Lower East Side native Alexandra Catalan was creating her own screen-printed T-shirts and taking far-flung trips across Europe and Asia when she decided to combine her dual loves of travel and design into a store on her home turf. The 21-year-old opened Nor.Folks earlier this summer, a vibrant mash-up of clothing, shoes, jewelry, vintage bags, art, photography, and housewares from New York and around the world. Mongolian masks line the walls alongside paintings from Guatemala, and Spanish espadrilles are propped beside Converses painted with the Manhattan skyline. The stock stresses all things handmade, shaped by both the downtown art scene and Catalan’s own wanderlust: hand-painted hats, Frida Kahlo–inspired jewelry from Mexico, lightweight yoga bags from Japan, and neon printed dresses. Click ahead to scope out the selection.
Nor.Folks, 139 Norfolk St., nr. Stanton St. (212-387-8010); daily, 210
