I’ve been waiting to write about Denny since I started ChicpeaJC. Not only is he the poster boy of a “stylish peep”; he is also a successful fashion blogger, works at Another Man’s Treasure and actually the person who planted the idea in my head to start a blog. About 6 Months ago I came in to shop and we started talking, I mentioned to him that I took a “look of the day” pics of my outfits and posted them on pinterest to keep track of my looks (god forbid I wear the same things twice). He then said to me “You should start a blog”…. then I said “Hmm, sounds interesting. I will think about it”.

Fast forward to today, this site is my full-time gig. I don’t exactly consider myself a “Fashion Blogger” since I do write mostly about Jersey City and the people and businesses that make it “Awesome” but he did plant the seed and I am very grateful for that.  Denny is doing great things in the fashion world, collaborations with magazines, different brands, bloggers, styling you name it. The kid has over 28K followers on Instagram, does that mean Denny is like, famous?!!? It’s always great to see someones hard work come into fruition. I came to interview Denny at the shop and during my interview, Gia his super stylish and gorgeous girlfriend came in the shop and joined the conversation.

So first what are you wearing? I’m wearing a gingham plaid short sleeve from Another Mans Treasure, it’s from the 60s/70s. J.Crew slim cargo pants and 80s vintage polo Ralph Lauren Wingtips, Woolrich hat from AMT, a Daniel Wellington watch, and rings that I got from a flee market.

Where’d you get your tattoos done? I got them done from Jess she works at JC Tattoos now, but most of the ones I got from her is when she worked on St. Marks Place.

How long have you been working at AMT? I’ve been here a year.

What do you like about working here? I feel like we are a little family, we are always here to support each other. Of course I’ve always loved vintage stuff since I was a kid so it’s a dream for me to work here and see all of these clothes.

So you’re a fashion blogger, How did that start? I started in 2007… posting my daily outfits online, and it just caught on from there…And then I started blogging 2 years later and then from there I just grew. I never really intended to be where I am now….  I don’t even like to refer to people as known or famous, I really just wanted to have a diary of my outfits.

Were you always into fashion growing up? Yea – I was always that weird kid that was dressed well. High school for me was 2002-2006 so no one really cared about fashion that much. I was always the kid wearing a sports jacket to class.

Growing up did you have any specific style influences? No not until lately where now I will look at people styles. Growing up I just threw stuff together, I was always intrigued by thrift stores and would find cool pieces there and put things together.

So that’s where the ‘Look Rich, Show Cheap’ comes from? Yea originally it was called “Goodwill Hunter”, but this was catchy. I try to do looks that are cool and look rich and luxurious, but they’re on a budget. I will replicate certain looks from celebrities…These days people are all about brands, and I like to preach it’s not about who or what you’re wearing it’s how you wear it!

And how long have you been living in Jersey City? I’ve been here 2 years now, my girlfriend and i started dating and then a few months later we moved in together. Gia is from Jersey City, born and raised.

What’re your favorite hang out spots here? WareHouse Cafe, I love it there, it’s so peaceful and calm. I also love TeaNJ, our neighbor. I remember the first day they opened up I was just blown away! And the comic book shop, I like to go there.

What other blogs do you like to follow, other than mine of course. Yours is called Peas and carrots right? HAHA. No I’ve always followed this guy The Sartorialist, he kind of started the whole freestyle photography, he just kind of started taking pictures of stylish people and then it blew up.

So tell me about some of your recent collaborations on your blog? I guess for the past 3 years things have been really great, brands have been taking notice of me and agencies  so they all just want to work with me so the paid gigs are slowly coming.

Do they just find you from your blog? Yea my blog, instagram, word of mouth… we were talking about how its crazy the people you don’t know help you out more sometimes than the people you do know. So everyday I will get emails from people at brands and we just put out great stuff.

Do you have a favorite pair of clothing or anything? My Levi’s jeans.. I’ll fall in love with a pair of shoes and just wear them the whole month. Some of my favorite things are my vintage Ralph Lauren Blazers, those are amazing. I don’t think I could ever let them go.

Can you describe your different styles? I try not to limit myself with certain genres, I want to be able to showcase a lot of different things, and especially cause I’m a blogger… ill do street wear, dapper, grunge look, anything really. Versatility is key.

So if people wanted to know how to ‘Look Rich, Shop Cheap’ what’re your tips? Set a budget, shop around, vintage stores are great for good finds good prices.

I know this is cliché, but where do you see yourself in a couple of years? Um.. hopefully probably married, with like 16 kids.. I don’t know, we talk about having our own store, but were still talking about it… its not like a next day thing tho still figuring it out.

Do you and Gia go shopping together? We do sometimes, sometimes we will share clothes too. Were the same pant size, to me these days fashion is very unisex.

So how’d you guys meet? Gia will tell you…

G: So I moved home from college, and I went to college with Alan who works at LITM and we would collaborate…He interviewed me for a blog and he previously interviewed Denny, so he showed me his post. Then 2-3 years after that a different mutual friend kind of set us up. He kept asking me to hang out but Denny was very flirtatious and so positive, and so I found that to be off-putting…. I’m very self deprecating….and he just seemed candy coated.

He wanted to do a shoot together, and it wasn’t that bad, after that day he was like we should have coffee…. then we just started dating. Then Hurricane sandy happened, and he was at my house when I was living in Port-Liberte and we were stuck together for like 4 days. After that I got a new apartment… after a week of dating I asked him to move in with me.

What is it like dating a fashion blogger? G: To be honest, I find it difficult to be in certain situations, because everything I do is kind of behind the scenes so I don’t like to go to events…But its amazing to see how he just rolls out of bed with not a lot of intention or thought to what he’s throwing on and it’s really beautiful to watch what he comes up with, it’s just a natural talent. That’s his art. He’s so generous and patient..he’s just so lovely and kind with everything and everyone.

Whats a fun fact about him? G: He knows every single actor, ever. Even if they were in like a ketchup commercial. He’s really good. He’s an incredible reference puller, you’ll be looking at a shade of pink and be like ‘that’s a great shade’ and he will be like thats the shade of pink she was wearing in this fashion campaign.

Anything else about Denny? G: He’s obsessed with AMT. Hell lock the doors, and come back in the middle of the night to double-check that they’re locked. D: Like i said, its like my family.

 

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