We are the Middle of Nowhere, an Introduction

Hello, My name is Ty McBride. In my full time job and life, I travel non stop, I am often seen lugging suitcases, sample bags, and my giant black work bag from Lyft, to tradeshow, to flight, to amtrak. I live bi-coastally and travel globally for work. Three years ago, I arrived in Madrid off of a redeye, the Sunday morning sun was creeping into the city as I got off the transit from the airport at Atocha Station. I always stay near, same hotel, same coffee place, I love a monomaniacal routine. I made my way by foot to the hotel as cafes cracked open and as the clock pushed to 7am. I checked in and was told to come back and four and I headed for my coffee spot, my go to tiny place where I always grab a bevvie and snack on my quick passes through the capital. Due to it being a sunday, they were closed, and I sat on the bench wondering what to do in the early hours. I googled “Madrid Flea Market” and within a matter of minutes I was in a taxi to El Rasto–it was my second trip to the market but my first time in many years.

I strolled the tents but the side streets spilling onto the sidewalk are always where I find the best deals and items up my design alley.

As I shopped, I remember thinking,  my tiny house is getting full, and “Do I really need this vase?” It was there in this market that I decided to start buying, to start sourcing and collecting with something bigger in mind. I was unsure what it would be, how it would morph and what it would become. But I started anyway. As I began buying and compiling the vision took shape, and the intention became clear. I started with a concept: The Middle of Nowhere. This works for me in several ways:

• I was born and raised in a very rural area, the closest airport is BOI, which of course you have never heard of, as it stands for Boise International Airport, not a tiny teenage dyke flipping a gender word play game.

• After years of living in big cities, I once again find myself in The Middle of Nowhere. I live in Hudson NY, a special kind of nowhere, a weekend community, tiny then not, then tiny again as the weekends come and go. I never thought I would live outside of mass transit, hustle and bustle, but here I am once again somewhere very specific and very in love with it.

• And lastly for my work, I often find myself in odd places, odd situations with a day to kill, or time on my hands until the next flight. In these destinations I found inspiration, I found junk stores, and I found objects and sellers with stories. Often communicating with my phone, bargaining with my charm and shopping with M.O.N. in mind I fill a suitcase and ask the concierge at the hotel “Do you know where I can buy bubble wrap?

I started filling up my garage. I shopped and unpacked. I filled that space and I touched each item. I set it to live in my mind imagining how it might be brought back to life in someone’s dream space, or made special as the perfect gift.

This launch of sourcing antiques and vintage, led me to my workings with small makers and artisans. As M.O.N. took shape, I wanted the store to feel more me, more how I like to shop, and how I relate to retail. My best friend and I refer to stores like this as “A Feeling,” and that is what I wanted. So I started researching. A fragrance collab from Mexico City, a soap line from Istanbul, a unisex shoe that is upcycled by artisans in Turkiye, ceramics and rugs from Oaxaca, the list goes on and my inventory grew and grew until an opportunity fell into my lap. When I told the owner and friend, Hillary France from Wylde Hudson about my project and basement bursting at the seams, she asked me if I would consider a residency in her pop up space for high season. The rest was simple, the rest happened fast, and it’s wild the colors you see when you put a dream in motion.

Currently we are working on getting the site off the ground, curating the store and space as we push through our 8 week residency at Wylde. The next steps for M.O.N.? Stay tuned and follow along @destination.mon for updates. What we know for sure is you can always expect from us a human forward approach to sourcing and artisan representation. You can rest assured we focus on a love of craft, a love of the story and a true addiction to the curation of cherished items that resonate with us, and with you.