Camera Roll with Zoe Cohen
Camera roll is an interview series where we glimpse into the current moment via the mundane and the ordinary; the life lived in this moment of a global pandemic.
If you stop into Poppy's for a morning coffee, you’ll likely catch Zoe Cohen there doing the same before heading home to work. Along with her boyfriend Levi, Cohen runs Wiggle Room — a furniture studio the couple founded after having a hard time finding an ideal coffee table. So now, they make wiggly, colorful tables together. As day turns to evening, you might pass Zoe by while walking around Soho and the Lower East Side or dining at The Odeon, Roman’s, or The Long Island Bar (which, contrary to what you may suspect, is not on Long Island). Read on as Zoe recounts the ups and downs of throwing herself into work, her recent month-long trip to Italy, and her newfound passion for chili crisp.
Where are you right now?
Brooklyn, NY.
how many images do you have in your camera roll?
80,723 (omg).
What’s your morning routine?
Almost every morning starts with a walk to Poppy's — a truly perfect coffee shop near my house in Carroll Gardens. I work from home, so starting the day by getting out of the house and moving my body feels like an important routine.
Tell us a little bit about your background and journey.
I grew up on the Upper West Side in Manhattan and made my way downtown after graduating from college. I was always interested in fashion, and when I was younger, I thought that translated to working in fashion design or print magazines — both of which I tried and both of which I failed terribly at.
My first job right out of college was at Marc Jacobs, leading the social media and influencer relations department. Those terms were just beginning to form at the time — and in the early days, it was a lot of convincing people to care about this new chapter of digital media. I stayed at Marc Jacobs for five years and feel insanely grateful for the foundational education I got there. I met a ton of truly amazing people and received a best-in-class fashion bootcamp at an early age.
From there, I jumped into the startup world and was the first hire at Parade, a DTC underwear company that grew quicker than any of us expected. I joined Parade pre-launch and led the brand marketing function for the past two and a half years. This past January, I left to start my own creative consultancy and focus on Wiggle Room, which is a furniture company I started with my boyfriend during the pandemic.
what was it like starting a business?
I started Wiggle Room with my boyfriend, Levi, by accident and without a real process or plan for scaling. We moved into our first apartment together in the fall of 2019 and needed a dining table — so we searched high and low for an interesting option that wasn’t from a mass retailer but wasn’t insanely expensive either. And, after months of searching, we still hadn’t found the perfect one. Levi was interested in woodworking and essentially taught himself how to use various tools through the process of making our dining room table (which became the prototype for the ones we now make). Shortly after that, our friend Susan Alexandra asked Levi to make her one in yellow… and then a bunch of people we didn’t know asked for one too.
Fast forward a year and a half, and Wiggle Room is now a robust furniture company selling nationwide! I feel incredibly grateful for Wiggle Room’s success, particularly considering that I’ve had a full-time job and Levi’s been in a very rigorous graduate school program for its entire existence. We lean on one another a lot and are both very fluent in each other’s areas of the business.
what do your days look like?
Every day is different. I’m on set with clients at least once a week overseeing campaign shoots, and the other days are a mix of meetings, working from home, and preparing for upcoming activations. This new setup allows me to have a much healthier balance between my personal life, Wiggle Room, and consulting for brands. So far, I am LOVING the split and flexibility that this life allows.
how do you strike a balance between work and your personal life?
In the darkest days of the pandemic, I really threw myself into work. I was part of a tiny team building what would become a disruptive player in the DTC space, and I had no separation between my personal life and work life. Over the past year, I’ve spent a lot of time unlearning that behavior because it can be quite emotionally draining after a while. I’ve learned that it’s really important to log off and prioritize yourself because at the end of the day, if you’re not doing that, no one else will. I often try to leave the house around 6pm or 7pm to see friends or take a walk and just decompress. It’s helped immensely, and I feel significantly more balanced than I used to.
what excites you most about the fashion and design worlds, and what do you most wish you could help change?
There are SO many amazing designers emerging right now that are able to have a real voice and presence — I think largely due to social media. Fifteen years ago, there was such a specific playbook of how to launch a brand that has been turned on its head in an exciting way. I think the downside of that is that there’s so much overproduction right now across the board. I’m excited for a new wave of design that feels more thoughtful, slow, and deliberate. We (as a generation) need to be thinking about the environmental impact of the products we’re putting into the world and what their second lives look like once the owner is done with them.
any advice for those with aspirations to get into your line of work?
Meet as many people as possible and trust the journey. Like most industries, fashion and design are so intertwined with relationships and who you know. I went to college in Minnesota and didn’t know anyone in this space before I graduated — but over the years, relationships I’ve made through internships, friends of friends, work, mentors, etc., have all helped me get to where I am today.
When was the last time you did something you’d never done before?
I just got back from a month-long trip to Europe with Levi. I’ve never been truly offline for that long in my adult life — and as someone who has been running a business’s social media account (responsible for daily posting for the past seven years), I had no idea how unbelievably healing that experience would be. Giving myself more extended breaks to be off my phone and email is something I will be prioritizing in 2022.
are there any places or organizations you're supporting or wish you could support?
I’m a huge fan of Creative Growth and Summertime Gallery, which are two truly amazing non-profit art centers that represent artists with developmental, intellectual, and physical disabilities. Their work is phenomenal, and I have my eyes on a painting of two feet with little smiles on each toe.
how do you sustain connection and interaction with the people in your life?
Long dinners, meme sharing, FaceTimes, workout classes, weekend trips, museum visits — my friends truly bring so much joy to my life.
how do you keep active?
SoulCycle and hot yoga.
what’s been inspiring you?
Changing my routine and environment. Traveling is incredibly inspiring to me because it forces me to look at everything with new eyes. I notice details, colors, prints, and shapes that I otherwise would glaze over if I looked at them through my everyday lenses.
What are your skincare and healthcare routines?
I’m a total Biologique Recherche fanatic. All of their products smell dreadful, but I’m convinced that somehow adds to their restorative powers. I use their Lait U face cleanser, P50 Lotion, and Crème Placenta daily. When I’m trying to be extra kind to myself, I’ll also use their Masque Vivant.
How long do you typically spend on your phone in a day?
I don’t keep track because I think I would be horrified by the answer.
last thing you googled on your phone?
My Lips are Sealed Olsen Twins.
What are you listening to?
A lot of doo-wop (always).
What are you reading?
I just started Sally Rooney’s Beautiful World, Where Are You, which I’ve been meaning to read for a while. I’m excited to get into it.
What are you watching?
Euphoria when I want to feel anxious. The Gilded Age when I want to feel smooth.
what are you eating?
I recently discovered a passion for Chili Crisp. I’ve been eating it daily on eggs, toast, chicken — truly anything. It’s a joy, and I highly recommend this one.
what are you drinking?
Orange Wine, Martinis, and Zuzu!
Favorite things you’ve bought in the past year?
I dragged my boyfriend to the Prada outlet when we were in Italy and discovered a pile of Mini Silk Tessuto Bags with embroidered flowers on them from Fall 2019. I screamed and bought two.
images provided by zoe cohen, interview by marina sulmona