From Hue via Hugh to you!
Hugh Duthie was an account planner in the Toronto office from 1990-1994, and then in the New York office from 1996 to 1999. He left the agency world a couple of years ago, and set up a small company, Kudzu, with a former planner from Chiat/Day, Lee Polychron. "Our thing is advertising and creative development research," says Hugh. "But because I am an entrepreneur and shopkeeper at heart, I launched this retail venture, Saigoniste, with a really old friend of mine - who also has a full-time job as head of client services at Kirshenbaum (the world just gets smaller by the moment, does it not?)"
Hugh needs our help. Citysearch has nominated Saigoniste as "best gift store" in NYC and since the whole thing is vote driven, he would love it if we all went to Citysearch.com and just clicked for Saigoniste. "We are currently number 2, behind Lale LLC on Mott St. (Go Nolita!)," says Hugh, "but ahead of all sorts of yummy retailers like Mxyplzyk, Conran's, Moss and even Takashimaya. The voting extends for a marathon-like 36 more days... so the best/worst news is that you can think about us and vote for us every one of those days...!!!
"As an added incentive to help, if you print off the poll page after you vote and bring it into the shop, we would be delighted to give you 10% off your purchase. (Note: the discount applies only if you vote for Saigoniste). The discount applies to regular priced merchandise as well as our glam summer collection which is already on sale. The sale will continue until Sept 9, after which Saigoniste will be closing for 10 days while San Gennaro rages through the streets of Little Italy, and the staff of Saigoniste will be raging through Vietnam on our semi-annual buying trip."
Click here to be whisked away to Citysearch where you can vote for Saigoniste.
SAIGONISTE Brings Exotic Vietnamese Design
To New York's NoLIta Neighborhood
From the enchanting Vietnamese capital of Hanoi in the North to the ancient imperial city of Hue in the central highlands, to the bustling, modern Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) in the South, Vietnam offers a variety of sights, sounds, topography, cuisine and culture unequaled by any other country in Asia. A romantically exotic and storied culture mostly unexplored by the outside world due to the country's conflicts throughout the years, Vietnam is Asia's most romantic and exotic country with a truly East-Meets-West culture, influenced by the Chinese, French and the U.S. Despite this, the country remains a mystery to most Americans, an undiscovered country for all but the most savvy of travelers.
Now, the country is ripe for discovery by Americans and the rest of the world. Opened in November of 2002, Saigoniste brings the first taste of Vietnamese design to America with the opening of its NoLIta store and the Saigoniste.com web site.
Founded by Cynthia Ashworth and Hugh Duthie, Saigoniste is New York's, and the country's, first upscale, design-driven store completely devoted to Vietnamese product. The duo, intrepid travelers both, have scoured Vietnam to bring back the best in design for Saigoniste. In their adventures they discovered amazing products, including the country's signature lacquerware, as well as artists willing to work with them in creating designs exclusively for sale at Saigoniste.
The graphically colorful shop offers tableware, giftware, home furnishings and fashion accessories, as well as one-of-a-kind pieces of furniture and unique one-offs such as a mountain bike crafted entirely of bamboo and stainless steel. Vintage Vespas, a popular form of transportation throughout Vietnam are also available and can be custom colored to the buyer’s whim.
Reflecting their devotion to the vitality of Vietnam and its design ethos, each season Saigoniste will feature a different color story. For this Holiday, Silver and Bronze will dominate, whilst the Fall Collection will focus on rich Chocolate Browns and Raspberry.
For those that can’t make it to the store, the website is a fun and easy option for purchasing that ideal gift for a loved one [or themselves!]. Nearly all products found in-store are available on the site and are available for shipping across the United States. A hit among customers, the site not only allows you to purchase items, but also encourages the user to enter their details so they can be emailed with the latest news about special events and private sales. And, for those lucky enough to be planning their own trip to Vietnam, the site lists the Saigoniste “ Insider tips”. This section is packed with travel tips regarding where to stay, where to play and what to do and is updated with new nuggets after each of the twice yearly buying trips.
Since opening, Saigoniste has been featured in many newspapers and magazines including The New York Times, The Chicago Tribune, Food & Wine, Gourmet, House Beautiful, House & Garden, Metropolitan Home, Vogue, Elle Décor, Departures, Lucky, Time Out and New York to name just a few.
Saigoniste, located at 239 Mulberry Street (between Prince and Spring streets) in New York's NoLIta neighborhood, is open from 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 12:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. on Sundays. The website is available 24/7.