini dresses, the artist showcases her talents and paints designs with a focus on floral and lunar arrangements.
However, the inspiration for Nickson is boundless as she mentions that in addition to the iconography, she gathers inspiration for her fabric work from tarot cards, Victorian textiles, dancers, and Fluorine Stettheimer. While the two mediums are different from one another, they work in tangent as her oil paintings are more so inspired from French Impressionism and textures like lace, or glass. When asked why Basic.Space is a good fit to showcase her artwork, the artist states, “I think it’s really refreshing to see a platform that specifically highlights smaller brands/sellers while remaining curated and cohesive.”
Photos by Lucia Bell Epstein
In a creative capsule of her own, LA-based artist Juliet Johnstone proves that imagination is limitless. With no two art designs alike, the artist and designer speaks true to her audience as customers and admirers of her work race to her platforms to secure a JJ original of their own. From her cut-and-sew carpenter pants, baby tees, and tanks, to trucker hats to even a couch that is featured on the Basic.Space site, the painter invites us into a JJ world filled with fantastical nature and flowers alike. We asked Juliet how she envisions JJ World expanding, she mentions, “I want to put my artwork on everything from random walls, galleries, a custom JJ airplane, shoes, and maybe even a JJ hot air balloon.” She proudly mentions that Basic.Space gives her the platform to showcase those new and exciting ideas that she has. She says, “They are open to new creative ideas which is exciting when doing a partnership!”
Photos by Brittney Christie
Vintage collector and dealer Chad Senzel is no stranger when it comes to securing hidden gems and giving clothing another life. Having masterfully created an assortment of designer clothing mixed in with curated items of the 90s, Senzel hones in on the nuanced revitalization of the reselling market. When asked if there was a dream item to source that he’s been on the hunt for, Chad mentions, “Most of the items I’ve wanted to source, yet have been unable to, are things that I want for my collection. There’s a specific Ralph Lauren hoodie from the 90s that has different pant leg style cargo pockets, yet on the front of the sweatshirt. I know of a handful in existence, yet have never encountered one for sale, even at a high price.”
While he is known for having a rack on the streets of Ludlow and Canal, he has opened up his own vintage showroom right in the heart of Chinatown. Not to mention, having a curated collection of his own for sale right on the Basic.Space website making it easy and accessible for those to shop who are not in the city. In addition, the dealer states, “All of the selling that I do is in person and Basic.Space enabled me to have my first online presence. With their platform and presentation, I think the site showcased my edit and approach to vintage clothing quite well. While I love the face-to-face connection of selling in person, many special pieces get purchased quickly and don’t get to be appreciated after the fact. Basic.Space in some ways serves as a gallery of my taste and what I have to offer.”
Gigi's Little Kitchen
What started off as baking in her kitchen in Brooklyn in 2021, Gigi’s Little Kitchen blossomed into what it is today. Baking dreamlike cakes filled with a youthful whimsy, Gigi has made over 250 custom cakes– all while being vegan and dairy free. When asked about the inspiration behind her creativity, she mentions that growing up, her parents encouraged a very hands-on approach to whatever it is that she was creating. However, she places a heavy emphasis on maximalism and color and the collective feeling of wanting to party and to indulge as the creative force behind her pastries. While being in lockdown during the pandemic, the extra time at home allowed for Gigi to hone in on her craft and create the wonder-like creations we see today. She mentions, “I think post-pandemic everything bigger, glossier, and crazier feels right. And the growing number of bakers and food artists on Instagram is a testament to that. What’s cool about the cake world is that cake is inherently celebratory. Knowing I’m building something fun, unique, and one-of-a-kind, specifically to adorn a celebration, is thrilling.”
While Basic.Space is known for bringing creatives from all over different sectors together, all while celebrating and amplifying their differences, it is no shock that Basic.Space has welcomed Gigi into their collective creative force. We asked Gigi why Basic.Space is the place for her work and she states, “Basic.Space is unique because as a seller, you’re folded into a network of other independent artists– some further along than others, but all stellar. Being on Basic.Space encourages authentic collaborations and connects creatives with ease. Having the infrastructure and support of Basic.Space makes expanding my brand– like dipping into merch– seamless.”
Lucas Capozzi-Shanks founder of Who The Fuck Are Tens Club? is the go-to destination for everything vintage and everything soccer. What started out as just a weekly newsletter, WTFATC has turned into your archival destination for 90s/2000s athletic apparel with weekly capsule collection drops. With the continuous crossover of fashion and sports, we asked Cappozzi-Shanks how he would like to see this crossover continue to grow. He mentions, “We live in an era of the pregame tunnel fit and what an athlete chooses to wear on gameday is often the only real glimpse we get into their true personality. They are media-trained professionals, their social profiles are sanitized, and even their fashion choices can be a bit contrived at times, but it’s all we have! So my hope is that personal style continues to be a gateway for athletes to be more unapologetic, not just about their personal style, but their life, culture, and politics as well.” He continues, “There’s no shortage of sporting inspiration if you’re willing to travel and dig for it. I think that’s why vintage sportswear is increasingly popular, in terms of quality and fit that are closer to what we expect from modern fashion. In short: sports are more interesting when viewed through the lens of personal style, and fashion is more approachable when it takes cues from sports– so the more these continue to overlap, the better.”
With a curation highlighted on Basic.Space, one can head over to the site to shop pre-owned vintage jerseys all with ease. The creative mentions, “The site is populated with such a wide range of goods, so clicking around feels pioneering in a way that other sites don’t (let alone the goddamn algorithm). I like the idea of someone discovering my brand because one of my vintage jerseys caught their eye, even though they were originally there looking at a hand-painted ceramic vase or something. There’s a tasteful unpredictability to the whole Basic.Space shopping experience.”
Photo by Matthew Stith
