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NYC Style: Artist Molly Crabapple

by Kimberly Rae Miller

Molly Crabapple
Borough/Neighborhood: Manhattan, Financial District
Profession: Artist

Molly Crabapple is a native New Yorker and caffeine addict. She's known for hyper-detailed, saucy Victorian illustrations for clients like DC Comics, Marvel Comics and The New York Times, as well as notorious nightclub The Box. Molly is also the founder of Dr. Sketchy's Anti-Art School, an alt-drawing salon with branches in over 100 cities around the world. She ran away to Paris at age 17 and figured things out from there.

How would you define your personal style?

I dress sort of like Joan Hollway, if Joan Holloway quit her job as an office manager to run off to Paris and dance burlesque. I tend to wear a mix of 50's inspired, tight waisted dresses and spangly cabaret accessories- sequined shrugs, feathered hairclips. Hell, I even have a headband with a giant bird on it.

Favorite item in you closet?

A green, chiffon, embroidered scarf I bought when I was a teenager haggling in Marrakech.

Are there any trends that you wish would just go away already? Styles you wish would come back?

I do not understand those hellacious slouchy booties that make your legs look like they're five inches. But I never follow trends, so to each their own.

Ruffs should totally come back.

Favorite Five in the Five Boroughs?

Enz's in the East Village for getting your fix of Stop Staring and other 50's repro designers.

Beacon's Closet in Williamsburg. I've found amazing skintight beaded dresses, battered Prada sandals and crinolines at just the right length- all for around twenty bucks a piece.

Alexander McQueen boutique for solid fondling and clothing lust. Every so often, if I have bank, I go there to no longer have bank, but instead a shiny skull to attach to myself.

John Fluevog for high, curvy, shockingly comfortable shoes for all seasons.

Conway and Strawberry because if you look you will find awesomely bizarre shoes and crocheted tights for $2 that are the same as the ones they sell at Urban Outfitters for $20.

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