Susan Korn (aka Susan Alexandra)

Susan Korn Alexandra on Box Cutters, Labne, Chanteclair Musk Laundry Detergent, and more.

June 8, 2021

By clicking "SUBSCRIBE" you agree to our Terms and Privacy conditions.

—

New York City’s Susan Korn is the founder & designer of Susan Alexandra, the brand behind the iconic beaded bags, necklaces, and earrings you’ve likely seen your favorite cool person wearing whether it’s Emily Ratajkowski in a custom necklace or Alison Roman rocking the Shrimp Cocktail earrings for her Perfectly Imperfect photo. Alexandra’s fun, maximalist, and colorful designs have been making a huge splash in a scene dominated by minimalism, and this success has lead to her opening a store (coming soon) at 33 Orchard Street in the Lower East Side! Susan has great taste and lucky for us, she’s here to talk about what she’s been into.Without further ado

📦🔪

My Box Cutter

I have been in the business of absolutely murdering my poor scissors for years. I put them in the "spread eagle" position and use them to slash open all of my many online purchase boxes. They have been continuously stretched beyond their capabilities. All this has changed since I made the shift to my special box cutter. I bought it at the Ace hardware store on 1st avenue. It wasn't the cheapest but also not the most expensive. It was probably around $12 and it's radically transformed my day to day existence.

🎵

Jean Sablon radio

Last summer I spent a lot of time pining over this boy that I had been on and off with for 2 years. He told me this one story about a long boozy summer lunch he had in Brittany and it wouldn't leave my mind. I so deeply wanted to be there and a part of a world where people have long boozy lunches in Brittany. One thing I love about anything (food, movies, books, music) is if it makes me feel like I'm in a different time and place. I decided to fill my home with music that would transport me to Paris in the era of "Gigi", which is this radio station. It's so wistful and nostalgic of my past life as a sexually empowered courtesan. Also, things did not work out with that guy.

🧺

Chanteclair Musk Laundry Detergent

I am very into SCENT. I am wild for SCENT. I also HATE certain SCENTS (if a guy smells bad, it's the end of it 4 me. Conversely, if he smells good, it's devastating 4 me). All that to say, this laundry detergent which I found at a magical italian grocer in NJ, has made my life such a better place to be. It's a really soft, clean musk that lightly lingers on your clothes and sheets. My clothes are dried on a rack instead of in the dryer (for the environment!) which makes everything crispy, it's very Ferrante-esque.

🍴

Labne

I was lucky enough to be a guest at Naomi Fry and Ohad Meromi's Rosh Hashanah dinner where they served probably one of the most jarringly delicious things that's ever passed through my mouth. "Labne!" Naomi exclaimed to my query, "isn't it amazing?". It is SO amazing. I have since incorporated it into my day to day. I mix it with Tahini, frozen cherries, honey and cinnamon OR make a sort of deconstructed tuna noodle casserole (banza pasta, tuna, peas, labne, olive oil, salt, pepper). You can also mix it with zatar, lemon juice and salt and you have a Michelin level crudite dip.

🥛

SA drinking glasses

I didn't realize how important the vessels we use to eat and drink from actually are to the gastronomic experience until I started making my own glasses. My new collection of hand blown glasses have completely and utterly transformed the beverage experience. They're SO pretty and they have such a nice "hand" (and industry term, don't worry about it!). There is one glass that is the color of raspberry ice with a beautiful butter yellow flower adorning the front that makes my morning chlorophyll water the most fabulous part of my day.

PERFECTLY IMPERFECT IS A CULT FAVORITE NEWSLETTER AND AN APP FOR YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS

We've interviewed guests like Lorde, Olivia Rodrigo, Francis Ford Coppola, Charli XCX, Ayo Edebiri, Michael Imperioli, Emma Chamberlain, Clairo, Ice Spice, Molly Ringwald, Weyes Blood, Jeremy O. Harris, Conner O'Malley, Rayne Fisher Quann, Julian Casablancas, Alexa Chung, Mac Demarco, Moses Sumney, Omar Apollo, Suki Waterhouse, Narwuar, The Dare, and hundreds more in the Perfectly Imperfect Archive.

The history of PI is well-documented by The New York Times, NYMag, Vanity Fair, Interview Mag, Flaunt, Office, The Verge, and NPR.

Susan Korn (aka Susan Alexandra)

RELATED

Perfectly Imperfect