• by Kelly Samardak , July 9, 2010

Threadless And Havaianas Limited Edition Design Launch, Havaianas Showroom, New York
July 8, 2010

When I got the invitation to cover the Threadless and Havaianas flip-flop special edition party, I hesitated. I mean, flip-flops, people. I didn't want The Big Boss to have a sit-down with me about appropriate Just An Online Minute subject matter. But really, when aren't flip-flops relevant to our lives and work? Last night the Havaianas showroom was packed with tastemakers, culture creators, ridiculously talented artists, PR golden girls, a lifestreamer, and one randy couple...

The smell. Oh my god, the smell. It was something between waffles and crack. My nose led me to the source -- a sauce brush dabbing into clarified butter and swiping that yellow fatmaker onto a portable griddle. Plopped onto the now-sizzling swipes of sunny colored heaven were tiny buns. What went into those buns? Lobster and shrimp rolls from Red Hook Lobster Pound. I don't think I chewed my lobster roll -- it was magical. Alyssa Galella, the perfect date from M Booth and Associates, was into it, "but I have to stay loyal to Luke's."

So here's what happened. Threadless, a T-shirt shop built solely on the submissions of designs from artists and designers around the world who answer the call, teamed up with Havaianas, whose secret rubber recipe "makes the flip-flops as soft as marshmallows" to expand into accessories. Havaianas wanted to take a shot at crowd-sourcing their summer 2010 flip-flop designs. Everybody wins with this backscratching partnership, especially Singapore's Farhan Hassan and Chile's Alvaro Arteaga Sabaini, winners of the contest. Their designs join the freaking adorable "Cookie Loves Milk" by Jess Fink; "The Great Animal Hunt," an animal-themed crossword puzzle design, of course, by Ross Zietz; "It's Toile About You" by Emmy Cicierega; and "Living in Harmony" by Josh Perkins. Alyssa and I gushed over every design, they were all so clever, fun, and happily colorful (or just happily black and white).

Something must have been in the water (or the wine), because this eclectic mess of people was radiating with good-natured chill. And not one conversation mirrored the other. For example, Rosie Siman's cluster revolved around, but was not limited, to ribs from Memphis's Rendezvous and the MTV Twitter Jockey contest. Cake's Billy Linker's time spent with Alyssa and me was more... behindally focused, with ascintillating discussion about ashrams and yoga flatulence. When I first met Billy Linker I thought his name was fake, like a "brand" thing, working on the Internet and all -- "you know, studies show that if your last name is actually something like 'dentist' you're more likely to become a dentist." Billy Linker has a better ring to it than Billy Proctologist, we decided.

On the other side of the room, we found the fancy pants-, well, shorts-, really, wearing Jennifer Wright, Deputy Editor of TheGloss.com -- and this is where Alyssa comes in with her perfect date-ness. She was up to speed on the Jezebel feminist fisticuffs that went down about "The Daily Show" being sexist, which turned into a Team Jezebel vs. Team Emily Gould battle of pen, or keyboard. And it probably won't end there. I wasn't all up ins, so I'm pretty sure I just contributed daft noise to that conversation, which then turned to large Editors-At-Large like André Leon Talley, who we agreed can do what he damn well pleases.

I also found Lilit Marcus, Editor in Chief at TheGloss.com. I think the last time I saw her was at Digital DUMBO almost a year ago (or more!)m and look at her now -- her blog "Save The Assistants" has been turned into book, in stores in August. It must be so thrilling to hold a thick book in your hands with your name shooting across the cover. Good on her, she's humble, hard-working, and fun as hell to talk to.

I also met Flavorpill's Alex Gamlin. It was a bit of a "thanks for helping me when I moved to NYC" moment. When I arrived I spent quite a few weekend at home just not sure where to go, what to do. A friend suggested I subscribe to Flavorpill's NY email newsletter and I did. Into my inbox came lists of wacky, wild, artsy-fartsy, counterculture things to do. Granted, I may not have done all of them, but it really exposed me to the non-Upper-East-Side slices of Manhattan life.

Who else who else? Oh, I met Nicole Lando of Alison Brod Public Relations; Tiffany Reo, personal wardrobe stylist, who gave me the OK on whatever the heck it is I'm doing with my style; and Mikey Rox, Creative Director of Paper Rox Scissors -- and wearer of a deliciously sherbet-colored plaid shirt. I also talked beachballs and party buses with Thrillist's Senior Editor Hayden Lynch and NY Editor Andrew Zimmer. They were joined for a photo by Thrillist founder Adam Rich.

Communication Strategist Damien Basile was also peering at flipflops, sporting his toned down, laid back, super chill summer look (if you know Damien, you know he's always slicked back, in black, with a bit of a smile-snarl). With Damien was his gal, Christina Coster, an event planner. Toward the end of the event, Megan Alagna, COO of lifestream collection NonSociety.com, and Meghan Asha, blogger at NonSociety.com, popped in -- as well as the spritely Red Bull personified Faris Yakob, Chief Innovation Officer at MDC Partners.

Also? It should be noted that Jess Fink might be one of the coolest chicks I've ever met. I mean, her blog is titled "Jess Likes Poop", and one of her designs is a bossy Lil Soap. And - her earrings were rollergirls that she crafted out of shrinkydinks. I DARE you to challenge her coolness. She wins.

Big thanks to Cake Group's Bea Villamor for the invitation that saved me from my sweltering apartment!

Photos are up on Flickr, with many more to come!