How can someone not be down for a dope vintage store? Especially one that’s name is a translation of orgasm. Le Petite Mort is a vintage store in the Lower East Side, run by Kara Mullins and her partner OJ. Learn all about the dope clothes they have ins tore@
When did you start collecting vintage? Did you always know you wanted to open up a shop?
I’ve collected vintage for myself my entire life, but made it into a career one year ago. I always knew I wanted to move to New York and own a shop, but just wasn’t sure how to get there. I grew up in the Midwest where everything is so “Office Space”-centric and I knew that wasn’t for me at a very young age. I’m also pretty stubborn at times so being my own boss was ideal.
I met OJ about 10 years ago and had my cliché New York love story moment. We had all these crazy dreams but mostly spent our time getting fucked up and enjoying every temptation NY nightlife had to offer. Somehow we never lost sight of what we wanted to accomplish. He’s an artist and I have a retail/buying background so it was a pretty natural progression to open up a store with a gallery in it. When the opportunity arose, we jumped on the chance to be part of the new wave of LES shop owners. We’re striving towards curating a new downtown movement rooted in the last remnants of an era gone past.
What is your favorite era, or vintage brand to find?
Hahaha the 90’s DUH. It’s not so much about the brand as it is about coming across truly unique, hard to find pieces. The thrill of the hunt will never get old.
BUT of course I always get a little light headed over some classic 90’s Moschino, Versace, and Gaultier. I love the look of excess – from crazy pattern clashes to all black with heavy gold jewelry.
Your shop’s name is literally the french translation for Orgasm, what made you decide on that name?
It’s how you feel about the clothes – you find that one piece that will literally take you to a different level…
Tell us about your shop that also doubles as an art gallery:
We want to be more than just a store or website – We want the LPM space to be like a clubhouse of sorts for the creative set. There’s some really great stuff going on in NY right now and we’re so excited to be able to help promote it – from art to music to writing, etc. We want LPM to showcase the full package and reflect what is going on in New York downtown subculture today. So not only do we want to dress the creative set, but also showcase their art, blast their music in the store, and support great local artists who are working hard to keep the downtown spirit alive.
Is there a piece you consider a “white whale” like a piece you’ve tried to search for but can never find?
I find that if you fixate on a certain piece too much you lose sight of some of the other gems that might be hiding nearby. Some of the best pieces I’ve found have been out of the blue and never where I expect them to be. I like to generally shop with a pretty open mind and enjoy the ride. That being said, there are always those few really special pieces that are truly once in a lifetime finds & super rare such as a museum worthy Westwood Seditionaries piece or a Polo Snow Beach Jacket.
