Take Her Word for It

A combination of by-appointment showroom and workshop, The Space is presided over by a couple of gents who somehow manage to cut exceedingly dapper figures while still sporting hands dirty from manual labor: Helio Ascari, crafter of showstopping Ascari Bicycles, and his Brazilian-in-arms Max Poglia, smith of both metal and leather.

Because very rarely does a spot come along in which you could blindly throw a rock and hit an item you should 100% own. Items, it bears noting, a fella can’t get anywhere else in NYC. Highlights include:

• Ascari Bicycles: Gorgeous hand-built two-wheelers featuring frames wrapped in leather and bedecked with intricate metal filigree and precious stones. Think a Game of Thrones sword in bicycle form.
• Poglia: Jaw-dropping knives with blades forged from reclaimed plow discs in Poglia’s native Brazil, featuring glossy handles of wood and horn? Check. Weather-patinated leather totes that get better with age? Check. The handsomest damn corkscrew we’ve ever laid eyes on? Check.
• AS65: So simple you could probably do it at home: just take a vintage military parka, cover the exterior in custom embroidery and intricate patchwork, then line the entire thing in fox and rabbit fur. Yes, we were kidding about the DIY part. But not when we say that these coats from Ascari and Poglia’s third partner Alessandro Squarzi will stop traffic on a city street.
• Osklen: Modish surf-inspired gear straight from the beaches of Brazil. From swimmers with razor tailoring to eye-popping fish skin slip-on sneakers, we’re betting that if it’s good enough to turn female heads on Ipanema, this gear should have little trouble doing the same here.
• Fortela: Any gent who has ever seen a photo of several impossibly cool cats cruising the streets of Florence during Pitti Uomo and thought to himself “where the hell do these guys get this stuff?” would do well to check out Fortela. Tailoring as leisurely as an Italian summer, with luxe fabrics from washed linen to buttery leather.
• Richard Haines: The Space also features a rotating gallery corner to spotlight the work of different artists. Currently: gorgeous originals from world-renowned fashion illustrator Richard Haines, who’s done work for everyone from Prada to Lanvin.

Poglia, on achieving timeless style:

“Style, to me, is a collage of the life you’ve experienced; the places you’ve lived, the people you’ve met, your biggest inspirations and failures, the choices you make each day. When buying something, I always look for the history behind it. I love vintage pieces; I like to buy things that have lived a ‘past life.’ And even new things that have a story, or process, that made them what they are. I seek that out, because that’s where you find the real treasure.”

Ascari on the importance of craftsmanship:

“As a craftsman, my choices for both dressing and decorating have a lot to do with quality of craftsmanship and design. I appreciate everything that is handmade, I certainly seek out for the uniqueness that talented craftsmen around the world bring into my life.”

99 Scott Ave.
thespace-nyc.com