Behind a heavy, unassuming metal door on the oddly curving lane that is Minetta Street is where you'll find Ordinary Eternal Machinery: a location just a few steps off the beaten path, a door subtly marked with neon graffiti, and inside, a space full of thoughtfully curated art, bohemian accessories and luxe sea-inspired playwear.
Everything about it feels almost laughably appropriate for Thaddeus O'Neil's first brick-and-mortar—not surprisingly, as the designer's thoughtful psychedelic vibe pulses through everything he touches.
From the bright pink neon sign declaring his name to the vibrant pink-and-yellow fabric sourced on a recent trip to India shielding the raw industrial ceiling above, the space feels like an extension of his recent NYFW:M shows. Playful bohemian energy emanates from everything O'Neil personally curated for the living room-like space, like Christopher Tennant's glass-encased LED-lit taxidermy bird and hand-drawn scribbles of surfers on the wall, drawn just last week by Gordon Harrisson Hull, the same artist behind the colorful abstract artworks that surround. It's all for sale, as are the Mr. Leight sunglasses that just so happen to pair perfectly with O'Neil's unisex clothing.
In sum, it's an immersive shop to experience his most recent collection, a line of comfortable loungewear like tie-dye linen t-shirts and mesh hoodies you might find on a beach bum with a deep wallet and eye for detail. Stop by sometime. Meet the man himself. Head into a fitting room strung with marigolds and try on a pair of cotton pants inspired by Leonard Cohen’s Beautiful Losers (his inspiration behind the whole line) and see if something speaks to you. Or if you speak to it. Or...okay yeah, I think we just got lost in the Thaddeus O'Neil-ness of it all.
Ordinary Eternal Machinery, now open, 3 Minetta St (between Bleecker and Minetta Ln), see the slideshow
