Tag Archives: Startups

ZHU: 100% Handmade And Hand-Stitched In France

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ZHU is a simple and classy style curation. It’s a haute-couture house whose elegant traditions married millennial attitude. They fit bespoke designs 100% handmade and hand-stitched in France.

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UNFORTUNATELY THIS BRAND IS PERMANENTLY CLOSED!

We talked to Zhuorui Fu, founder of ZHU to learn more about her entrepreneurial journey, her continuously growing collection based on sustainability and her short and long term plans!

Take a look below:


Tell us a bit about you, where you’re from, your back ground, what you worked with? How you ended up in NYC?

My name is Zhu. I am a Chinese girl born and raised in Shenzhen, a young mega metropole of my age and the technological hub of the East, until I was 17. Before that, I exchanged to California, New York, and Finland.

From 17 onwards, I went to school at St. Andrews, which is the alma mater of Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Because my Bachelor’s Degree was a joint-degree, I went to William & Mary in Virginia for two years. I got two diplomas from two schools within four years.

After that, I also went to UPenn for a Master’s Program. In between, I studied in France and went traveling, volunteering, studying in many countries for quite a bit.

I technically came to NYC before I went to University. Not the typical obedient student and born an urbanite, I was never into coursework and was always in the mega cities, London, New York, and Paris, when I was in school in Scotland, Virginia, and Philadelphia.

Being an ‘outsider’ entrepreneur, how has your journey in NYC been and what are the biggest challenges you find?

Since I came to NYC a while ago, NYC scenes were not unfamiliar to me. The entirety of my life is spent in the mega cities, so I am used to the fast-pace, sharpness, internationality, pollution, rudeness, in New York. It helped refine my edges and that coolness as a millennial working in a creative environment. Nevertheless, since I studied in Europe and was soaked in an intelligentsia environment, my taste tends to be more diverse.

NYC has been a blessing. In NY, I was always connecting with people I met from my schools, projects, people in the cafés, etc. Not all of my projects work out and many of them died, but whenever I want to work on something, NYC gives me hopes and resources.

The biggest challenge is surely the price. When I was in school, I had family’s supports. That was one of the major reasons I could afford a good education. After school, I had to rely on myself. NYC price is abnormal for a graduate unless he or she is working on a corporate job. For penniless entrepreneur, it is very difficult to afford anything in NY.

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What’s ZHU about? How do you apply sustainability to your brand and your mission?

ZHU is a simple and classy style curation. It’s a haute-couture house whose elegant traditions married millennial attitude. We fit bespoke designs, 100% handmade and hand-stitched in France. It’s haute-couture, with products created by customization and small batches each cycle and never again, using vachette, the calfskin, from Italy.

ZFC is an ethical slow fashion brand. I do not feel comfortable using alligator skin or something. It champions a good style and taste, not necessarily fashion, by doing and having good investment pieces, to create that millennial timeless being.

I am a vegetarian and practice yoga since I was 14. Mother Nature, fair treating to people, are all very important to me and the brand.

Specifically, how ZFC carries out the mission, it came from below pillars.

First, ZFC only uses recyclable and perishable materials, with exceptions of collaborations with Zero Waste Daniel, who has already recycled parts of the synthetic wastes. I am not a big fan of plastics despite transparent plastics have been quite fashionable lately. We use leathers called vachette, which is the calfskin of cattle that is slaughtered as meat. Leather, paper boxes, cottons are the majority of the materials we. They are long-lasting, but they are naturally perishable if buried in soils.

Second, I knew my maker partner Roberto when I was studying French, in Nice. In fact, I lived right above his atelier. He dyed everything with homemade natural coloring. There are no chemical dyes that go into water and contaminate water, like many suppliers do when they make mass-produced garments.

Third, Roberto makes everything and he is well paid.

Lastly, fashion fades, style does not, as Yves Saint Laurent said: “Having a distinctive and cultivated style is already remarkably sustainable”.

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How do you see ZFC fit into NYC’s fashion scene?

It fills in the haute-couture for young people, and does not chase the ever-changing trend.

NY’s fashion is very diverse. You can find all range of fashion because this is the ultimate fashion heaven. Nevertheless, NY’s fashion scene came to prominence only after war, when the American apparels gradually took European style to the mass, with the help of big department stores’ orders. In another word, NYC’s fashion can be very modern and street-culture inspired. NYC is a young city with almost 70% of the population under 45.

My line is a classic haute-couture line that calls for multidimensional awareness of style, through reading, traveling, and loving. It is not necessarily luxurious, but it is heavier in value. It fits with NY’s history of high fashion and dense art scene. They are also sustainable pieces that New Yorkers like. It does not fit into the wasteful part, superficial aspect, and the pursuit of forever new, of NYC culture and NYC fashion.

For me, cherishing what we carefully purchased, created, and loved is important. If this goes in another route from the NY mainstream, I am fine to not follow the crowd.

Nevertheless, the line combines my taste, the one of a globally educated millennial, and the Franco-Italian traditions of Roberto. My take on the styling and details of ZFC comes from our current epoch. They are classy and traditional by looks, but inherently cool.

What are your top 3 styling tips for New Yorkers?

Colorful and simple accessories to suit the permanent black garments.

Wear the worldly cultures proudly on ourselves. New Yorkers tend to have history and roots besides NY. Those pieces from elsewhere are great additions to the big NY style and they are what make us different!

Work less, chase less, enjoy life, read a book, listen to music, appreciate arts, cherish the finiteness of life in the material cornucopia. Manners and passions are the ultimate fashion.

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Which is your bestseller item?

Val. This is a small cross-body coming in a very irreplaceable cute shape. Female customers like this bag a lot. It can host a book or a water bottle.

Vincent the wallet, Arcobaleno bracelets, and L’Animal, the endangered animals-inspired keychains are also popular for the lower price points, easy look, and cute stories.

Where can people find ZFC, besides online? You mentioned about a few pop-up stores in NY – which/where are they?

We do more among acquaintance circle, for many customers want certain parts to be customized. In addition, we also do online, but definitely trying to do more. We put on events that are, for now, seasonal. For example, we had partnership with Camaraderie in NYC and Persian Women in Tech.

We do high-profile events, which are in talks and will be updated momentarily. We look to do more collaborations and be taken into concept stores, businesses, or even retailers at small batches.

What are your upcoming plans for the brand? Collaborations?

First, I want more people to know about the brand and our sales need to come up. We look to more collaborations with local businesses that have physical stores and great concepts.

Second, I do look to do more lines for the brand. Now we focus on accessories, but ZHU is a millennial curation about elegance and style, not a bag brand. I want to introduce maybe ready-to-wear, maybe contemporary lines, that fit into the pronounced aesthetics and ethical believes. Or books, or classes, or yoga, or something that compliment customers’ taste and make them happy. I may also want to explore more topics that have always perplexed me, life, death, balance, etc.

Third, I would love to have pieces that challenge the status quo. For example, the Made in China image. I have seen great designer and makers in China. Made in China has a bad connotation because many products are massively produced at a high environment cost. However, it does not mean for all the products. I know amazing haute-couture designs that have supplied the emperors or have been handmade the same way for hundreds of years with passions and a supreme quality. I would want to do that.

Lastly, I want to contribute to gender parity. Most of the fashion lines, whether womenswear or menswear, are led and owned by men, while most of the entry jobs in fashion are filled by women. I will be very happy to do menswear and figure out ways to bring sustainability into this.

Can you tell about the collaboration with Zero Waste Daniel? We are huge fans and did a great interview with him a while back.

Yes, Daniel is great. There was a point I lived in Williamsburg right next to Daniel’s store. I walked pass his store multiple times and had always been inspired by the mysteriously awesome designs from the outside. One day I decided to walk in and was immediately greeted by warm reception of the staff beside the sewing machine. Fewer things at a sustainable way have always been a belief of mine. He makes clothes from scraps, which is just a good innovation itself. The pieces look very Brooklyn chic.

I approached him and asked him if he would want to collaborate. We sat down and he told me his story, of how he started at fairs selling a few pieces. He said it was “very hard” at the beginning. After years, he now made it into a beautiful store.

In New York, you can always find overnight success stories of some hotshot designers, but most of the people don’t have their businesses like this. In fact, doing business from scratch when you have limited resources is very difficult. People just don’t really care about you or your products. I was just beginning my business and my business looked very dodgy when I met him. He was very happy to help and designed our brand three exclusively fitted pieces in red, blue, and grey, for the passions, sorrows, and neutrality of a typical start-up story, I guess.

No need to say, Daniel is a super sweetheart and has great smile.


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Zhu is the founder of ZHU a simple and classy style curation based in New York, London, and Paris. ZFC makes bespoke, sustainable, and chic haute-couture pieces 100% handmade in France and USA.


Photo Credit: Courtesy of ZHU
*Last Update on March/2020.*

Why Launching Your Startup in NYC is a Good Idea

Curiosities City Secrets Why Launching You Startup In NYC Is A Good Idea Rob Bye

The tech industry in New York City is booming and there are many reasons why launching your startup in NYC is a good idea!

Curiosities City Secrets Why Launching You Startup In NYC Is A Good Idea Taton Moise

The tech industry in New York City is booming with Silicon Alley currently ranking at number 2 in the country behind Silicon Valley.

During 2016, a mere 421 New York-based tech companies managed to raise $9.5 billion in funding with many NYC startups becoming extremely successful. In terms of net dollars, Silicon Valley may still be ahead but the NYC tech ecosystem is actually expanding at a faster rate.

As far as the availability of investment sources are concerned, NYC enjoyed a 36% of the total US start-up funding in 2017 with an excess of 290 investors backing 1333 business initiatives.

If you are looking for a place for your tech startup NYC should, without a doubt, be on the top of your list for a myriad of reasons such as the following.


New York City has an energy unlike any other

There is no denying that, despite relatively high living-costs, NYC is simply a great place to work and live.

The vibe in and around NYC is unlike any other in the world, bursting with the possibility of everyone seeking to fulfill the American Dream. The city is home to a number of key industry players, something a tech start-up can only benefit from.

It is also easy to find good co-working spaces, such as those rented out by WeWork, which are ideal for entrepreneurs, startups and community groups alike.

Thanks to the advancements in cloud technology, most startups don’t require immediate server specialization, making working from a co-working space or even an internet café a completely viable option.


The tech ecosystem is exceedingly healthy

NYC is home to a large number of venture capitalists such as Erik H. Gordon (CEO of ErGo Ventures LLC), and many more who have strong ties to the city.

Angel investors and angel groups are also commonplace, as are the more than 30 start-up incubators and accelerators that will provide your company with funding, mentorship maintenance as well as invaluable access to possible investors and consumers.

Over recent years a number of tech start-ups, of which Zocdoc is a prime example, have flourished in the city. Zocdoc is an online platform that is dedicated to providing users with an improved all-around healthcare experience.

Currently valued at approximately $1.8 billion, Zocdoc makes use of technology to facilitate everything from diagnosis to treatments and payments – a concept that has made them one of the highest-ranked NYC tech startups ever.


The city boasts exceptional diversity in terms of talent

When compared to Silicon Valley-based companies, the NYC tech scene is far more diverse with up to 40% of the city’s tech employees being female and a fifth being individuals of color.

The general talent pool in New York is extremely diverse with engineers and economists casually rubbing shoulders with designers, medical technicians, and trendy creatives.

According to renowned US businessman Michael Bloomberg, New York’s engineering school is projected to produce up to 400 new companies in its first 30 years. He highlights the immense potential the diverse student population of NYC possesses.


While you are by no means limited to two choices (Silicon Valley vs Silicon Alley), when it comes to finding the right location for your tech startup, the benefits of picking NYC speaks for itself.

All you need is a great idea, a bit of ingenuity and a whole lot of determination to have as good a chance as any to make it in one of the most prolific cities of the world.


Guest Writer: Cindy Trillo
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Rob Bye and Taton Moise

Katie Perry Tells Where The Cool StartUp Entrepreneurs Hang

Curiosities Insider Interviews Katie Perry

Katie Perry, Director of Marketing at Crowdtap and 10x marathoner shares with us the places where the cool startup entrepreneurs hang out! Surely, some of the best NYC hot spots!

Curiosities Insider Interviews Katie Perry

Our Contributor, Arielle Crane, interviewed Katie Perry, Director of Marketing at Crowdtap – an Inc. 5000 tech company that was recently named “The Best Social Media Tool” by the Shorty Awards.

When she’s not at her startup’s NoHo HQ, she can be found (quite literally) running around the city.

Katie is a 10x marathoner – or causing trouble with her friends in Williamsburg.

Arthur’s Tavern

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“‘Dive’ is an understatement at Arthur’s Tavern: Everything smells like mildew, the toilets never work, and the décor hasn’t been updated since the Reagan presidency. The music, though! A tale talented house band sets the stage with classic R&B hits while you await the big show: Sweet Georgia Brown, a 80-year-old soul singer with pipes like Aretha.”

Founded in 1937, Arthur’s Tavern has some of the best live jazz and blues music. Every night of the week they host ‘live jazz, blues, rhythm & blues, and Dixieland jazz music’ and they don’t ask for a cover charge!

Hours:
Live jazz: 7pm-10pm, Tuesday through Saturday
Dixieland Jazz: Sunday & Monday 8pm-11pm, Sunday and Monday
Best of blues and R&B:Tuesday – Saturday from 9pm – 3am and Sunday & Monday from 11pm – 3am

Location: 57 Grove Street, West Village

www.arthurstavernnyc.com


El Cortez

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“One of the geniuses behind The Commodore and Pies & Thighs debuted this Mex-American haunt, El Cortez, last summer, conveniently located two blocks from the Morgan Avenue’s L stop. The restaurant’s giant totem pole looks absolutely ridiculous against Bushwick’s post-industrial skyline, and that’s okay. Get the nachos – they’re 100 emoji status and SUPER hot – and pick your poison off a lengthy drink menu. Karaoke kicks off at 10 p.m. on Tuesdays.”

Founded by Stephen Tanner, El Cortez is located in one of the artsy streets in Bushwick. Besides the restaurant, you can find a dance floor and a bar upstairs, if you decide to extend your night.

No cover charged and you do have to be over 21 to get in.

Hours: Daily from 4pm through 4am

Location: 17 Ingraham Street, Bushwick

http://elcortezbushwick.com


Mulberry Street Bar

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“At a first glance Mulberry Street Bar looks like your standard Little Italy bar-slash-pizza kitchen, but something magical happens here on Friday nights. A regular crowd of straight outta Sicily karaoke enthusiasts fills the gingham-covered tables and belt out crooner hits from Dean-o and Old Blue Eyes. Watch out for Sonny – the most incredible karaoke performer you ever did see. The brick oven pizza isn’t too shabby, either.”

Founded in 1908, Mulberry Street Bar is one of the oldest bars in New York City.

It has hosted a few of Hollywood’s favorite movies like: Donnie Brasco, The Sopranos, Law & Order and Contract on Cherry Street with Frank Sinatra.

Décor is practically the same as when it opened, with a few modern twists.

Location: 176 Mulberry Street, Little Italy

www.facebook.com/MulberryStBar


The Globe NYC

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“If being “basic” is a thing, why not embrace it in the most ironic way possible? The Globe NYC, a typical bro bar most nights, is a gem late night on Saturdays. Check your bougie attitude at the door and bring a high-energy squad to dance the night away to terrible Top 40 – because even hipsters can appreciate the occasional Pitbull banger.”

The Globe NYC is an old-school Irish pub, since 1886, with a fireplace featuring Guinness and other drafts, plus pub grub.

They have Burger & Brew for $12 from Mondays – Fridays, until 4pm.

Plus, every Tuesday night from 8pm – 11pm, they have a Live Irish Folk Jam Music!

Oh! Wanna host your party there? They have a new craft bar and event space called The Green Room. Go check it out.

Location: 158 East 23rd Street, NoMad

http://theglobeny.com


Tech Day NYC: For Entrepreneurs, Investors And Startups

Our Experts Recaps Tech Day NYC 2016

Yesterday we attended an awesome event called Tech Day NYC where we met amazing entrepreneurs, powerful investors, influential press and so much more!

Our Experts Recaps Tech Day NYC 2016
Photo Credit: Tumotech

Tech Day NYC hosted over 30,000 attendees and 550 companies in yesterday’s event in New York City. They are the largest startup event in the US attracting a very unique and powerful crowd. Plus, it’s surely one of the top value-driven startup events today.

The mission?

“TechDay produces events to help startups learn, grow, hire and gain investment. Our events bring together thousands of consumers, the highest caliber investors, hordes of press, the most sought after talent, and amazing community members.”

Tech Day happens not only in New York city, but also Los Angeles and London.

Besides putting together a fantastic event where start ups are able to meet and engage with investors, accelerators and press, they have a great online community.

There, they share different “How To’s” posts, they list all the previous start ups that have exhibited with them, and still, they write articles about the industry, upcoming trends and other relevant topics!

Some NY-based start ups that we have seen this last Tech Day NYC were:

    • Komeeda: Our friends are rockin’ the foodie universe
    • Hotels by Day: They are transforming the hospitality business
    • DigitalNYC: The official online hub of the New York City startup and technology ecosystem
    • NYC Kegs: On demand keg delivery in NYC
    • .nyc Registry: The Official Web Address for New Yorkers
    • NY Drawing Booth: Sophisticated event portraiture hand-drawn on iPads
    • NYU Incubators: One of the first incubators in New York
    • Breather: A network of beautiful spaces that you can unlock on-demand, to work, meet, and focus
…and so many other fantastic companies!

Stay tuned for their upcoming events and be sure to sign up quickly. Tickets sell fast!

We surely recommend!

https://techdayhq.com


Photo Credit: Courtesy of Tumotech

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