Anya Nordeen

Photo: Brad Paris

So, do you stock teenybopper clothes?
Not at all. We actually have a lot of cutting-edge designers.

Who’s your favorite?
Two jewelry designers from Brooklyn. Kim Ann Foxman’s necklaces are shields emblazoned with birds and unicorns. They’re silver, but they’re oxidized, so they look beat-up. Lisa Levine’s necklaces are like trickles of silver, light and not fussy.

What’s the customer like?
The quintessential girl that comes in here is petite and tan and has boobs that point up to the sky.

I read that a short film was shot in the store recently. Were you here?
Yeah. The protagonist buys a bag and then has to return it. The actress who played the salesgirl was amazing. She was such a bitch. I was like, “Do you do this for a living?” And she was like, “I act for a living.” I was like, “Oh, right.”

Have you ever had a flare-up with a customer?
No, I’m Canadian, so I’m really nice. But there was this woman who latched on to me, made me come into the changing room with her. She really wanted me to see her boobs. After spending a lot of dough, she asked me if I wanted to see a movie with her.

Creepy. Has anyone else fallen for you, Shopgirl style?
Yep. Paula Abdul. She came in a month ago and was like, “Oh, my God, I love your tattoos.” As she left, she leaned across the counter and gave me a kiss. That was awesome.

Anya Nordeen