Kathleen Sorbara has an eye for clothes that outlast the trends that made them. Look no further than Sorbara’s, her Brooklyn vintage shop, which is a haven for the elevated over the disposable. This fall she’s giving the floor to designers she loves, hosting Japanese knitwear and lingerie label Haze on September 17 and LA sportswear brand HORSE on October 1. Here, Kathleen shares the places that move her, the artists whose radical lives she reveres, and the long drives that clear her head.

Three places you’ve felt inspired by.

The Surf Club Restaurant at the Four Seasons Hotel in Florida; Yellow Rose Cafe and Bar in Williamsburg, Brooklyn; Lincoln Center, Upper West Side, Manhattan.

What's your hot take?

My hot take is that we need more regular restaurants in New York City. Enough small plates!

What do you listen to on repeat?

Rihanna, “Kiss It Better”.

What are the most worthwhile investment you've made?

The most worthwhile investments have always been in myself. The wear and tear of being a small business owner has really taken a toll on my mental health this summer, so I've tried to maintain as much of a wellness routine as I can sustain. Over the past year, I've deepened my swimming practice, I joined a gym in January. I try to swim a few times a week. I started getting back into swimming after a long hiatus since high school, I used to be on the swim team. I really love Press Massage in Williamsburg (although they have a few locations all over NYC), their entire team is consistent, I've never had a mediocre massage there. I've also dealt with extreme insomnia my whole life, and I finally invested in myself and started seeing a psychiatrist a few years ago. I can very easily say this has been the biggest investment for me with the largest payoff, as having a consistent sleep schedule has made the biggest impact to my health — it's given me the ability to have consistency in my life, build new routines, and achieve goals that I wasn't able to when I was struggling.

What is an unusual habit, or an absurd thing, that you love?

Driving really clears my head. I've driven up and down the East Coast, all the way to NYC from Florida, and back down to Florida. I've done my fair share of driving up and down the West Coast, too! There's something about a long drive (and a full bag of sunflower seeds to snack on) that really clears my head.

Who is your forever inspo?

Georgia O'Keeffe, Eartha Kitt, Liza Minnelli, Giorgio Armani, Marc Jacobs, Gena Rowlands, Alvin Ailey, Suzanne Farrell — the list goes on and on. I feel so inspired by individuals that have lived radical lives and found their unique voices through a deep artistic practice, those life stories are always the ones I find myself drawn to and fascinated by. I have a hard time relating to people and stories that haven't faced much hardship.

Write us a fortune cookie.

You don't have to do anything that you don't want to do.

Check out Kathleen on Instagram and Cosmos →