Hi Laura, please introduce yourself.

Hi! I’m Laura — I’m the founder and editor (and producer and social media manager and only employee) of the weekly shopping newsletter, Magasin. After years working as an Ecommerce Editor in mainstream media, I wanted to create a resource for people who shop and engage with fashion a bit more like me. Which is to say: impulsively, emotionally, joyfully, and never not moved by a good deal.

How would you describe your personal style?

A little this, a little that. There are so many days in the year and occasions to experiment with clothing and living, I struggle with defining a through-current. I’m inspired by my mother, my tasteful friends, miscellaneous Instagram accounts, the universes of my favorite designers (Maryam Nassir Zadeh, Y/Project, Prada, etc.).

What are some brands you've recently spotted?

Malte van der Meyden. Ok, so it’s not a recent sighting, but an important one nonetheless. Malte’s candles have been a major must-get since I discovered them last year and begged him to find a stockist Stateside so that I wouldn’t be stuck paying over 100% cost in shipping fees. No U.S. retailer has been wise enough to do so yet, but in writing this blurb I was reminded that a selection of Malte’s pieces got picked up by Voo Store Berlin, so I finally bit the bullet on a set of cornflower blue candles and urge any design freak to do the same.

Magniberg. In contrast to the stark, austere minimalism popular in Los Angeles and New York at the moment, in Sweden, crisp, clean lines hold bright colors essential. Magniberg’s bedding and un-frilly furniture let quality materials speak to their “seriousness” while they have a riot with shades of ultramarine, Happy Pink, and even silver. Reminds me a lot of Tekla, who I also love with my whole heart.

Stamatios Fragos. Stamatios is a young Montreal-based lighting designer whose wood-strip lamps I stumbled upon at the SSENSE sale and have already recommended to readers and friends twice.

Gohar World. I snuck an extra “spotted” onto this list because, even though it’s technically not launched yet, it’s drumming up the most anticipation. Helmed by two sisters, the food artist Laila Gohar and artist Nadia Gohar, and yet unclear what exactly the brand/service/hospitality project will entail, we do know that it is heavily influenced by Old World lace and Arabic delicacies. Whatever it is, it’s sure to be a treat for the eyes and taste buds alike.

What's a brand you've recently tested?

What else is in your current rotation? (i.e. a hangout spot, a hobby, a recipe, anything!)

My partner Nir is the chef mastermind behind the restaurant concept ETI, and being a part of its evolution is among the most exciting undertakings of my life. It’s been a pop-up, a residency, an art installation, a dinner party, a community, and now we’re putting things into motion for future iterations: a brick-and-mortar, a weekend retreat, a newfangled bed and breakfast. I’ve never met anyone who thinks about food or the experience of dining the way he does, and it’s a full-body buzz to play my little part in making that vision come to life.

Who are some spotters in your community that you look to for new things?

Tal Silberstein of Colbo, a store in the Lower East Side, has a great eye for own-for-a-lifetime menswear and works really, really hard to prop up newer brands that don’t have the following yet but who he sees as having great potential.

Gia Kuan runs a boutique PR agency based in New York and has managed to snap up some of the most exciting brands, both total newcomers and more established pillars of the fashion and lifestyle communities (Telfar, for instance). She’s got a clear eye, and I like to keep up with who she’s investing her energy in, because their names almost always start showing up everywhere else I look.

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