Street Art & the City

Living in New York City, street art abounds.

Graffiti tends to get a bad rap, but for the most part, I think it gives the city an added layer of character – kind of like a tattoo.

… And there’s a lot of character in today’s post.

Despite that bad rap, graffiti — or street art, rather — can be a beautiful thing. Remember how gorgeous Maya Hayward’s mural on the Houston/Bowery wall was this spring?

Or what about the exterior of the Little Cupcake Bakeshop? And that amazing rainbow wall in Brooklyn we stumbled upon this summer?

Though often beautiful, sometimes graffiti can just be very… functional.

You know, purposeful. Like so:

Oh, New York.

Weaving through the city’s streets and skyscraper buildings is one of my favorite things to do when I have a bit of down-time. (Down-time, LOL.)

As a result, I had a lot of fun scouting locations for today’s post.

You guys know the brand Perrier, right?

Yes, the sparkling water.

Yes, the water you drink in those vodka beverages.

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In a cool campaign that kicked off earlier this year, Perrier partnered with three world-renowned street artists.

The challenge for each artist was to put their own spin on the brand’s iconic bottles and cans, and the result is a limited edition collection that’s unique, decidedly different, and one that evokes a “collect all nine” vibe. (I’m well on my way in doing so — kinda like how we hoarded wine bottles in college.)

So, when Perrier challenged me to share my own favorite works of street art in New York City, it was a no-brainer. Like I said — in this town, art abounds. I practically do this on accident with all of my outfit shoots anyway.

One of my favorite spots in the city is L’asso, located in Manhattan’s downtown Nolita neighborhood.

It’s a graffiti-friendly pizzeria that’s a revolving canvas for street artists — and the exterior is practically an exhibit in-and-of itself.

Here, you’re likely to find the work of Bradley Theodore – a namesake street artist who evokes colorful, modern representations of prolific fashion figures.

My all-time favorite is when he pitted these two fashion heavyweights head-to-head, but his representation of Karl and Choupette is a close second.

*In this post:

Bik Bok cropped sweater (bought in Oslo; love this version)
Equipment blouse (similar here and here)
Vince Camuto pencil skirt (on sale)
Alexander Wang Lia cross-body bag (here in black; similar on sale)
Pointed-toe booties c/o Modcloth
NARS Audacious lipstick in “Anna”
Essie nail polish in “Merino Cool”

*Click to shop: Equipment blouses | black ankle boots
this post (below):

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Lydia Hudgens Photography

Disclosure: Thanks to Perrier® for partnering on this post in celebration of their limited Street Art® edition. To see and learn more, click here or join the conversation with #StreetArtByPerrier.