A day in life with Alexandra Sheehan & Alex Delany
A day in life with Alexandra Sheehan & Alex Delany
Meet Alexandra and Alex, both writers and artists. We first met the two during our pop-up at Colbo in October, where Alex was spinning his rare vinyls. For our latest editorial, we asked them a few questions about their daily routines and how they like to spend their weekends. Last, we asked them for their hidden gems of New York.
Text by Daniel Brondt, Photos by Alexander Rotondo
Alex wears Shirt 1.0, Evergreen (Which cultural elements, such as music, podcasts, movies, books, etc., do you use to inspire you?
Alexandra: Books, any literary work, or printed matter. I love how Nora Ephron wrote about aging and nostalgia, how Rebecca Solnit writes about oneness and grief, how Sarah Manguso records memory, how Lee Lozano tethered ideas through note-taking, and how Ada Limón writes about love and change and womanhood. Poetry will always be my north star. I am a sucker for Brenda Lee and Connie Francis. I grew up on classic rock, and I'll never shake that from my system. I love interviews and tune into the ones my friend Sami Reiss is executing wonderfully through his newsletter, Snake. Films are an obsession, an escape, and a doorway to familiar and foreign worlds. Film has also greatly informed my opinion on style and beauty. I love Cassavetes, Wong Kar Wai, Chantal Ackerman, Kiarostami, Buñuel, Les Blank, to name a few. Oh, and I love Gena Rowlands. Her performance in A Woman Under The Influence is among the strongest in cinema history.
Alex: I am not a podcast person, which is hypocritical because I host a podcast myself. But music and books are the big ones for me. From a visual perspective, books by artists, photographers, and designers are big-time fuel for my creativity, especially from people like Martin Kippenberger, Bruno Munari, Dieter Roth, Ray Johnson, Joe Brainard, and David Hockney. And music helps me do everything that I do. There's rarely a time when there isn't music in my ear or the room. Lately, there have been a lot of Donald Byrd, Roy Ayers, and Bobbi Humphrey.
What is your most important morning routine to start the day off right?
Alexandra: A long run in the park followed by a morning gratitude practice. I am my most centered and balanced self when surrounded by nature, and writing a daily gratitude list keeps me right-sized.
Alex: I'm a massive coffee person. And I love a smoothie. Most mornings, a pour-over at home is the first thing I do, but sometimes, I like a stroll to find a cortado out in the world. The same goes for a smoothie. Sasha makes a great one, so if she's making them, I'll have one at home, but if not, I'll walk to Hawa and grab one. Right now, I'm on a banana, blueberry, beet, and flaxseed kick.
Alex wears Shirt 1.0, Evergreen (see more), ANOTHER Sweatshirt 1.0, Antique Brown (see more) & ANOTHER Jeans 2.0, Used Blue (see more).
How do you like to spend a Saturday?
Alexandra: Ideally, I start my day with coffee in bed because that feels luxurious, then take a long walk across town through the park, maybe people-watch by the Met, pop into Peress Lingerie to peruse. If lucky enough to have a loved one join me on my stroll, consider the day perfect. Then, I'll pick up a few groceries and head home to cook something fulfilling and intentional.
Alex: I like using Saturdays to cover a lot of ground and walk a ton. The more neighborhoods I end up in, the more successful the day. I'll sleep in a bit. (I'm not a go-getter on Saturday mornings, or most other mornings, for that matter.) Go out into the world for a morning coffee and a pastry and a stroll. And from there, it's a mixture of bookshops, record stores, art galleries, flea markets, boutiques, wine shops, and parks. Ideally, there's a pint of Guinness in the late afternoon after a second coffee. And there will certainly be dinner with some friends, before finding a seat somewhere I can open a nice bottle of wine.
How do you prefer to spend your evening?
Alexandra: If I go out - popcorn and a movie. Suppose I stay in - popcorn and a movie.
Alex: Good food, good company, good wine, good music, good film, good TV, good environment. If there are at least two of those things, regardless of what they are, I'll be more than happy.
Alexandra wears Shirt 1.0, Evergreen Stripe (Do you have any regular routines before you go to bed?
Alexandra: Mmm, I shower, brush my hair and teeth, and moisturize. I love F.Miller products, and I rub the hair oil through my damp strands, mist my face with their toner, and finish up my routine with the eye oil (I use this on my lips and cuticles, too!). I recently got a few cozy pajama sets, a nice change of pace from the routine worn-out T-shirt and boxers.
Alex: There are only two things I consistently do every night: brush my teeth and spend an hour on eBay. Both are equally important in my book.
What do you do in your spare time that gives you inspiration for your work?
Alexandra: I pay attention to details, ask many questions, and allow my curiosity to propel me down different rabbit holes to expand my understanding of all I want to learn about. Perhaps the most important thing I have ever done in my spare time to allow for an organic flow of inspiration is to let spare time be just that - time spared.
Alex: Pretty much everything. The line between work and everything else is blurred for me, so if I'm not actively working on something, I'm usually experiencing something that will show up in my work later on—walking the streets of the city. Digging through records. Shopping for books. Hunting for vintage clothing and homewares. Checking out new cafes. Visiting galleries. Drinking wine. Eating a sandwich. I'm fortunate that most of the things I enjoy doing in my everyday life all inform my work.
Lastly, what are your favorite hidden gems of New York? (Bars, restaurants, parks, etc.)
Alexandra: The 91st Street Garden in Riverside Park, The Earth Room, Karaam in Bay Ridge, Picasso's Sylvette at the Silver Towers, Via Quadronno, Philip Williams Posters, Zitomer.
Alex: Hidden gems is a funny term in Manhattan because nothing can remain hidden here. However, these spots are underrated or not as frequented as they should be by a wider audience. Kafana for Serbian dinner and wine. Txikito for Basque dinner. Love Not Money for records. The Jazz Record Center for Records. Sake Bar Satsko, for sake. Bohemian Spirit for Czech beer and schnitzel. Westside Coffee Shop 2 for Dominican breakfast and lunch. Walker's for a pint. Interlude for Coffee. Philip Williams Posters. Kitchen Co Ut for Vietnamese. Yakitori Totto for yakitori. Yanni's Coffee for espresso. Factory Tamal for tamales. Convive for bottles of wine. I'll stop there. I could go on all day.
