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Geova
208 Ave. B,
New York, NY 10009
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Official Website
Hours
Daily, by appointment only
Nearby Subway Stops
L at First Ave.
Payment Methods
MasterCard, Visa
Profile
Vivacious Brazilian designer Geova Rodriguez started out as an artist, and his shoebox-size atelier and workshop is strewn with collaged canvases, one-of-a-kind fabric dolls, paintings, and a sizable collection of broken Buddha statues. He wears personalized versions of his own designs, favoring jaunty hats and vintage T-shirts studded with sequins or strips of neon fabric. Rodriguez’s technique entails “breaking down” garments and piecing them back together in elaborately beaded, custom-made combinations, a skill he learned from his mother, who reconfigured hand-me-downs for his ten siblings. He scouts vintage pieces from designers like Dolce & Gabbana, Helmut Lang, Versace, and Sonia Rykiel, using various parts of the high-quality fabric as lining, sleeves, straps, or trim. Rather than sketching, he sews directly onto a mannequin; when not in use, it showcases looks from his latest show, like a hat resembling an explosion of tulle or a lace-trimmed slip dress. Inventive hats made from insulated felt start at $85, and layered, embroidered gowns top out at $700 (which he customizes on-site for a following of Brazilian, Russian, and Australian artists and models). The tongue-in-cheek dolls wearing miniature Geova ensembles are also for sale—one of his favorite pairs is modeled after Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman.