When my sister and I were first designing the Vosges Haut Chocolat boutique we obsessed over a vintage, automated dry cleaning rack. Keep in mind at the time we did not even sell tee shirts, but we knew we would. And, seriously, how cool would it be for little boxes of chocolate and all things Vosges Haut Chocolat to be on this rack. The possibilities were endless…

Time passed, the boutique was near completion, a choice was made between an espresso machine and the rack. The espresso machine won. One year later, we started designing the Las Vegas boutique. This time we had limited edition leather jackets, hand screened organic tee shirts, trench coats and more. Of course, why not have a vintage, automated dry cleaning rack. And let’s find one that fits in a 4′ x 4′ space. {ha!} Well, that joke is on me.

Hours turned into days, days turned into months, months turned into years… the dream of the dry cleaning rack grew more faint. All the dry cleaning stores in all of Manhattan would taunt me as I passed by. “Look at me. Look at me. I’m versatile. I’m mechanical. I’m just plain cool.”

And now, seven years later, an Urban Daddy email arrives in my inbox. My dream! Grahame Fowler has done it. I love it. I’m obsessed with it. I’m probably going to grab my bag, leave my office, run to his new boutique and purchase everything displayed on the rack. I wouldn’t put it past me to try to buy the rack itself.

the beauty of the dry cleaning rack

~ natalie