I’m standing in Surrender Dorothy, the recently opened (and still quite under-the-radar) vintage store and more at 13 West 17th Street in New York, wondering where on earth I really am. With its theatrical vibe and sense of dress-up box discovery, it’s like stepping through a wardrobe door into Narnia, or backstage at London’s Sadler’s Wells theatre during the Fonteyn/Nureyev era, or some mythic place between the Oz of The Wizard of Oz and the notorious Oz magazine of the late 1960s. In other words, Surrender Dorothy—yes, the name alludes to the Kansas heroine played by Judy Garland, but was actually taken from Salman Rushdie’s novel The Ground Beneath Her Feet—is the very best kind of store: wildly creative, transportive, and individualistic.
“Surrender Dorothy is about this idea of splendor you might not think is even possible in daily life,” says Ruby McCollister, who, along with best friends Leah Hennessey and Arabella Aldrich, makes up the trio that opened the vintage store this past October. “We all admire places like that—like Alice Underground, which was in Los Angeles, or Biba in London, the holy grail of cool stores. It’s the idea that shopping can be a thing of wonder and fun, and you’d enjoy being there for more than 30 minutes. I don’t even buy that much; I just love going into stores. And we wanted a place where you felt you could come and hang out and have a cup of tea.”
Time certainly flies when you’re at Surrender Dorothy. On my recent visit, the racks were groaning with so much that I felt I had to look at everything in case I missed a treasure. In the mix: a tattered, frayed black velvet Shakespearean doublet (an old stage costume) that looked like it was once worn by Hamlet; a chic brown vintage Jean Paul Gaultier evening dress with a fringed train; a skinny, long-sleeved tee promoting the fabulous 1971 movie adaptation of the Twiggy-starring musical The Boyfriend; another old stage costume that Aldrich loves because it reminds her of the 1940s film The Red Shoes; and more favorites in the form of experimental, innovative new pieces by up-and-coming designers Aldrich found in London, some of whom are recent graduates, like Ellen Poppy and Genevieve Devine.
In essence, the m.o. of Surrender Dorothy is the idea that you put something on—old, new, madcap, couture-like, destroyed, pristine, whatever you want—and get into character for the day. It’s the very definition of mood dressing. “I don’t think any of us has a particular interest in fashion as it stands right now,” says Hennessey, “but I think we are all pathologically obsessed with dressing up and costumes. We all wore our mothers’ clothing, and we all have really, shockingly impeccably chic mothers in different ways. And maybe even more so, we all had very, very chic fathers. We stole clothes from them, so it’s like a second-generation style; we were into dressing a lot older than we were,” she continues, laughing. “I was definitely more punk, but I kind of dressed like a middle-aged punk.”
Hennessey had, at 16, a black-clad SoHo gallerist phase, while McCollister had a “European,” fake-fur-coated, equestrian-booted, lace-hosiery moment. When they met Aldrich in Los Angeles as teens, she arrived in a vintage Chanel mini-skirted suit that came from her journalist mom via an editor acquaintance renowned for her love of Chanel. Since then, they’ve gone on to study and act, putting on stage plays (like Jean Genet’s The Maids) and creating films. But it’s the shared love of wha…The clothing expresses what brought them together to open Surrender Dorothy: Arabella Aldrich, Leah Hennessey, and Ruby McCollister.
The location also feels perfectly suited to them. The shop occupies a beautifully dusty, vividly colored floor in a building owned by a Tony Award-winning actor who was mentored by Richard Burton. It even has its own mini theater, which the actor built for his actress wife, still located on the floor above. Surrender Dorothy is full of surprises as a retail space—from Mondo Mondo fragrances displayed in a vintage dollhouse and sofas draped with Jess Maybury quilts (which are for sale) to the vibrant green walls that Aldrich says were inspired by the Emerald City.
Beyond the dust, everything feels like a breath of fresh air, done purely for the love of creating something special and unique. Surrender Dorothy comes as close as you can get these days to the beloved concept stores of the past, but without the self-conscious or pretentious “lifestyle” connotations. As Aldrich puts it, the store is “an opportunity for an almost intimate interaction with someone’s art piece. You get to enter their minds. I love that we can create that kind of interaction here; that stores can do that. It’s the coolest thing.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Of course Here is a list of FAQs about Somewhere Over the Rainbow designed to sound like questions from curious customers
General Questions
Q Where exactly are you located
A Were in the heart of Greenwich Village at 123 Rainbow Lane Look for our iconic pastelcolored awning
Q What are your store hours
A Were open Wednesday through Sunday from 11 AM to 7 PM Were closed on Mondays and Tuesdays for treasure hunting
Q Is this a consignment store or a curated vintage shop
A We are a carefully curated vintage store Our team handselects every single item for its quality style and charmno consignment
Shopping Inventory
Q What kind of items do you sell
A We specialize in clothing and accessories from the 1960s through the 1990s with a focus on unique dresses statement jackets silk blouses denim and oneofakind jewelry We also have a small selection of home decor
Q Do you carry plus sizes or menswear
A Our collection primarily features womenswear and we strive to offer a range of sizes including some extended sizes Our selection varies daily based on what we find We currently do not have a dedicated menswear section but we welcome everyone to explore our unisex accessories and outerwear
Q How often do you get new stock
A We add new pieces every single day For a larger themed drop we typically refresh our main racks every week
Q Are the clothes cleaned before they go on the floor
A Absolutely Every garment is professionally cleaned steamed and inspected for quality before it hits our racks We believe vintage should be ready to wear and love
Q Why are some vintage items priced higher than others
A Pricing reflects rarity designer label condition and the intricacy of the item A pristine 1970s designer piece will be priced differently than a staple 90s band tshirt
Practical Tips Policies
Q Do you offer alterations or repairs
A We do not offer inhouse alterations but we can recommend a fantastic local tailor who specializes in vintage fabrics We