Collection One, c. 2022
I Happen to Like New York
I Happen to Like New York
I oftentimes hum the 1930’s Cole Porter song “I Happen to Like New York” to the rhythm of my steps as I walk along New York City’s sidewalks:
I happen to like New York.
I happen to love this town.
Its modern skyline and historic neighborhoods represent generations of human ingenuity and creativity. Despite its brashness and extremes, New York remains a beacon and sanctuary for artists around the globe. The city is a bastion for many who are led to create, and it offers a home to them.
The New York City Tri-State Region has over 20 million people living in it. Josh and I live amongst them. It is a different city for every single one of us. Its diversity draws all walks of life into one small space. I interact with and live near people I would never meet in other settings, and this is why I love it.
NYC was pummeled by Covid during its first weeks. We just observed the twenty year anniversary of 9/11. These were such traumatic moments in recent history, yet the city continues on because its people are resilient and find hope here. They still believe in the promise of freedom this city offers to so many.
This collection is my own personal ode to New York. From the city’s most iconic icons to its more obscure places of quietude, Collection One, c. 2022, offers a glimpse of what drew me here more than twenty years ago and why the city remains an enduring fascination.
-Cynthia Ivey Abitz, artist/designer
This collection is dedicated to Kaye (1949-2020), our longtime tailor and friend. She showed us what it meant to be a real New Yorker: she was candid, committed, empathetic, hardworking, loyal, and full of heart.