By Nicole Tuck, Executive Director, Bronxville Chamber of Commerce

May 10, 2017:  Welcome New Members 

The Armour Villa Neighborhood Association, located on the west side and 400 families strong, was founded in 1889, and promotes itself as a "traditional community with a contemporary attitude."

Bauman Law Group P.C. is located at 66 Palmer Avenue, Suite 49C. Tim and Carmen Bauman are seasoned litigators with a broad-based practice, including residential and commercial law. 914-337-1700.

The local branch of international HSBC Bank, 74 Pondfield Road, can meet your business and/or personal banking needs. We welcome Patricia Roberts, its new manager. The local branch phone number is 914-779-4400.

Anne Marie Costanzo, the owner of Little Black Dress, shares her passion for food and fitness. Since 2007, she has empowered women on a personal level to focus on taking care of themselves through fitness and wellness and nutrition programs. 212-731-9700.

Co-founders Matt Gorney and Ryan Hart of Maple & Rose share a commitment to cooking elegant food with rustic influences. They provide memorable meals for private events and families. 518-307-6842 or 917-647-1129.

Pondfield Café is a neighborhood tradition, serving homestyle breakfast and lunch. Ken Pugliese and his crew also make homemade dinner every Thursday night (BYOB). 3 Pondfield Road West. 914-337-5221.

Wild Vines & Liquors, 54 Palmer Avenue, has been serving the west side neighborhood for over five years. Ask Benjamin Ramirez about wines from South America and Europe. 914-337-0750.

Happening This Month

Mother's Day is May 14th! Check out some great gift ideas.

• Visit Topps Bakery or Chantilly Patisserie for those "breakfast-in-bed" treats.  

• If Mom is into fashion, visit Toney Toni & the Gang, Yum Yum Tree, J.McLaughlin, or Weezie D for the latest trends.

• Need the perfect gift for Mom? Go to Mano A Mano for a large selection of gift items that Mom will surely love.

• Fun accessories are available at Kensington Paper or Breezeway. Both stores are located on Kraft Avenue.  

• How about taking Mom out to a movie at the Bow Tie Cinema or The Picture House, followed by a treat at Haagan-Dazs or Candy Rox.  

• Say "I love You, Mom, and Thanks for all you do!" with flowers from Mrs. Morgan's Flower Shop or The Flower Shop of Tryforos & Pernice.

• Mom wants to read the newest bestseller! Womrath Bookshop has a great selection.

• Jewelry lasts forever! Purchase that very special piece that Mom will love. Stop by La Gravinese or Bronxville Jewelers or see the latest trends from Citrine now showcasing within Silk Road.

• Need that special gift to be personalized? Stop by Silverspoon and see the many items that can be monogrammed, such as towels, sun hats, nightshirts, and canvas totes. Or check out their fabulous mother-daughter dresses.

• Want a pretty and protective dress for Mom? Silk Road has a selection of Cabana Life SPF 50 dresses that not only will look great on but will protect Mom's skin from damaging rays. 

• Mother's Day brunch or dinner is always in good taste! Bronxville has restaurants that will satisfy your Mom's palate. Click here for the listings on the Chamber website.

• Let Mom's face glow with a facial followed up with the finishing touch of having her brows and makeup done. Visit Maison Rouge.

• Bronxville Wellness Sanctuary can offer Mom some peace and relaxation. Give Mom a gift certificate by clicking here.

• How about outdoor yoga for Mom? Reserve Mom a spot at our 2nd Annual Outdoor Yoga Event on Wednesday, May 31. Click here for details. 

Save the Date... 

Bronxville Farmers' Market opening day is Saturday, May 13!

2nd Annual Outdoor Yoga Event--Wednesday, May 31; click here for details and to reserve your spot! 10% of the net proceeds go to the Junior League of Bronxville.

Sidewalk Sale, Friday, June 2, and Saturday, June 3. June 3 includes the spring street fair held on Park Place followed by our kick-off summer concert in the evening. Details coming soon...

By Staff

May 3, 2017:  A tiny clothing company founded in a spare bedroom in Bronxville is now the leading off-brand on Zappos.com/Adaptive, a new e-commerce site recently launched by retail giant Zappos.

Zappos teamed up with Independence Day Clothing to create an "adaptive" category on Zappos's $1.2 billion shoe and apparel website.  

The partnership came from humble, Bronxville-based beginnings.

Four years ago, Bronxville native Lauren (Trownsell) Thierry was overseeing her son with autism, Liam, get dressed--a daily necessity, as Liam lacks the motor planning and manual dexterity to zip, button, or snap, let alone tie a shoelace. He barely had his underwear on one morning in 2013 when his little yellow school bus pulled into their driveway on Courseview Road.

"Utter panic," is how Lauren described what would be a momentary "timing snafu" in any other household. "If Liam can't get dressed by himself on time, that bus pulls away, I'm left standing next to a half-dressed kid and a late arrival to work."

So Lauren broke the "rules" of letting Liam practice dressing at his own pace. She tossed a shirt over his head, jammed his feet into shoes, and whisked him into the waiting bus.

Over a lunch break that day, Lauren sat down and wrote a 20-page business plan to stop that breathless, recurring scenario for some five million autism mothers, as well as 45 million moms who run similar obstacle courses with their kids with other disabilities, each morning. The plan called for a fashion line that fits front/back/reversible with no buttons, no zippers, no scratchy tags--a foolproof way to dress for those who otherwise cannot easily dress themselves.

What began as a novel idea and a homegrown website in 2013 caught the attention of mega-seller Zappos in early 2016.

Lauren knew she had a concept, but how to execute? "Simple," said Lauren. "You call all your Bronxville friends and say, 'Help.'"

Help was certainly needed. By her own admission, Lauren has "no fashion sense, no fashion knowledge. I just know what needs to work for this population."

Luckily, Bronxvillians Elizabeth Ackerman and Anja Cooney had fashion sense to spare--and share.

Elizabeth stressed good fabrics, like those from her own line, Elizabeth Ackerman New York. She became ID's guru of stretchable, easy-care fabrics, borrowing from her own classic designs and "adapting" them for the disabilities market with magnets, elastic, and breakaway Velcro. Anja added edgy components to keep the line from skewing "too preppy."

Jay Ackerman picked up his camera and shot the line, featuring some models with special needs and some Bronxville teens with already-impressive modeling and acting resumes--Arielle Rothman, Andrea Shepherd, Alexa Shepherd, Josh Geiling, and George Cooney. "They just had to be up for the shoot and to demonstrate what makes Independence Day Clothing unique," said Ackerman.  

Armed with samples and models, the ID Clothing project was marketed by another Bronxville couple--former BBDO ad executives Janet Lyons and Dennis Berger. "They came up with a plan that showed the line's potential to serve the disability market in a fun way--as well as the mainstream crossover potential. Jeff Cooney shot a big-budget video of the line, and--bam!--Zappos was sold on the idea," said Lauren.

"Zappos is our big shot to prove that the disabilities demographic is viable, marketable, and represents the inclusion and acceptance so many of us have fought so hard for," said Lauren. So hit Zappos.com/Adaptive and check out the merchandise. "Let's show the big boys Bronxville can play in their sandbox." 

Pictured here:  Lauren Thierry with son Liam.

Photo by Jeff Matsler