New York Minute
July marked my two-year anniversary in New York. I had visited New York before, but living here is something different entirely. The immediate shock of the city was something I was not expecting. New York moves fast. People move at an extreme pace, everyone thinks they are important, and they always have somewhere to be. I moved here as a fresh graduate, and I had to learn fast. The city is SO LOUD. There are sirens, constantly. Screaming, yelling, and the general hustle and bustle of city life.
I am currently working as an Interior Architectural designer, specialising in Store Design, with a demonstrated history in the retail and fashion industry. I live in Brooklyn, New York, working for Club Monaco (acquired by Ralph Lauren) as a Project Manager, in Store Design. I am in a place which most people in my life never saw me getting to. In fact, most people never thought I would graduate high school.
I was born and raised in Auckland, New Zealand. I lived in the countryside, and had a relatively “normal” upbringing. Once I got to high school things started to descend, rapidly. I had a very hard time with my behaviour and mental health, which greatly impacted my education and growth as an adolescent. Over time my teachers began to give up on me, and soon I started to too. I moved out of home, I struggled with my sexuality, and my depression started to take over. Most classes I was sent to the dean’s office - which turned out to be the best part of my day, believe it or not. This teacher saw something in me, that no single other person did. His unmatched kindness taught me to find the strength I needed to finish high school and guided me to see that life can be different. I would not be here today without him.
To everyone’s surprise, I graduated high school and went on to study Spatial Design at Massey University, where I graduated with honours. I took this degree and moved straight to New York to pursue my career as an Interior Architectural Designer.
As a professional in Store Design, I have worked for retail corporations such as Foodstuffs North Island and Club Monaco. I’ve undertaken a large range of projects, from small individual furniture items to large projects involving entire new supermarkets and retail stores. At Club Monaco, I am currently lead designer for all Asia projects, and assistant lead in all global projects. I enjoy having a mix of project sizes and types within my field – each project has different challenges, and offers varied opportunities to express my creativity in response.
No day is the same in New York. I take the subway from Brooklyn to Manhattan everyday, where you are surrounded by a rich mix of people. Dance performers, singers, perhaps a guy urinating in the corner, a lot of dogs and a bunch of angry Wall Street assholes rushing to get somewhere. I am cramped in a hot subway cart, scrambling for a seat at any chance I can get and desperately waiting for my stop. But I love it. The chaos is magic, and I am motivated by all the creative beings around me.
My weekends are spent exploring new cuisines, visiting the local dive bars, and escaping to the nearest beach (god I miss NZ beaches). Weekend getaways are the best. From hiking in the Adirondacks in upstate New York, to people watching in the Hamptons. There is an endless amount of things to do in New York – you have zero space for boredom.
Moving to New York has been so important for me. It’s a place that is known to embrace the underdogs of the world and give them a place to flourish. It is exhausting, chaotic and hard work. But in other ways, it’s beautiful and freeing - there’s no other place like it.
I am so grateful for the place I am in now, and for everyone I have met along the way. To the people that saw something in me, when I didn’t have much hope - thank you. I wouldn’t be here today without you. I hope my story can help other young people to believe in their capabilities, and know that there is always light at the end of the tunnel.