Walking down Lafayette Street in NOHO, there is a sense of the historic meeting the modern. From the historic Public Theater and La Grange Terrace, to the high energy cafe “La Colombe” and Soul Cycle, this section of NOHO caters to all different types of needs.
Included on this strip is Screaming Mimi’s, a vintage clothes boutique owned by Laura Wills. Established in 1989, “before they even coined the term NOHO,” in the space it occupies now (previously spending a couple of years across the street), the boutique witnessed the neighborhood of NOHO change from a “no mans land” to the other end of the spectrum.
“Back then it wasn’t the safest of neighborhoods,” explains Wills. “Now it’s 4 million dollar condos.”
But Screaming Mimi’s still stands tall, with racks of colorful clothing from previous decades. This burst of life becomes even more interesting when one learns that Wills had also opened another store in Tokyo, Japan. In the 80s, Wills explains that vintage clothing, which was popular in the United States, was on the same-level as designer clothing in Japan. After traveling to Japan as a stylist, Wills was blown away by Japanese fashion and felt that she had to open another store there. She kept the store there for 20 years before it was franchised and given to her trusted partner.
When asked about her favorite style or fashion trend, the Japanese designers of the 80s are at the top of the list.
“They were revolutionary at that time,” says Wills, “Those pieces are a part of fashion history.”
Now, Wills continues to work at her one-of-a-kind store. It stands as a little slice of history within the ever-changing New York City landscape; a home for the fashion forward and for the fashion nostalgic.
©Danielle Elmers
Historic Downtown NYC 