LGBTQ+ Williamsburg Shopping
Published 07/10/2018
Williamsburg is one of NYC’s most renowned neighborhoods for fashion and design, a prime destination for LGBTQ+ shoppers. Fortunately, the area’s retail options match the demand with a wide selection of sophisticated, unusual, queer or just plain fun offerings. For some of our favorites, read our itinerary below.
1
Brave GentleMan
1
367 Graham Avenue
Designer and founder Joshua Katcher’s store is dedicated to ethical fashion, with vegan clothing made mostly in NYC’s historic garment district using recycled cotton and Turkish “future-silk” (made from recycled plastic bottles).
2
Bulletin
2
145 Wythe Avenue
Bulletin is your stop for feminist artwork, prints and pins from independent designers and artists. Here’s where you can get your “Future Is Female” T-shirt and “Smash the Patriarchy” notepads along with many more accessories and apparel from the playful to political.
3
Cult Party
3
53 Waterbury Street
This “intersectional feminist witchy collectively run boutique” (!) offers art, fashion and jewelry, as well as home goods and wellness items, including brilliant patches, pins, dresses, crystal pendants and eye-popping prints. They also feature a roster of events including art classes, clothing drives and pop-ups.
4
Desert Island
4
540 Metropolitan Ave
This shop carries ’zines, comics, graphic novels, artist’s books, posters, vintage prints and more. Browse their well-curated offerings and be sure to check out a copy of Smoke Signal, the free comics anthology regularly published by the store.
5
Drama Club
5
205 Nassau Ave
Owner Jack Sachs named his store the Drama Club because it’s the one club you never get turned away from. This inclusive philosophy drives his business and the creativity behind his clothes, a mix of quality apparel and lifestyle goods from around the world, including a roster of queer designers.
6
The Kinfolk Store
6
90 Wythe Ave.
This Williamsburg menswear retailer sells hard-to-find designers, strong coffee and eclectic cultural items from around the world, making it one of the most unique lifestyle stores in Brooklyn. Have a coffee while trying on brands like Wacko Maria, Stone Island, La Paz and Lewis Leathers.
7
Rough Trade
7
30 Rockefeller Plaza
Rough Trade is an irresistible music store, stocked with records, books, movies and magazines, with a small stage in the back for bands. The store also has a photo booth and a coffee shop, serving Brooklyn’s own Toby’s Estate.
8
Twenty Sided Store
8
280 Grand St
This store carries board games, role-playing games, puzzles, books and other geeky accessories, from Game of Thrones role-playing to Harry Potter keychains. Our favorite trinket: a button that reads “Your Jedi Mind Tricks Do Not Affect Me.”
9
Zero Waste Daniel
9
49 Bogart St
Daniel Silverstein is an eco-friendly designer who has created some of Brooklyn’s most chic designs from discarded materials and fabric scraps. His clothing line’s dedication to sustainability goes beyond recycled materials; the company’s policies on fair wages and local manufacturing have garnered it a cultlike following. (See our photo feature on him here.)