My favorite retail discovery of late is an impossibly skinny storefront hidden on a grungy-sketchy block of far east Chinatown. Called Project No. 8, the boutique is an expertly curated mix of esoteric but totally wearable jewelry, stunningly smart fashions (including architectonic finds by cult faves Boudicca and Tom Scott), and a sprinkling of oddball-but-awesome designs objects. There’s not a lot on display, but you want to buy every last thing that is.

In search of inspiration, my better half and I wandered over this weekend for the second time, and were happy to discover that a repeat visit does not diminish the aura of intrigue this place exudes. The product that perhaps best summarizes the Project No. 8 sensibility is a series of humble bricks ($100) covered in knitted angora by Various Projects, Inc. Yes, you heard that right–bricks upholstered in sweaters. What do you use them for? That’s besides the point. An angora brick is so utterly unneccesary, yet once you lay eyes on it you cannot live without it…you become convinced that it’s the building block to a cooler, groovier, more fabulous life. —Jen Renzi

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