Behind the Counter
Small Town Roots, Big City Style: Growing Up Behind the Counter in the Hamptons
Growing up in the Hamptons is more than just a story—it’s a saga of contrasts. Picture this: a kid from a patch of sub-rural nowhere, where the Hamptons weren’t summer dreams or celebrity escapes but home, pure and simple. It wasn’t the Hamptons of postcard glamor: parties, luxury cars, and shops; not the Hamptons of opulent mansions or the glitzy gatherings and Mark Rubin’s White Party.
Instead, it was gritty back roads, half-hidden trails, bonfires at the beach, and an undercurrent of small-town grit. The kind of place that makes you hungry for something more because you've seen it all up close—the work behind the scenes, the hands that make it all function. It’s seeing Moms and Dads scrub floors, wield hammers, tend gardens, fish at the break of dawn, coach our teams, teach our classes, and hustle to make ends meet. It’s not all high fashion and headlines but simple life grafted onto the world’s idea of “paradise.” Watching them taught me the value of labor and how to show up, even when no one's looking.
Streetwear—and later, fashion in general—was my rebellion, my armor, and my statement. While everyone else was in sandals and sundresses, I found my voice in threads that echoed a city vibe, starkly contrasting the slow-breathing, sometimes dull groan of life here in the off-season. For me, fashion was more than clothes; it was my identity, a way to carve out a space in a place that sometimes feels like a canvas for other people’s dreams rather than a real community.
With over a decade working in fashion retail, I’ve witnessed firsthand the ebb and flow of trends, the shapes, and colors that flow in and out of people’s hands, almost like a seasonal migration. People come here looking for the Hamptons “look,” and I’ve had a front-row seat to what that means. From the summer crowds who think the world revolves around the latest designer bags to the locals who’d rather pass down jeans than shop anew—this place is a melting pot of expressions.
But the Hamptons itself has changed, especially in recent years. New homeowners have flooded in from New York City, looking to escape while bringing a slice of the city with them. This migration has transformed the area’s shopping, shifting trends and rhythms. Brands have found fertile ground here, opening shops in the warmer months to cater to the temporary, trend-hungry population. Summer is a kind of runway—a time when fashion cycles erupt and then quietly dissolve as Labor Day fades.
Yet in that fast-paced, seasonal bubble lies an authenticity that’s hard to find elsewhere. My story is about navigating these worlds, of carving out a space between what people want to see and what actually lives here, under the surface, behind the counter.