The Riveter teams up with Anthropologie to host a monthly book club, promote captivating conversation and imaginative styling among #RiveterNation.

by Anna Meyer

photographs by Hailey Brumley

Yesterday evening was the first meeting for The Riveter‘s new book club in Minneapolis. The night included a healthy dose of discussion, styling and macaroons. In partnership with Anthropologie at the West End, The Riveter is hosting a book club event every third Wednesday of the month to bring interesting people together and fictional characters to life through conversation and styling.

June’s book choice was The Clasp by Sloane Crosley, which was featured in Issue 3 and on the blog in the past. We can’t get enough of Crosley’s writing, and the engaging themes in The Clasp made it easy for us to talk about the thoughts we had while reading. The book features a prominent jewelry motif throughout (ergo the title), which lead to conversation about accessories, personal heirlooms that have been passed down to us by mothers and grandmothers, and our favorite style icons and how we embody them when we get dressed in the morning. We also discussed an idea that was played with by Alana Levinson in her “I Call This Look…” series, in that every single day we are performing an identity that overlaps with our daily experiences. One day we can dress as a confident boardroom woman in a blazer, and another day we can be the relaxed chick kicking it in her sweatpants and Vans; it’s all about bringing to life whoever you wish to embody that day.

Just as we create our own vision for ourselves while choosing our look for the day, everyone creates their own picture in their head of what a character looks like and what their personal aesthetic is while reading. That’s the beauty of the imagination and a good ol’ fashioned book.  Using the character descriptions and personality quirks, we brought the two female leads of The Clasp to reality by styling potential outfits with clothes and accessories from the store. Crosley did this herself while writing the novel, by bringing her characters to life and the styles she envisioned into a tangible necklace she designed in collaboration with LuLu Frost.

Long story short, this is not your average book club.

July’s book club pick is The Girls by Emma Cline; a fictional tale that has received fast-growing praise and popularity about a young woman’s involvement with a domineering cult leader and his eager followers in the late sixties. If you’d like to attend, or if you’re interested in learning more information about The Riveter‘s book club series with Anthropologie, email WestEndMinnPS@anthropologie.com.

 

Anna Meyer is The Riveter’s Editorial Brand Assistant. She is a Minneapolis native currently pursuing journalism and creative writing at the University of Kansas. She enjoys experimenting with charcoal drawing, plastic toy cameras, and she’s most likely waking up early for yoga this weekend. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter.

Hailey Brumley is an intern with The Riveter and a stylist and model in the Minneapolis area. Check out what she’s up to on Instagram.