Hi Everyone,
Thanks so much to those of you who came out for “Shop Rat: Live” in Brooklyn on Wednesday night! It was such a pleasure finally meeting many of you in person. I was able to gossip with subscribers about the Row jelly sandal dupes (be careful, the soles are slippery) and hear from them what the Agnès B. store in Nice is like (it is, in fact, nice). I also confirmed that men read this newsletter, too! Hello, men!
After mingling for about an hour, I invited a handful of my favorite writers up to the microphone for a dramatic reading. The prompt was to tell a story about a time they lost their minds over something they desperately desired and believed they needed. My very own mother (!!!), who taught me that nothing good in life is ever handed to you, kicked it off by revealing that I’ve always been this way: I took my first steps because I saw a girl across an airport terminal with a doll I wanted and, well, wobbled over and grabbed it.
Big Night founder Katherine Lewin then retold the thrilling tale of how she lost her jeans at a Rachel Comey sample sale and got them back. Next, Jalil Johnson told us about the time they ended up on the phone with their bank over a 21st birthday outfit. Lily Sullivan of wedding dress Google Doc fame told us about a dress that got away… And then away again… And again! And Hunter Harris closed out the evening with a truly unhinged saga—and I mean that as a compliment—about the lengths she went to secure a couch.
The way the crowd GASPED and was emotionally invested in each one of these stories was incredible. Clearly, they could relate, and I’m struggling to put into words how good it felt to be in a room of people who just GET IT. I’ll figure out a way to share these stories with the rest of you soon. The audience also submitted their own stories on index cards after the reading, so I’ll publish those at some point as well. This should be a recurring column, right?
In addition to the brilliant storytellers, I have a long list of people to thank for making Wednesday night so special. Thank you to Outline for being such chic and gracious hosts. Thank you to Substack for partnering with me, especially Christina Loff, who helped me pull the event together in about three weeks flat. Thank you to Big Night for the delicious spread. (I brought leftover olives to a date last night… And then back home with me!) Thank you to Oona Wine and Ghia for providing the best beverages. And thank you to all my friends and family who’ve been so supportive this year. I want to give a special shoutout to the incredibly talented Hannah La Follette Ryan of @subwayhands for taking the photos you see here and, of course, to Clara Kirkpatrick of Doodle Deli, who designed the Shop Rat logo. I’m very excited about the merch we’re cooking up together. Stay tuned!
THANK YOU again to everyone who came and SEE YOU AT THE NEXT ONE!
okay wait I came here to say that the soles of the row jelly sandals aren’t slippery, you have to take off the film at the bottom! something i figured out a week in lol.
Great event Emilia! And loved that storytelling format♥️♥️♥️