As a small business ourselves, we know that there’s nothing more important than community. That’s why we were so excited to collaborate with Tilit, a family business that creates high-quality workwear for chefs, cooks, and hospitality workers.
This shoot served to spotlight Tilit’s beautiful work coveralls, but we also wanted to pay our respects to New York’s community fridges, which have been a shining example of community engagement and mutual aid in a dark, isolating time.
Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, these fridges have sprung up all over New York and hundreds of other cities, encouraging donations and offering free food to people in need.
This project meant a lot to us — we loved working with another small local business on a personally driven project that raised awareness for a good cause. Since video production and food/hospitality are two sectors that were hit especially hard by the pandemic, this collaboration felt like a testament to the power of small businesses working together.
In the spirit of safety and intimacy, our crew was tiny for this shoot. That’s JP in the garage, Melanie Sallier on the motorcycle, and Craig Carlsen behind the camera. We first learned about Tilit when Melanie was gifted one of their aprons, so she was especially excited to join the project and showcase a product she actually uses and loves.
At its core, this video is a love letter to all the things that make New York one of America’s most vibrant communities: those iconic Brooklyn streets, bustling local farmer’s markets, and the community fridges that remind us we’re all in this together.
You can learn more about New York’s community fridges here: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/08/nyregion/free-food-fridge-nyc.html.
- pictures by Craig Carlsen & Melanie Sallier