CITY Issue 55 - (Page 26) ACTION Playtime at AC Gears TOYS: AUDIOCUBES Your inner gadget geek could spend hours inside New York’s AC Gears. It’s the only store in the U.S. that sells imported Japanese tech toys from AudioCubes like the Transformers MP3 Player, which is both an action figure and a portable audio device, and the Face Bank, which changes its facial expression the more money you feed it. The new gizmos, finally available to hold and play with in your own hands, is the draw here, but the minimalist white-wall vibe combined with soothing Bossa Nova, old-school break beats, and upbeat lounge music offers a fresh take on the typically lifeless radio shack. — RL 69 E. 8th St. New York. Go to www.acgears.com /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Around The World FASHION: PROJECT ALABAMA'S "GREEN T" When Shannon Schmalfeldt became a designer for Project Alabama, she went from a small-town girl waiting tables in Florence, Alab., to making clothes for luxury stores in New York, Los Angeles, and beyond. Today, the 28-year-old designer frequently leaves the comforts of her Southern lifestyle to head to the textile factory in Mumbai, India, where the line’s handcrafted tops are created. “I was very excited to travel and be immersed in a world that was different from my own,” Schmalfeldt says of the globetrotting required by her position. “My lifestyle is really laid back and slow, very easy going, and India is the same way.” Schmalfeldt met the owners of Project Alabama seven years ago and was asked to come on as the lead designer of the new “Green T” collection in 2007 because of her printmaking and embroidery skills, and overall creative vision. It is now her job in Mumbai to help the textile workers understand how to create the new socially conscious, environmentally safe “Green T” embroidered shirts, inspired by its roots of classic American casual style. On her first trip she was surprised to learn that an Indian textile factory was far different than typical stereotypes. “Men do most of the sewing in India, and certain trades are passed down from father to son,” she explains. “All of the stitchers, beaders, and pattern makers are men. The women in the factories usually hold supervisor jobs.” The employees are treated with great respect, she adds. “The skills they have are not easily replaced, especially those dealing with hand work, which is our brand focus.” Project Alabama’s “Green T” line, $145, is available at Neiman Marcus and Anthropologie stores. — RL Go to www.projectalabama.com CITY 26: Number of bones in right foot you’ll use to crush the gas pedal on the all-new BMW 1 Series http://www.acgears.com http://www.projectalabama.com
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