It’s TINI TIME!!
We’re so excited about our latest collaboration with local New Jersey-based artist, Adrianne Paerels aka @helloadrianne. Heard of Hot Tomato Girl Summer? Got a friend who’s obsessed with Italian foods, canned and fresh, and all things ‘girl’? Then this collaboration is for you! Exclusively ours and only available at Friends NYC (!!), these handmade-everything earrings and matching clay trinket dish have us in a chokehold of cute and thirsty! Wear them for BFF dinners, wear them to the market, throw caution to the wind, and order those tini’s extra, extra dirty with extra olives and a twist, dammnit! Read on and you’ll find out why working with Hello Adrianne was a dream come true. Martini Girls unite, this one’s for you! Cheers!!
Who:
Adrianne Paerels aka Hello Adrianne
Currently here:
Jersey all day everyday, babyyy
But really wish I was here & doing this:
The drivers seat of a convertible exploring a tropical island
I am a:
Full time artist x 2… during the day I work as the lead artist on a pretty zany financial news show and in the morning, night, and weekend I am locked in the studio working on my art. But in my free time I really like to do this: learning to cook new things!
My last purchase from Friends included:
a lil chili pepper pipe
I like my martinis like this:
My soon-to-be mother-in-law introduced me to the first martini i really loved. Dirty vodka with blue cheese olives. Extra dirty always
My all time favorite NYC memory:
Oh gosh too many to name. I grew up in Jersey City so I was in the city every weekend as a kid/teen. I would say losing a tooth at Ellis Island, but everyone knows that’s really in jersey…
My favorite NJ pop culture icon is & whyy:
Okay literally everyone cool is from NJ. Seriously, think of someone and look it up - I bet they’re from jersey. But the first person that comes to mind is Queen Latifah. I grew up down the street from an old firehouse she had restored in the 90s. She also opened up a video rental store around there back in the day! She’s so cool.
3 essentials I just cannot live without:
Love, some sort of vinegary snack, sketchbook/pen
I’m very stressed when:
yes
But so impressed when:
I actually write down my to do list rather than allow it to float around in my brain.
If you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life, it would be…?
Stretches Chicken from Belmont Tavern with a side of well done long hots.
Most beloved home decor item [vase, tzotchke, lamp, art print, coffee table book] you own - any story behind this object?
My first pair of slip-on vans (red checkered) that I got when I moved to California when I was 12. I wore them to the ground - holes in the soles and patches to mend the upper body. I think I put ten years on them. They saw A LOT. I eventually admitted to myself that they needed to retire, but I couldn’t part with them so my fiance got me a shadowbox frame and they now live in my studio.
Who or what is an influential figure or major inspo in your life or work?
My mom - always.
How did you bring Hello Adrianne to life?
I used to focus on figurative work, but during the isolation of the pandemic I went through my pantry for some fresh inspo and started drawing all of the fun packaging in there. I had been working as a graphic designer for a large fashion brand and so I created my first pair of Pasta Pants as a reaction to that; I wanted to create something wearable that was custom and special to the wearer… that they would want to keep forever, even if just as a keepsake.
Tell us about your process, do you hand draw everything??
Yes! Everything is hand drawn by me. With customs, some people are brand specific and some just say, “I love italian food!” Once I know what they’re looking for, I’ll pull reference images and jump right in. Because I put so much love into the art, I wanted to find a way to evolve these drawings after I’ve sent them out into the world. So I started upcycling the artwork by making small dishes and jewelry with photos of the pants drawings.
Okay, you wear the pants - how did they come to be ‘a thing’?
My first customer was my oldest friend Claire. She’s a comedian and podcaster and anytime she wore them, I’d get new inquiries. Last month she interviewed a major icon and wore the pants just so she could tell her about them. Top tier friend! I also owe a lot to Ali Labelle, creator of Pasta Girlfriend. I remember the moment she posted my pants. It connected me to so many like minded people who have become clients and even better - friends.
What are some or any lessons you’ve learned since putting your art out there?
Putting your art into the world is magical. Putting it on the internet is terrifying. There is always going to be someone who did it first or someone who did it better. But that can help you reevaluate what you do and why you do it. If you stick with what is true to you, you end up finding your place in a community and it’s so romantic and sweet.
One piece of advice you would say to 12 year old Adrianne today:
Moving back to jersey is a blessing in disguise, stop giving your mom a hard time about it!!
2024 is otw, anything you’re really looking forward to in the new year?
More fun, more projects, more food!
Where can we find you on the internet and beyond?
@helloadrianne on insta and helloadrianne.com, come say hi!
Shop the Hello Adrianne x Friends NYC Martini Girl Earrings and the Martini Girl Catchall Dish now 🍸
