The spirit of the season is about giving, and nowhere was that more celebrated than at Nico’s Closet 6, a 100% for-charity closet sale hosted by social media personality New York Nico (Nicolas Heller) and Shopify.
Earlier this month, attendees had the opportunity to shop new and used clothes at a discounted price at Shopify’s storefront, located at 131 Greene St. in SoHo, provided by Nico and over 15 other donors. Now in its sixth year, this year’s sale exceeded organizer’s expectations, raising $15,000, half of which will be used to purchase toys from local shops for children at local hospitals. The other half will be donated to Sugar Plum Sled, a small organization that helps give toys to underprivileged children in the city.
Heller’s ultimate goal for this year’s sale: make this holiday season special for our New York kids.
“It feels amazing; it’s what the holidays are all about; not to sound corny, but having friends and family here, people having a great time doing their holiday shopping, spending money for a good cause, and getting stuff that they might have in their closet forever,” said Heller.
The local toy shops include G R Stationary Store in Queens, Greenpoint Toys in Brooklyn, and Grandma’s Place in Harlem.
According to Shopify, over 500 people attended over the course of the day, and they were met with free pizza, cookies, hot cocoa, and even appearances from “Santy Claus,” played by Luke Manley and his elf, comedian Mario Bosco.
“Nico is one of the best guys I’ve ever met and, when he asked me to reprise the role of Santa this year, I was honored. The amount of money they raised for children’s charities is amazing and getting in the Christmas spirit and sharing smiles with everyone was the cherry on top!” said Manley.
Santa’s elf Bosco brought the holiday magic and energy to the sale, interacting with guests and playing salesperson to promote the great selection of items. Before opening he passed out hot cocoa to those waiting in line. “I made it in my North Pole shed!” he said with a wink.
If there’s one thing New Yorkers love, it’s a second-hand clothing sale, and if you couldn’t already tell, this was not your mother’s typical closet sale. These items were coveted and trendy, just the promise of some great finds had attendees lining up before doors even opened. In the past, Heller was the sole contributor to the sale, but every year has grown, with many of his influencer friends and designers wanting to contribute as well. Daniel Arnold, Eric Emanuel, Fantasy Explosion, and goods by father figure are just a handful of the donors this year.
The night before the sale, Heller likes to tease his audience with a sneak peek on Instagram Live of what to expect. “But there’s things that I don’t show, that are a little hidden, they gotta look for it, that are like super nice,” said Heller.
One attendee who picked up a “Katz’s Delicatessen” graphic tee said this was his 6th consecutive Nico’s Closet. He loves the array of New York items you can find every year, unique from anywhere else.
Another guest who brought their own copy of “New York Nico’s Guide to NYC” got a coveted signature from Heller himself and shared a sweet interaction.
“This is our tradition now, New York Nico’s closet!” she said to Heller.
