Rena Thiagarajan, Founder | Project Bly

The final trade of the first year of The Pixel Trade and Rena made sure we went out with a bang. Rena is the smart girl behind Project Bly, an online experience that shows the craftsmanship of different street markets around the world. She took me into a place that was full of character both on the streets and in the faces of the people. New Jersey. Just a short cold swim across the river from New York City but a world of difference from the way the locals say coffee to the cars that roll up the streets. Old factories are hidden amongst the new houses and in the factories are more hidden stories and cultures.

The Pixel Trade was a mix of subjects, on the first day it was about capturing the streets and old factory textures and day two was inside a factory called All Lace Processing, a family run manufacturer of lace and other materials. Over the years the industry in Jersey boomed and then burnt and these guys are one of the last remaining places who do ‘Made In The USA’ to it’s absolute truth. Why did Rena take me here? Besides it being incredibly interesting she was working with these guys to create pillow cases from the fabrics she found when exploring Ghana. 

Recommended album from Rena
Emmylou Harri | Wrecking Ball

Duration...3 days