mbrosen:

Neat experiment.

Seeking micro-loans to help launch a fashion boutique in SoHo.

Definitely thinking outside the box.

Spread the word.

Family, Friends, Family of Friends, Esteemed Colleagues Past and Present, People I Admire:

This is one of the hardest emails I’ve ever sent, so here goes….thank you for reading!

My partner Johnny and I started a new business last year, formally established 7 months ago, called InternationalPlayground. It has been a fantastic whirlwind experience thus far, and we have devoted all our waking hours and energy to the endeavor. We scout new talent in the fashion world and provide wholesale, press, and retail opportunities for these brands. We began the venture with nothing more than our big ideas and even bigger dreams, and have managed to produce some phenomenal projects, including 2 very successful pop-up retail stores on the Lower East Side, as well as 2 pop-up wholesale showrooms, one in New York and one in Paris. In December, at our HOLIDAY! store, we also hosted a charity benefit and donated the proceeds to God’s Love We Deliver.

We have brought over 15 different collections together under one roof, and have debuted two Danish designers (Vibe Johansson and Wackerhaus), one Swedish designer (Ravishing Mad), and one English designer (Yarimaki) in the American market in addition to introducing fresh NYC talent to the market. We have launched an e-commerce site which, with the help of our talented friends, looks amazing and has increased our traffic and exposure immensely. InternationalPlayground and our designers have been featured in numerous magazines and online blogs. We’ve built up a faithful following of clients for our store, and buyers from other retail stores. In general, the feedback from the fashion community and our customers has far surpassed anything we could imagine! We have really carved a niche market out for ourselves and are very lucky!

We are entering into a new season and have doubled our roster of designers. At this point, its absolutely essential to have a permanent home for our business. After months of searching, we found an amazing space, an absolute jewel in Soho, that was the right price (cheap!). We have spent the last 2 months getting all our ducks in a row, and filing for a small loan through our bank and the Small Business Administration. Our banker was very optimistic, and we have been sitting tight with our fingers crossed. Unfortunately, our application was denied yesterday, based on the fact that we have not been in business for over one year, and to paraphrase, although our financials look very good and our business model sound, there is not enough past evidence to guarantee the loan.

Here we are! We have a lease on our dream space, but no deposit! We are days away from launching six new collections for Fall/Winter 2010, and we need a home!

Sooooo, we’re thinking outside the box.

We’re determined that International Playground will have a permanent home with a little help from our friends, family and colleagues. We are asking for a $250 micro-loan from you or a “pre-shopping credit”, however you’d like to look at it. In exchange, you will receive a $275 store credit to use on our webshop or in the shop anytime after May 15th, 2010. If you choose not to use it, we will repay the $250 by Feb. 15th, 2011. Or, you can look at this as a one time gift and we’ll put your name on our wall!

We need to raise $25,000 to secure International Playground’s permanent home —- pretty ambitious, we know, but we can do it!!!

HELP BUILD THE PLAYGROUND!

$250 Certificates can be purchased online at our webshop! Click here!

Thank you in advance for your support!

This is an experiment in fundraising, friendship, and faith. Feel free to pass this info and opportunity along to anyone you think may want to help build our playground. I hope you can be a part and help make our mission successful!!!

With much love (and anticipation!!!),

Virginia

Some Press Clips

http://ny.racked.com/tags/international-playground

http://www.thefader.com/tag/international-playground/

http://www.readymade.com/blogs/readymade/2009/11/25/the-weekly-forecast-11-26-12-02/

http://www.theimagist.com/taxonomy/term/5447

About GPICT

Gramercy, New York City. I noticed rumspringa graffitied onto the wall this afternoon. How bad ass. If you’re not familiar with rumspringa, it’s like spring break for the Amish kids but it only happens once — they can choose to return to the community or live with the rest of us non-Amish people.

myownnewyork:

We’re not big fans of all-you-can-eat buffets but this one sets itself apart from the ordinary buffets. The quality of food is above the rest, and the variety of food is amazing: sushi, sashimi, snow crab legs, a variety of jumbo shrimp and mussels, fresh oysters and clams, a sushi station including gunkan, nigiri, maki rolls and hand rolls, gourmet salads, a yakitori and udon station and traditional hot foods including beef, chicken, and pork dishes. The buffet line runs nearly the entire length of block-wide restaurant.

Lunch:
11:45 AM - 3:00 PM ($18.95 weekday / $21.95 weekend)
Dinner:
5:30 PM - 10:00 PM ($28.95 weekday / $31.95 weekend)

6 East 32nd Street
New York, NY 10016 
(212) 725-1333

www.ichiumi.com

A global event celebrated tonight at the Midtown East hotel.

UPDATE:  The car may have been driving westbound on 34th Street and somehow crossed over onto the South sidewalk and then continued west until barreling into the 300 east 34th Street entryway

At 300 East 34th Street a car supposedly full of three people was driving on the sidewalk until bashing into the entryway of the building.  Supposedly no one on the sidewalk was hurt, the people in the car were brought to the hospital.  All heresay.

Crazy.