If there’s one thing that East Village clothing designer Laura Texter doesn’t do, it’s sit still.
She has designed costumes for films and music videos, home accessories for various companies, Halloween costumes for Party City and Spirit stores, masks during the pandemic and now a line of attire she calls “New Lines NY.”
Although she’s created work for fashion houses in the past for mass production, her new line consists of very reasonably priced, one-of-a-kind garments — each piece a unique hand made representation of the fences and gates that are found everywhere in the neighborhood.
“I got the idea last summer as I was walking in the East River Park,” she explains. “I was inspired by one of the fences. I started admiring the shapes of the different fences more than I had before. The first piece I did – a dress – was of a fence in that park.” Although Texter won’t reveal the method that she uses to transfer the patterns to the clothes, she’s happy to discuss their import. “ These works represent my love for the neighborhood,” she muses. “ Part of it is about the patterns, but it’s also about the different locations that I love.”
Twelve years ago, she moved to Alphabet City after eight years in the West Village and claims that she “wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.“
She added, “When I moved to the East Village I felt like I found the best place in the world.”
Even the music that she listens to while in the midst of creating has a decidedly downtown bent: Patti Smith, The Velvet Underground, Laurie Anderson.
“What I’m listening to affects how the piece looks,” she notes. For example, “a slower song might result in the image having less contrast.”
There aren’t many clothing lines that have this kind of sense of place, a quality that Stella Sensel admires.
“My favorite part of this line is that each piece is so unique and can be attributed to a very specific location in the East Village. It doesn’t get anymore New York than that!” she opines.
Texter is selling the line in only a few places, including the collective pop-up shop “3rd and B’Zaar” and occasional flea markets. With the prices ranging from $35 for a t-shirt to $80 for a dress, it’s within reach to own a unique piece of wearable art without going broke. Also available are hoodies, leggings, tote bags and sweatshirts and it’s possible to order a custom piece as well. “It’s a punk rock line for everyone!” exclaims her friend ( and client ) Delphine LeGoff . “ Laura is a mega talented artist with a genius idea. I plan on bringing her products to France for Christmas.”
As more people snap up her work, Texter is seeing the results in the world at large. “One of the best feelings is seeing my clothes on people in the street,” she admits.
New Lines NY is available at 3rd and B’Zaar, at 191 East 3rd St. More info at 3rdandbzaar.com and on Instagram at @newlinesny.
