20 things that caught my eyes this week
a heart-to-heart about life in NYC, taffeta, Chelsea art galleries, Work Heights, & spring fashion pickups
April has been such a fun, eventful month, and I want to continue sharing what I’ve been up to (to continue with what I’ve been sharing in the past couple of weeks, because I want YOU to know it first from me!). May and June are already set to be busy. Being busy is good, and I don’t think I can get to do what I’m doing until this day without your support. So thank you! It’s our free week this week, so I hope you enjoy all the recommendations.
Here’s a list of everything that caught my eyes this week!
I came across this post while scrolling on my Substack home page this week (one of my favorite activities to browse for ideas as of late! I’m really not a Pinterest girl, but I’m a Substack girl through and through!).
This reminded me of the conversation I had with a very close friend of mine not too long ago, about the idea of me potentially having to leave NYC. My 4th year is coming up, and I‘ve already signed the lease for my current apartment for another year. I know 2025 is going to be a make-it or break-it year for me, and I’ve hinted a couple times on here before that I’m really nervous about my future. It seems like the common next step, to move out and away from the city, just like everyone else when they want to build a family, be back and closer to their family, expand their home base, or be a home owner, etc.
At the time, I told my friend that ‘An would die,’ and she immediately said ‘maybe, NYC An would die.’ But I followed up with this one truth that I didn’t think I had shared it to anyone before. I told her that I lived my pre-NYC life wishing my days away, and I had always given half-ass effort in everything I did. I think my family and friends knew, but most of them thought that was because I was trying to get over my 4+ year relationship or I was just going through things. I looked depressed, and I was complaining about everything. My truth was that I knew the location I was living wasn’t for me, the people I met weren’t my kind of people, and the job I was working at wasn’t what I dreamed of doing. So I just existed. I wanted to leave so badly, but I knew I had to stay patient for some years.
For me, change always had something to do with my physical location, and I knew that I had that choice when I was very young. I’d try my best and work hard for the things that I wanted. I asked for help. Growing up, I’ve always hated hearing people telling me what I should or should not do with my life, and I never listened. I carved my own life path, and to me, it’s just more fun, not traditional but creative and free. To be honest with you, my life in NYC isn’t perfect, but it’s good. I know it could be better if I made a ton of money though.
These days, I wake up feeling this tremendous gratitude because I’m living in my favorite city doing what I love. Most importantly, I’ve found peace throughout this process, and it’s peaceful here, physically and mentally. I have a supportive family and close friends, not a ton but good quality ones who would make time to hang or catch up even after years of being apart. Maybe my friend was right that leaving NYC wouldn’t be that bad of an idea. Right now, not yet. There are still so much more that I can do and want to do while I’m in NYC. I feel like my career has just started, and I wouldn’t imagine being anywhere else than here. With that said, I’m considering all of the possibilities, and I trust that I will know when my time comes. I will be crystal clear!
Shopping
After a long career in retail, Chan Luu, a Vietnamese-born designer, established her namesake brand in 1996. I’ve heard of the brand and seen her jewelry before but recently started seeing so many people tagging her clothing pieces like this cardigan, this tote (red color is sold out), and these pants. Thought I’d share because I love giving shout-outs to fellow Vietnamese creatives, designers, and brand founders.
I keep seeing a lot of brands using taffeta to make pants and shirts, and I love the subtle sheen and how it’s lightweight. Taffeta is a crisp, smooth, plain woven fabric made from silk, nylon, cupro (a type of rayon), acetate, or polyester. Not sure about how well it washes or wears, but I think it’s such an effortless and chic fabric.
You can click to expand each image for a full picture or each item.
left: DONNI 100% silk simple pants; middle: DONNI 100% silk cargo pants; right: Chan Luu 100% polyester barrel pants
left: DONNI lady jacket ; middle: DONNI split top; right: Chan Luu cardigan
For spring and summer this year, I finally caved and bought this brown raffia woven tote from COS. Code SPRING2025 took off 20% for me, but you could also get 10% with a new email sign-up. Mango is offering 20% everything (last day is today, Friday 4/18 - use code EXTRA20, $220 minimum + free shipping).
left: MANGO maxi tote; right: COS mini tote
The best and most-worn swimsuit has got to be this seersucker one-piece in white that I bought from Matches Fashion (RIP to the best retailer!). It looks good in-person on many body types and photographs beautifully. And since, I’ve been on the hunt for a black swimsuit that’s just as good, maybe one with a tiny spaghetti strap with a smooth matte fabric. Currently, I have this one-piece and this bikini top and matching bottoms on my SS25 wishlist.
I have to mention these Chinese or mandarin styled tops because I start seeing more people in them.
left: Rohe wool-blend jacket; right: Rohe silk top
I wouldn’t say that it’s a trend but rather a traditional classic that inspires some designers and brands to come up with a ‘modern’ version. For many people people in China and in Vietnam, it’s the style of clothes that’s so normal in their everyday life. In Vietnam, we call it ‘Áo bà ba’, and it literally translates to a top worn by a woman, more commonly from the south of Vietnam. However, it refers to the top and the matching bottoms, made from flow-y breathable satin or silk fabric, both loosely cut. If you’re in Vietnam, you’d know that pre-made Áo bà ba or mandarin-style tops like these are being sold everywhere. But you have to stop by Xeo Xo and check out all of the modern Áo bà ba styles if you’re in Saigon or Hanoi. It’s cheaper to buy it there than to have it shipped to the US or anywhere in the world.
Suede bags and suede jackets continue to dominate the fashion world even when the weather is rising. My two stand-out picks for this week are below!
I have so many white T-shirts, but I don’t have any navy and red ones. And I want both!
left: Leset T-shirt; right: Redone T-shirt
Tribeca Art Galleries
I spent a day perusing all of the art galleries in Chelsea this week, solo, and I had a lot of fun. Sharing some favorites, but you’ll see more on this Sunday vlog #72.
Pace Gallery - 540 W 25th St, New York
David Zwirner - 525 W 19th St, New York & @davidzwirnerbooks
Gagosian - 555 West 24th Street, New York
Marianne Boesky Gallery - 507 & 509 W 24th St, New York, New York 10011
Gallery Henoch - 555 W 25th St Ground Floor, New York. Landscapes (A Group Show) April 10 - May 3, 2025.
14. Lisson Gallery - 508 W 24th St, New York
Beauty
I thoroughly enjoyed the luxurious 90 minute of relaxing time while I had this Glass Skin Ginseng Collagen Mask from Peach & Lily (*PR) on. It’s got 40g of serum (like a full bottle in one mask!), 2% ginseng, vegan collagen complex, and 25 potent ingredients. My skin never looked and felt better. It was visibly plump, hydrated, and glowy. If you’re looking for a mask for a night of pampering yourself (and you can go to sleep with it!), you have to give it a try!
NYC Shops
I finally got to check out Beverly’s Shop, owned by Beverly Nguyen, this week. They’re always closed when I’m in the Lower East Side. They have a pretty cool curation of Asian-inspired home things that’s fun to look at but wouldn’t normally buy (because they price things pretty high!). I would if there’s something I know I can’t get anywhere else and to support small businesses. For example, the soft broom, seen in middle picture, is sold for $35, and it’s what we use to sweep the floor with in Vietnam. So $35 is crazy!
Cafe Regular - Park Slope. I live for anything with this cute of a storefront like it would be my dream to own a small and cute cafe just so I can make it all cute like this. On rainy days, it just looks like it comes straight from a scene in a movie. One of many reasons why I love living in NYC!
Favorite closer-to-skin/under-garments
The best bodysuit for warm weather award goes to this ballet boatneck style from Commando. It’s incredibly soft, stretchy, and seamlessly comfortable.
If you’re looking for supportive bras, underwears with coverage (like thongs vs. granny panties kinda coverage), and body solution shapewears, then look into Honeylove. I got to try their shapewears and bras last week, and I’d have to say they were great if you’re looking for all of the above. I have small boobs and would prefer to go with no bras and thongs (over anything with too much coverage!). After trying on a few Honeylove pieces, I understood the importance. I have friends and family members who would want supportive bras and prefer granny panties, so I will be telling everyone about them. I went with this bra to wear underneath T-shirt as it provides incredible support and lift on days when I want it (similar to what you could get from wearing a bra with the under-wires). If your skin-tone is similar to mine, then Sand is the perfect match. I also reach for these undies to wear with a comfy tank top or T-shirt to sleep, and they’re very comfortable with great coverage. The back goes up pretty high (so again, more coverage!).
Co-working Spaces
Lastly, in case you missed my IG reel this week, I shared about Work Heights, a network of 8 neighborhood co-working spaces in Brooklyn that I recently joined. I live a few blocks from one of their locations, and the rest is just a short train away. I love that I can pop in at anytime and any locations (and bring a friend to work), and it’s really nice getting a break from working at home or it’s especially nice on days when I don’t want to fight the crowd for a seat at a local overly crowded laptop-friendly cafe with unpredictable wifi speed.
At Work Heights, they offer pretty competitive rates for working professionals who are looking for a private office or personal desk with amenities such as back yards ( at Dean Street location, Boerum Hill, & Clinton Hill), podcast rooms (Bed Stuy & Williamsburg location), coffee and tea, meeting rooms (Williamsburg, Boerum Hill, Crown Heights), unlimited printing, secure package drop off, white boards (all locations).
Link to book a tour at Work Heights HERE or just tell Hayley or Sam that I’ve sent you!
Take care and see you on Youtube this Sunday!
An :x