Spotlight On:
Thistle & Clover

“We wanted our boutique to be in Brooklyn, and somewhere that wasn’t supersaturated. We just kind of just fell in love with it here—it’s so unique and diverse and has a real sense of neighborhood.”

The owners conceived of the boutique’s name from a Velvet Underground cover “Crimson & Clover” that they listened to endlessly during the early stages of the store’s launch. “The Thistle is there because we first met while studying at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland,” says Niederhoffer. “We wanted to pay tribute to the place where we first became friends.”

“I definitely have a lot of Lollia products in my house. As do all my friends now. It’s like the number one gifting item in my store.” 

“A lot of the curation we do for the story is very personal. I became friends with Breck Hostetter, the designer for Sesame Letterpress, when she designed my wedding stationery. She later helped us pick out this special selection for the store that went beyond her usual wedding collection.”

“Rifle Paper Co (bottom) does these great little gift card sets, birthday cards and notebooks. “

“Each week we present our customers with these little showcases of our favorite pieces. This week it’s Rand’s Edits.”

“This jewelry case holds all the designers that come to us through open calls. It’s from the ABC outlet—we had it restained. There are about 10 to 12 designers from our open calls at any given time in this case. We get pieces that most stores don’t have the opportunity to see because they don’t take first-season designers.”

Thistle & Clover hosts quarterly open calls where new designers from the area are invited to present their collections. 

“These market bags are by Alessandra Olanow, an illustrator from Cobble Hill. They're all silk-screened images of her illustrations. She does business cards too. She’ll sketch your profile onto them.”

“We like to think they are judging you as you leave the dressing room.”

The headquarters for Marais USA shoes, founded by two Parsons graduates, is based in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Their Chelsea boots [not shown here] are a T&C customer (and owner!) favorite.

“We let the customers dictate a lot of the pieces we carry. We first opened with a lot of fancy cocktail dresses because that’s what we were wearing at that point in our lives. Now we do a lot more everyday pieces—but things that still make you feel special.”

From left to right:

Joie Silk striped dress, $267, Thistle & Clover

Myne Silk link tank, $168, Thistle & Clover

“Myne, by designer Ashley Ann, is one of the lines we’ve carried since we opened. Her styles are eclectic but really modern and fresh, and the prints she uses are always lush and different.”

Aaron Ashe silk button-down dress, $253, Thistle & Clover

“These vintage books are actually Camilla’s husband’s. People always try to buy them from us.”

“Lollia makes these mini hand creams that are great for winter.  You can just throw them in your bag.”

“T&C was previously a baby store—so we had some redecorating to do. We had our first meeting at these tiny tables for toddlers. We wanted to create an interior that was more of a gallery space that would really let the product shine. A lot of the furniture was sourced locally, and the wood and oxidized metal are a hybrid of both Camilla’s and my vision and aesthetic personalities. I tend to be a little more romantic and feminine and she can be a little more modern and contemporary.”

"Accessories are a great way for our customers to incorporate color trends into their everyday look. These neon belts are by Nona E. Rose—we have been carrying her pieces since we first opened.”

“My five sisters and I all wear Maine, from MCMC Fragrances by Anne McClain. Her fragrances are so pretty and really complex, which I like. She developed them based on memories from her travels.”

“We just started working with Tatine. We do gangbusters with their Celebration Day candles. They are all hand-poured and have a beautiful aesthetic.”

“Dallas Shaw approached us a while back to collaborate with Thistle & Clover, offering all T&C customers 15% off a personal illustration. She’s an illustrator and style consultant who has done a lot of Fashion Week work for designers like Donna Karan and Kate Spade. We’re always looking for likeminded people, like writers and photographers, for collaborations.”