The End of An Era—10 Insiders Share What Maryam Nassir Zadeh’s Downtown Store Meant to Them

Thistle Brown, Photographer, Stylist, and Co-Founder of Thistles

“If it hadn’t been for the MNZ store, my life in NYC wouldn’t exist. Maryam saw potential in a fresh-off-the-boat creative like me. I was working as an optometrist assistant in the West Village, newly relocated from college in New Zealand. A friend connected us, and from the moment we met, it felt cosmic.

The store became my home. It was a haven for many, but for me, it provided shelter in countless ways. It turned into a watering hole where ideas flourished and friendships blossomed. Without the store, I wouldn’t have built my career as a stylist, nor would I have ventured into photography. One day, Uday handed me a camera and said, “You get it. Shoot.”

What Mar created with the store left a significant mark—one that many of her contemporaries, as well as the masses, tried to emulate. A friend would send me a photo from a set, or I’d be on a commercial job, and there it would be: a MNZ shoot we did. The influence was always unmistakable. I believe MNZ deserves more credit for the tapestry she wove for countless people who embraced her innate sensibility.