Starstruck

Living on the Upper East Side means passing by the high end fashion boutiques on Madison Avenue pretty regularly. I am a full-time student, working part-time and I do not have a trust fund so I do not find myself able to purchase clothes on Madison Avenue very often. However, I do love to walk in them to just see what styles are popular at the moment, it is one of my favorite past times while living here. A more affordable store on Madison Ave is Joe Fresh, it is one of my favorites for the great price and very sleek and traditional style. (After taking a recent style test I have learned I am a traditionalist, this is no surprise to me.)
When I am not galavanting up Madison Avenue or working at El Museo I find myself working as a hostess at a small American Bistro on the UES. Last night was a typical night at the restaurant, pretty busy but we usually are. Usually customers see me walking by their table and will ask me a question or if I could get their server or get some pepper for them, nothing major. Some customers like to make some small talk with you, there was a customer last night who asked me to run his credit card for him and when I came back he said "I want you to know that I really love this restaurant, I just started coming here and I have such a great time every time." I obviously get delighted to hear compliments about the place I work. I replied "I am so glad to hear that, you know it's a really residential area so we do have a lot of regulars and we like that. We like giving you an experience that makes you want to come back." I then politely introduced myself and he did as well, he said his name was Joe from the store Joe Fresh and with him was one of his designers Paul. I was ultimately a little starstruck but also awed at how humble this man was. I let him know of my art background and he really engaged in a conversation with me about my interests and where I could see myself working. I am so very appreciative to have met these gentlemen, they showed me a different side of the art world and that there are down-to-earth UESiders.
Today I have done some research on the background of these two established designers. I learned that they also are the founders of Club Monaco which is another well-established retail store in Manhattan. I feel very blessed to have met them and I hope our paths cross again sometime in the future.