E

ven before Lower East Side gem Honey in the Rough opened its doors for the first time—less than a year ago—preemptive nods from various fashion mags foretold of its future popularity. "People were calling me, and I was so surprised. I just said, 'oh, we're actually not even open yet,'" says owner Ashley Hanosh, a former makeup artist. Now, the small boutique artfully mixes contemporary dresses and1940s-inspired makeup and beauty products, including a new line of dry hair powder by Lulu Organics. "Its 100% organic, so basically everything in it is edible, not that you'd want to ingest it...but you could!" Hanosh says enthusiastically. Within the warm and welcoming space amid exposed brick and rich dark cabinetry, Hanosh showcases the main event: an impressive roster of independent designers. "Our local lines always do really well," says Hanosh. "My favorite brand this fall is Eventide, a label out of Brooklyn." Honey In the Rough also boasts a fall inventory of other small local brands like Nomia, Mociun, Samantha Pleet, and Judi Rosen mixed in with some more readily known but equally covetable designers such as Tsumori Chisato and Sue Stemp. "Every item in the store is hand-chosen," says Hanosh. "So it's all absolutely special."

The Goods: For fall and winter, go for silk charmeuse dresses by Eventide, printed muu muus from Mociun and solitaire pinkie rings by cult brand, Iosselliani.