Deb Goldstein » Markets of New York

“To Market, To Market” with Your Markets of New York City Tote!

Well, you can’t very well go to the fabulous markets of New York City without a designer market tote, now, can you?

To help celebrate the launch of Markets of New York City: A Guide to the Best Artisan, Farmer, Food and Flea Markets, a team of highly skilled artisans and designers helped me produce this limited edition market tote. You can pick up an advance copy of the guidebook and a tote bag at the Brooklyn Lyceum Spring Food and Craft Market this weekend!

The guidebook uses little icons as a key to tell the reader what kind of market each one is – artisan, farmer, food, or flea. The icons were originally designed by Lauren Ruggeri, the brilliant graphic designer who created the entire book, including the cover that makes me so happy. We paid a lot of attention to the flea because my dad was a biologist who would have insisted on its having six legs, being an insect and all.

Using the original icons, the ever talented Miss Wit, Deb Goldstein of Miss Wit Designs, created the design for the market bag, which was then hand-printed in Red Hook, Brooklyn. The totes are 100% organic cotton, procured from Eco Bags, a NY-based company that “exist(s) to provide products, information and inspiration that help people reduce, re-use and recycle. Starting with the simple step of bringing your own reusable cloth bag to shop may seem trivial, but it creates a “mindset.” Like anything, the more people who take this simple step, the more it becomes the natural and right thing to do.”

I couldn’t agree more.

“Totes may come and totes may go, but this May, make sure to take your tote wherever you go.” ~Miss Wit

Miss Wit’s Industrial Light and Tragic T-Shirt Designs

I can appreciate a good funny t-shirt, except for the fellow I saw actually wearing his “I’m With Stupid” t-shirt in Paris. (His girlfriend was not amused.) When I see a really hysterical one, I’m happy to show my appreciation with a loud chuckle. The cleverest t-shirts I’ve seen in a long time come from Miss Wit, this week’s Vendor of the Week for the Brooklyn Lyceum’s Spring Food and Crafts Market.

If you spend a couple of minutes with Deb Goldstein, Miss Wit herself, you will understand her humor and great energy. The t-shirt that cracks me up the most says, “I can’t stop googling myself.” (But I’m too shy to wear it…) I also love her 1980’s music collection, including “Her name is Rio. She don’t need to understand,” and “Turn Around Bright Eyes.” Deb understands why the Beach Boys are funny too; her Black Flag/Beach Boys tee is one of her best sellers. Her “Ego Friendly” and “Mudflap Girl” designs are a must for today’s hippest fashionistas. Her Oscar’s tee, “…and I want to thank Harvey Weinstein,” struck a lot of people’s funny bones and was a runaway success.

All of Deb’s designs are her own, except for the Beach Boys Song Topics Venn Diagram (original design by Dan Meth) and the beautiful bird and branch designs by her mother. Her brother assists with the graphic design, but Deb learned Photoshop so that she could create more complex images. Some of her designs include “found” images and most are witty takes on popular culture. Her printing is done in Brooklyn.

I’ve posted her images of some of my favorite t-shirts, but you really have to go to Misswit.net to see them all. Or you can meet Miss Wit in person at the Brooklyn Lyceum Market on May 1 & 2! You’ll be glad you did!