Nothing excites me more than when I have the opportunity to stumble upon a new and refreshing blog. Our former Yow Yow! interviewee Molly Young was recently featured on Sunday Routine – a blog that gives us a peek into the Sunday routine of New Yorkers – and of course we had to feature it.
Check out her post here.
Who: Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel
Wearing: Both are in Tom Ford
Where: Time Magazine’s Annual 100 Gala in New York
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This weekend, my favorites – Warby Parker – will be unveiling their new stunning flagship located on 121 Greene Street between Houston and Prince.
Inspired by classic libraries, the space is lined with books (and rolling library ladders), brimming with glasses, and full of surprises. Duck into the photo booth to take a picture, and gaze up at the city sky through the building’s original skylight. Looking for inspiration? A selection of books from small presses is available for flipping–through or adding to your personal collection.
An in-store optometrist will be on hand to perform eye exams seven days a week. Appointments can be made here. Exams are only $50, and visitors can track their appointments on the appointment board, designed after the train arrival and departure boards at Grand Central Station.
How fun! I’ve been a fan of Warby’s since last year when I bought my first pair, but I’ve been meaning to purchase myself a second as well. What a beautiful looking store! Readers in New York, if you’ve got a chance to stop by, please do and let us and @warbyparker know what you think.
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I am so thrilled to introduce Yow Yow’s latest interview today featuring the lovely and inspiring SuChin Pak. Readers, here at Yow Yow! we love our MTV. For those of you who have been with us for awhile, you probably remember me interviewing Liz Lee, former Real World-er Chet Cannon, and the boys of The Buried Life previously. It has always been my goal to highlight interesting characters in these interviews and to feature individuals who were accomplishing great things in their lives. We took a break from interviews for a year, but I am so excited to bring them back and start a new series of interviews surrounding strong and successful women that I look up to! With that said, let’s just get into it.
Q: You currently hold a number of roles such as working with DailyCandy and Hester Street Fair not to mention being a newlywed and a new mother. Congratulations, by the way! If you could give yourself an official job title, what would it be?
SuChin: Can I have 2 titles?!?! I’m the Chief Correspondent for DailyCandy and Co-founder/Curator of Hester Street Fair.
Q: What does a day in the life of SuChin Pak look like?
SuChin: Because I juggle so many different projects, every day is a rotation of either DailyCandy, Hester or other stories I’m pitching. I get up in the morning and spend some time with my son and then the rest of the day is spent on the computer and conference calls mostly. I’m usually putting together a story for one of my video series on DailyCandy. Currently Coveting is a weekly video series where I talk about the things I’m most obsessed with that week; 5 Questions is another video franchise on DailyCandy where I interview someone I really admire in fashion, film or pop culture; I have a regular interview column on DailyCandy Kids talking to mom-preneurs who are successful at juggling everything and then I do segments for The Today Show, E! News, Access Hollywood and other press outlets for DailyCandy. There’s a lot of researching involved which because DailyCandy is all about food, fashion and fun…is a pretty sweet deal! Hester Street Fair is launching our 4th season on April 27 in New York, so right now, it’s crazy time! We’re combing through the best vendors, putting together the roster for the season and generally brainstorming fun ideas and events we can do at the market. We are also launching our 2nd season of Hester Nights which is a weekly nighttime food market at the Eventi Hotel in Midtown, Manhattan. PHEW! Plus of course, I have a new baby and somewhere in there I try to stay in touch with friends…oh and I’m traveling back and forth between NY and LA every month….now that I’m thinking about it, I should probably slow down!!
Q: You started the Hester Street Fair a few years ago, can you tell us more about this and why it is so important to you?
SuChin: The Hester Street Fair is an outdoor specialty goods and artisanal food market in the Lower East Side of New York. 3 friends (including my brother, Suhyun) and I started this project in 2010 because we were passionate about our Lower East Side community and wanted a space where people could gather, connect and have fun! We have always been obsessed with flea markets and as the number of markets started to dwindle in the city, we really wanted to revive this idea of connecting people to the products and food they buy in a real personal way. It’s become a launching pad for small businesses—a sort of testing ground for new ideas and new entrepreneurs. We had no idea that it was going to turn into such a passion project for so many other people. My whole career, whether it’s on camera or with this market has always been about giving people a platform to express their passions. It doesn’t matter if I’m interviewing a band about their new music or talking to a cool designer for DailyCandy or helping a new business launch with their first product at Hester Street Fair…the mission is the same—to give other people a chance to pursue their passion in life.
Q: Hester Street Fair will open again at the end of the month. Are you doing anything differently than in past years? What can we expect?
SuChin: We focus on getting the best vendors, the best products, the best food possible every year at Hester. We only have 65 slots, so you can imagine there are a lot more who apply that don’t fit for one reason or another. The market is different every week because we try hard to rotate in as many new vendors as possible. So, we strive to be a “different” market every week!! Expect more ethnic street foods, expect more curated vintage and handmade and we also have a lot of natural beauty stuff in the line up as well this year.
Q: SuChin, you first got your breakout start through MTV. How did you feel about being the Asian face of the network? Was there any pressure tied to that and did you know that you would become such a role model?
SuChin: I never feel pressure because I’m Asian American because there’s nothing contrived about that identity…I am who I am and all of my experiences are filtered through that lens of being a child of immigrant parents. As far as role model….I just try to do what I love with integrity and intelligence…sometimes I’m better at it than other days, but if that’s something that’s inspiring to someone else, than I feel honored.
Q: Through MTV, we had a chance to see you in a number of roles – not just reporting the news. We saw you in the series My Life (Translated), working with Teen Mom, True Life, and even during election season in the past. You have always been an advocate for young adults and you have seen them tackle some hard issues. What is the most important lesson that you have learned through these experiences and what advice do you have to offer young adults as they graduate college and enter the real world?
SuChin: More than anything, I’m passionate about young people and the choices they make, the lives they lead and how to support them. I think the best advice is to be open to everything. Be open to new experiences, people, opportunities, projects….the more out of your lane it is, the better. One, you never know where these roads will take you. I don’t know how many times “random” events have come around to bring me work. Secondly, getting good at thinking on your feet, growing and expanding your limits is a muscle that you should develop early on while you have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Later on, you’ll be too afraid to take chances if you don’t do it early on. Everything, every person, every moment is an opportunity to learn something which will be of use to you immediately or years from now. If you welcome life that way, then there are no failures, there are no wrong decisions…challenges are opportunities to learn. And one more thing…at the end of the day, let it go and start the next day fresh. Whatever mistakes you made, whatever success you had, learn from it and then let it go. Don’t get stuck on the past, approach each day with a blank slate.
Q: Since you worked with MTV for so long, you must have impeccable music taste. Tell us who you’re listening to these days.
SuChin: I have horrible musical tastes. Ironically, I had never even seen MTV until after I got the job. My parents, like so many other immigrant parents believed that “paying” for television was sacrilegious. I love pop music. Bruno Mars, Mackelmore, Jay-Z…it’s about as mainstream as it gets.
Q: There is a common stereotype among Asian immigrant parents that their children are meant to grow up to be doctors, lawyers, or engineers. How did your parents support your career and did you always know that you wanted to go into journalism?
SuChin: My parents didn’t support my career at first. To be honest none of us knew until MTV, that this was even going to be a career for me. This is the thing I always say, and maybe it’s not an opinion that you may agree with…but if you have a passion for something in life that goes against your parents’ wishes, standing your ground with them will be the first challenge that you’ll have to overcome. If you can’t stand up to your parents on how you want to live your life, then standing up to your boss, your colleagues, the world is going to be a long uphill battle. You don’t need their approval, but you can earn their respect. Maybe not today, but once they see that you are working hard at something every day, they will learn to respect you.
Q: You were recently hired on as a correspondent for DailyCandy. This role is very different from what you have been used to working with television and being in a fast-paced environment with live news. What do you love most about this new role?
SuChin: I love that I get to be creative every day and to create every day. The DailyCandy team and I come up with a fun idea and then it’s in production. The wait time for approvals edits, etc., in TV time moves so much slower than life online. I love that I get to cover fashion, food and young emerging talent. I also love working for a company that’s mostly run by women for women. There’s something incredibly nurturing and empowering about that.
Q: Since you are working for a blog like Daily Candy, do you have any favorite blogs that you like to read on your own time and if so what are they?
SuChin:
Q: You have got all of these projects under your belt – how did these projects all come about? Are these things you always dreamed of doing or did they happen organically?
SuChin: It always happens organically through people I know or worked with. There has only been one time in my life that I got a job just out of an audition. DailyCandy happened because of Hester Street Fair. They loved the curation and the idea that we were supporting emerging talent which is basically DailyCandy on a bigger scale. It just goes to show you, if you follow your passions, even if it seems a little off your path, it will come full circle. And of course be nice to everyone you work with…!
Q: SuChin, you have been an inspiring role model to me ever since I was 11 years old and seeing you on MTV News. I’d love to have a career like yours. What advice do you have to give for young adults like myself hoping to follow in your footsteps?
SuChin: There’s a whole world out there waiting to hear your stories. You don’t have to wait for a big network to find you…you can launch your career from your laptop. If you want to write, write! If you want to be in front of the camera, start filming and posting videos! If you want to direct films, go ahead and start now! Learning your craft every day, practicing and critiquing yourself is the best way to get really good at what you love to do, so when the opportunity comes your way, you’ll be ready to take it on.
Q: Well SuChin, you’ve done almost everything! What’s next for you?
SuChin: I have no idea…but I can’t wait!
To learn more about the Hester Street Fair – visit their official website here.
I have been finding so many interesting things on the internet recently that I pretty much want to blog everything! I’d do that, but then you’d get 20 posts in one day and who has time for that? Very rarely has anyone watched me actually blog and even then I think it’s such a weird process. Maybe we can include that on the video blogs someday, Veronica? Anyways, today we’re already at 10 posts and I must confess to you all, I’ve got some blog projects I need to hit tonight! [More on that later] So laziness is about to occur and you’re gonna get a roundup of some of the best things that I came across on the internet today in one post!
Let’s go!
1. This UK beatboxer named Ball-Zee. [Source]
2. This backwards prank by Improv Everywhere in Times Square. [Source]
3. Perfect blueberry pancakes. [Source]
4. Want to know all of the songs that Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake are rapping in their “History of Raps?” SPIN has got you covered. I am adding these to my Spotify playlists as we speak.
5. Mariners’ game attendees this season are going to dine well. [Source]
6. I took the Bring It On quiz and scored 10/12. Not bad!
7. Steve Buscemi will direct Vampire Weekend’s live stream. That’s a collaboration we didn’t see coming! [Source]
8. View a slideshow of Seattle’s notable empty buildings. My favorite is where Amazon used to live. [Source]
Today, Jay Leno confirmed the rumors that have been swirling for some time now – that he would be leaving the Tonight Show and that Jimmy Fallon would be coming in to fill those shoes. Spring 2014 is set for Leon’s departure after a 22-year run as host. Additionally, the Tonight Show will move back home to 30 Rock in New York leaving its Los Angeles home behind. Congratulations Jimmy! This is an incredible step for him in his career.
So…what will happen with ‘Late Night?’
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Say what?! Another Collection post within a month time span (roughly)?! This is no April Fool’s joke y’all, just me playing catching up and living up to my promises for V-ron.
Enjoy!
For this weekend only, MTV will air three seasons of their hit series The Real World: New York, San Francisco and Las Vegas (because that season was cray!) The marathon comes just in time for the premiere of the newest season, which kicks off in Portland. Why is Seattle never considered part of the Real World marathons? Just once…please.
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I have so much admiration for people that can pick up and leave – move away from their home and into a new city. That ish is hard; not that I would know, but … going through college and meeting people in my workplaces, I’ve realized that pretty much everyone around me has done it. Except me. I’ve also decided that someday it will be me. I think about my future – about who will become my new circle of friends, how I will adapt to the weather, but most of all how this will change my style.
Even in the last six months my style has completely changed! From Space Girl to working professional. Adult lyfe. What I would give to be Space Girl once again. The magazines will tell you that it’s the trends that change your style, but I believe that it’s the experience.
Today, Sartorialist Scott Schuman posted on his blog this amazing transformation of Kara. The first photograph was when Kara was very new to the city and the second is today – one year after.
Something that I saw in a lot of my friends’ relationships when we were younger was a lack of creativity in dates. In high school, if you didn’t have a car or a license, you were pretty much out of luck. In college, you were just a little bit too poor to do everything that you wanted to do. I may not know anything about this next statement that I’m about to say, but I truly think you can experience what dating really is in your 20s.
In your 20s, you’ve established maturity. You are no longer the crazy girlfriend or boyfriend that you once were when you were in high school. In this age range, you’re probably on your way to having much deeper pockets. The stars are aligned in your 20s. You’re smarter, you know what you want, and you’ve got the creativity to impress said target.
At first read when I stumbled upon a post about a dating site called Howaboutwe last night, I thought to myself “How can a site like this exist? Really? People can’t make up their own dates?” Then I looked into a little bit further. Howaboutwe is a dating service FOR couples. If you’re tired of spending countless nights sitting on your couch and watching a movie or just settling for a dinner out and a movie (if you’re really daring,) then the service will plan dates for you that require you to do nothing but show up and of course pay a fee for the service and idea.
For just $22 a month, membership to the HowAboutWe Couples Club grants you access to their monthly DateBook, offering a wide variety of dating options — that are already planned for you. The special member rate gets you extreme discounts on dates like a wine tasting and tapas dinner at Entwine, or a private guided tour of the Museum of Moving Images. The best part? Membership means that certain dates are actually free!
Currently, this service only exists in New York, but to be honest if it came to Seattle – I think I would be a little bit curious. Maybe even curious enough to try it out myself.
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This post is being released today because Veronica reminded me that I was overdue. Something you need to know: she asks for these posts often, but I usually don’t give in because I need to have a specific amount of photos for me to warrant a post. This time, she was right on the money hence…
Readers, I have the MOST exciting news for you this morning. One of my favorite retailers of all time has debuted their e-commerce store this morning. Lord knows we’ve all been waiting for this a very long time. The Vancouver-based retailer is an absolute dream with pieces that are the softest and most comfortable that you’ll never take them off. I have literally gone a whole week wearing their leggings. No shame.
The quality of the clothing is top notch and the service at their retailer stores – impeccable. The store’s design and concepts? Flawless. The new flagship location in New York just opened and after seeing the photographs, it houses the most wondrous displays I’ve ever seen.
As you can see, I’m a huge advocate for the retailer and even though I am in very close proximity to an actual store location now, there’s no doubting that I won’t be on the online shop perusing first.
Readers – it’s time to start shopping. For yourself. You deserve it. Here you go! And later this evening, I’ll be posting up some of my favorite pieces for all of you.
Not even close to a wedding video this morning…but still important to watch. I can’t imagine what this would be like if it were in Seattle. It’s really just going too far and I think spreads unnecessary fear for everyone.
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I know I said this was Wedding Mondays, but it’s turning out to be a whole lot more of Music Monday. Once again, the CMJ Music Marathon and Film Festival begins tomorrow in New York and though I will probably never make my way over there to celebrate it, I would still like to recognize some of my favorite artists and bands being featured. Those in bold are from Seattle! Hometown pride never stops here on Yow Yow.
Check out the website for full details here.
