Fancy yourself a t-shirt designer? In need of three million yen? Japanese chain Uniqlo is calling for submissions to their annual "t-shirt design Olympics," the UT Grand Prix. The winning design will be sold in stores, plus then there's that cash prize. The application period remains open until September 21, so get cracking. [Shift Blog]
Today Sephora turns ten years old, and they're celebrating with a big old paper cake (pictured, out on the sidewalk) at the original, and first New York City Sephora at 555 Broadway in Soho. A tipster, who sent in a photo of the festivities, writes: "Notice that they've repainted the storefront for the special occasion; now it's all white and creamy—instead of grey and gloomy like it's been for the past 10 years." Inside the store, reps from makeup and product companies are giving out samples, a DJ is spinning some tunes, and we've heard they're also offering free facials and spray tans.
· Store Events at Sephora [Sephora.com]
Union Square's mighty outdoor outfitter Paragon Sports has jumped on the eco bandwagon. No, they won't be handing over your spandex bike shorts in a hemp tote or soliciting donations for a save the ferns charity. Instead, Paragon has decked out its windows along Broadway to inspire human-powered activities over road trips.
There are the brilliant (track shoes as "alternative fuel" and cycling as "one less car") and the questionable (aerobics as "carbon footprint" and going to the beach as "conserving for the future"), but it still makes a striking and thoughtful display. Next time you just have to swing by Union Square to pick up a canoe or a new Squash racquet, you can feel now better about your expensive sports hobbies.
· Paragon Sports [Official Site]
· Green Depot Breaks Ground on Bowery [Racked]
· Whole Foods Straps on the Feed Bags [Racked]
Starting today, Brooklyn theatergoers no longer have to go into Manhattan for half-price tickets to Broadway and off-Broadway shows. TKTS opens its third booth this morning at 1 MetroTech Center, right in front of the Jay Street-Borough Hall station. This is a second coming of sorts for TKTS, which operated a booth out of Cadman Plaza in the '80s and '90s. It didn't last, but the Theater Development Fund is betting on downtown Brooklyn's resurgence, what with three new hotels in the works and the Real World coming to town. Most ticket-buyers will probably be local, though; unlike the booth in Times Square, this one accepts credit cards, but we're not sure that's enough to lure tourists over the bridge.
· Downtown Brooklyn TKTS Booth Opens Today [Gowanus Lounge]
· Downtown Brooklyn Readies Its New TKTS Booth [NY1]
· Countdown to Brooklyn TKTS Grand Opening Begins [McBrooklyn]
Judging by the pile of trash outside and the fact that "Summer 2008" is half over, the True Religion at Broadway and West 17th Street on the corner of Union Square should be welcoming the denim-worshiping masses soon. This will be the fourth Manhattan store from the premium label, edging towards their goal of four new stores this year (the others are on the UES, Wall Street and in the Time Warner Center).
Even though True Religion is psyched for their new spot, saying that Union Square "is recognized for its distinct character and premier shopping attractions making it an ideal location for [their] fourth store in Manhattan," there will be competition riding all up on their be-denimed behinds; let's not forget that $250 jeans can be had on either side of them at both G-Star Raw and Diesel. In fact, you pretty much can't escape any of these labels anymore; they are everywhere.
· True Religion [Official Site]
· True Religion Converts Manhattan [Racked]
SOHO— Mark your calendars: The blog Fashion Binge has actual dates for the long-awaited opening of Topshop's first New York store. They're predicting either October 16, 17, or 18, so expect lots of girls in fedoras dressed as Kate Moss for Halloween. [Fashion Binge]
MEPA— America's bees are disappearing. It sounds like something out of an M. Night Shyamalan film, but it's a serious ecological problem, and Earnest Sewn is trying to do something about it. Their installation A New Hive (which we described last week) opens this Thursday at their flagship store. Along with bee-related art, it'll showcase limited-edition accessories; proceeds go to bee research. [men.style.com]
LITTLE ITALY— Come September, the famous line at DiPalo's Dairy might be a thing of the past: The cheese shop is doubling in size. Even better, in August DiPalo's Wine Shop is opening next door. [NYMag]
Come summer, you see retailers around the city leaving the doors of their stores propped wide open in the hopes of enticing shoppers in with blasts of frigid air conditioning. In protest of this decidedly carbon-non-neutral trend we bring you, This Store Blows, highlighting the city's worst offenders. Want to join forces with us? Contributions, accompanied by a photo, are always accepted.
Store: Daffy's, 462 Broadway at Grand Street Date: 7/02/08. Time: 20 minutes ago. Why This Store Blows: Come for the air conditioning, stay for the weird wicker furniture section and racks of thin, low-v-neck men's sweaters that'd pair perfectly with a gold necklace and and a dollop of hair gel.
· This Store Blows Archives [Racked]
Come summer, you see retailers around the city leaving the doors of their stores propped wide open in the hopes of enticing shoppers in with blasts of frigid air conditioning. In protest of this decidedly carbon-non-neutral trend we bring you, This Store Blows, highlighting the city's worst offenders. Want to join forces with us? Contributions, accompanied by a photo, are always accepted.
Stores: Urban Outfitters, Best Buy, American Apparel, David Z, Marc Jacobs, Versani, Forecast, Michael K., Old Navy Date: 6/26/08. Time: 6:30 to 7PM. Why These Stores Blow: To quote our photographer: "I gave up taking photos because there were just so many with their doors open." When the brownout comes, we'll be looking at you, Broadway retailers.
· This Store Blows Archives [Racked]
A commenter reports that prices at the Alexander Wang sample sale still underway at 386 Broadway in Tribeca have already dropped: "I stopped by this evening after work and they had slashed $40 off most prices." [Racked Comments]
Today marks the second day of the Alexander Wang sample sale (continuing through Saturday) at 386 Broadway, where you can score some of the real Wang for the prices of his Uniqlo collection. Popping in last night, we spotted plenty of blousy dresses and cashmere left after the "vips" had their go at it, not to mention tons of shoppers who wisely brought along their main gays stylists for efficient decision making. Prices range from $40 for basics to $200 for some seriously detailed monochromatic dresses kept prim in their plastic sheaths.
Sadly, we didn't spot any famous faces like Fashionista did, but there sure were a lot of very tiny girls stripping down to their best underwear for the occasion. The crowd had come fully prepared for a winner-takes-Wang battle, but seeing that they could shop leisurely in the dwindling evening sun set a pleasant tone for the entire sale. Surprisingly there was no line to check out and they will be restocking daily.
Even though Soho's highly profitable summer of retail is just beginning, some stores are just not feeling the love from tourist dollars in time. Case in point: Soho Lab. Don't let the cheery "Now Closing!" sign on the window fool you; the interior is pretty bleak with half the store sold out and the detritus priced down to 50% off. This isn't the end of the brand, just their Soho location—and the beginning of explanations of their name that begin, "Soho isn't just a neighborhood, but a state of mind, dude..." You can still find Soho Lab shoes at existing Skechers stores, but call to the store revealed no plans for relocation.
· Soho Lab [Official Site]
Comic book stores have begun the macabre task of designing Dark Knight windows in anticipation of the film's debut. "As one of Manhattan's few comic stores with street level display windows, Forbidden Planet would have been foolish not to take advantage of the building anticipation for July 18th when the movie hits screens, and has devoted its prime, normally jumbled, Broadway window to the latest collectible figures from the upcoming film against a leering image of Heath Ledger's Joker with his new catchphrase, 'Why so serious?' scrawled above. Considering how this film is being sold, look for some more unusual marketing initiatives to pop up around town during the next couple of weeks." [The Shophound]
Like we said yesterday, the phone companies are out to get you, but this isn't actually anything new. What is news, however, is that the thinly sliced retail spot sitting vacant at 532 Broadway at Spring has finally found a new tenant: AT&T. Slated to open at the beginning of July, we're betting AT&T gave in to the Soho high rent because of some research telling them that Soho is nearly saturated with iphones in need of wireless plan support.
Soho: Another storefront on the dodgy end of Broadway is getting polished up for a big retail chain. According to top-level Racked sources (and a visit to the brand's website), 441 Broadway will soon be the home of a G-Star boutique. The denim label's third location in NYC, after Nolita and Union Square, is slated to open within the next six to eight months. You really can never have too many pair of jeans—or spots to purchase them in.
· Now Open: G-Star, Shobha [Racked]
· Premium Denim Proliferation: A Primer [Racked]
The transformation of 600 Broadway from an innocuous Pottery Barn store to the dark lord Hollister has begun. The building has been covered with a sleeve of ply as workers crawl all over the facade, and inside, teams are busy ripping stuff up. The rumored opening date isn't 'til July of 2009, but those beefcake posters won't hang themselves. As if the chaos of the Hollister prep isn't enough, construction teams are also busy digging up the intersection of Broadway and Houston just next to the store, making the area even more hellish that it usually is.
· Guess That's It For Pottery Barn Broadway [Racked]
· 'Tis True: A&F Commandeering DKNY Billboard [Racked]
· In Soho, When One Mall Store Closes, Another Will Rise In Its Place [Racked]
WWD has Topshop on the brain today, devoting a significant amount of ink to the British retailer's first US location: "[the] 40,000-square-foot store [will be] composed of four selling floors; glossy shelving; futuristic lighting tubes and a DJ booth, both suspended from the ceiling; an 'army' of mannequins; a shoe lounge; 32 changing rooms, and a VIP suite for the expected celebrity clientele. For a moderate-to-better-priced store, the service, executives contend, will rival that of a luxury retailer, with personal shoppers, or 'stylists,' for women for the Topshop line, and 'style advisers' for men for the company's Topman brand...As for pricing, that will adhere to the London strategy—no price promotions." [WWD, subscription req]
Sauntering down Broadway late last night, we were attracted over to the Prada window by things other than the magical wood nymphs currently decorating the store. A small white piece of paper was taped to the far left column next to the store's entrance at 575 Broadway at Prince, warning that "Vendors are not permitted in front of this building. Summonses will be issued." Does Prada really believe that one 8'x11" photocopy and 4 pieces of scotch tape will deter the briefcase watch men? While there is some photographic evidence of there having been at least one (food) vendor in front of Prada, we're wondering how long has this been going on. If the vendors are pushed off any more prime corners on Broadway, then where will the tourists buy their purses?
· Critical Shopping: Prada [Racked]
As anticipated openings go, the unveiling of Topshop Soho is going to rank up there with the debut of the very first US outpost of Muji or Uniqlo—that is to say, a lot of people are looking forward to this. So we were very interested to hear a rumor from a reputable source stating that the UK store's planned October 10th opening will be practically impossible to hit.
Apparently, the fast-fashion chain's plans for the interior of the space at 478 Broadway would require a big team working almost round-the-clock to complete, which is something that Sir Philip Green is unwilling to shell out for. Word is that the interior, now hidden behind a massive plywood wall, is "just a big hole," and one architecture firm has already ditched the project because what Topshop's asking is completely unrealistic. Time to hope for a miracle.
· RackedWire: Topshop Sets a Date, Cartoons Cover Uniqlo [Racked]
· First Look: Inside Topshop Soho [Racked]
· All Topshop Soho Coverage [Racked]
NOHO—More on the Crunch Soho/Noho(?) closing tragedy, from a tipster: "Crunch on 623 Broadway in Soho is definitely closing. Just got a notice from Crunch yesterday saying they 'were not able to come to mutually agreeable terms in extending [their] lease with the building and will be turning off the last treadmill at 11 pm on June 30, 2008.' Not all is lost for us Soho Crunchites. They are offering a reduced monthly rate of $10 off current agreement AND complimentary upgrade to all All Crunch membership (access to all Crunch locations)." [RackedWire]
HARLEM—An addendum to that post about Baby Phat closing their Soho flagship. A commenter writes, "They are opening a new store on 125th street later this year." That will be one interesting opening party. Invite, please. [Racked Comments]
Soho: If you went to the trouble to erect a massive wall of plywood over your construction site, why not make the vertical space do double duty as a giant advertisement? Topshop has seen fit to cover its storefront at 478 Broadway with an image of supermodel and guest designer Kate Moss reclining in the surf in a sparkly gown. A sign that the icon will be present at the store's opening in October? One can hope.
· Storecasting: Topshop Goes Wooden on Broadway [Racked]
· RackedWire: Topshop Sets a Date, Cartoons Cover Uniqlo [Racked]
· First Look: Inside Topshop Soho [Racked]
Noho: If the rumors we're hearing are true, the city will soon be down one Crunch location. The news, hot off the elliptical: "My sister goes to Crunch and last night as she was leaving a class, the instructor was making an announcement that the Noho/Soho (location on Broadway and Houston) will be closed by the end of June to make way for either a NYU dorm or condos. It seems like Crunch had no idea what they were going to do for it’s members that have a membership lasting beyond the end of June." To the place's credit, it is much less Crunch-like than other Crunches, particularly the garish scene on Lafayette nearby, so we're sure a lot of members are going to be put out by the shuttering. And seriously, it's almost beach season. How cruel can you be?
· Crunch Soho [Official Site]
Soho: It was a short five months ago that Cali skate/surf/snowboarding brand Volcomannounced their plans to "invade" our city with their first New York store at 446 Broadway, but recon at the scene yesterday showed the location almost ready to go. When we dropped by, workers were lugging what looked like seating into the space, and a cursory peek inside revealed a close-to-completed interior. According to a source, the store will open this Saturday, May 31st—just in time for boardshort season.
One high/low collaboration we didn't hear much about stateside was the partnering of fast-fashion chain Mango and designer Osman Yousefzada. Afghanistan-born Yousefzada launched a small collection of LBDs (little black dresses) with Mango to a lot of European press on March 17th; the frocks, which range in price from $149 to $99, are currently available in the chain's Soho store at 561 Broadway and online. After seeing them in person, we can't say we're too impressed with the construction, shape and materials used. Other shoppers must feel the same way: More than two months after they were rolled out, the garments are still languishing on a rack in the back of the Broadway store.
· Osman Yousefzada [Official Site]
· Mango [Official Site]
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Starting today, Brooklyn theatergoers no longer have to go into Manhattan for half-price tickets to Broadway and off-Broadway shows. TKTS 
SOHO— Mark your calendars: The blog Fashion Binge has 
NOHO—More on the Crunch Soho/Noho(?) 
