Yesterday was our first-ever NYC pop-up. We hosted it in Mela's beautiful storefront in Soho—and honestly, I didn’t know what to expect. But by noon, there was a line down the block!
We sold out our 200 person guest list. The space was tight, crowded and buzzing. Throughout the day, I saw so many familiar faces—some from past events, others from years of email threads and IG DMs, and some brand new faces to the mix. There was Isabel, who’s been replying to my blogs for years and brought her daughter, Molly, to the pop up. Clarissa, who’s been with us since mask days! Valentine and Hailey, both dressed colorfully in Mixed. Liz, a brilliant opera singer that owns several Mixed pieces. Nicole who snagged a Lani Jumpsuit in Selva! Zanib, radiant in her Rachel Orchid dress with the most thoughtful tea gift for me. Mel who offered Phoebe the best recs for her upcoming trip to Australia. (A different) Liz, who came to try on corduroy…and so many more folks. It was so special.
An hour before doors opened, Phoebe and I were at the studio wrestling with a garment rack that refused to come apart. Lauren was at FedEx cutting up paper for raffle tickets and brainstorming backup plans for the garment rack fiasco. In a final attempt, Phoebe grabbed pliers, beads of sweat literally dripping down her face as she loosened the screw. It was chaotic. Hilarious. So unglamorous. But we were laughing hard as we lugged a wagon full of garments, shopping bags, and a mannequin through the streets. I looked at our tiny but mighty team and thought: This is what makes it all work. Doing it with people you love. People who care. Yesterday was a true core memory.
There’s this expectation in fashion that everything should look effortless and cool. But cool, for us, isn’t about being aloof. Cool is joy. It’s expression. It’s color, chaos, and connection. It’s feeling welcomed in a crowded room.
I think often about how and why I want to grow this business. Yesterday reminded me: I want to grow with people. I want to keep knowing who we’re dressing. And while we can’t know every single person, we can still know specific someones. Whether it’s a one time meeting with a fan from out of town or the ongoing connection of locals who keep showing up. I want scale with soul. Growth that doesn’t dilute these connections.
If you came by—thank you. If you cheered us on from afar—thank you. Mixed isn’t just a business. It’s a community. And yesterday, I really felt it.
Happy Sunday,
Nasrin
