Meet the Rhode Island couple who lived in the mall.Michael Townsend and Adriena Yoto spent four years developing their apartment hidden in a nook within the Providence Place Mall. "They camouflaged themselves, carrying empty Nordstrom bags and wearing mall outfits—nice slacks and button-down shirts....They made a bed of cardboard and insulation tiles where they spent cold nights, not risking capture by using the mall off-hours. They washed up—it was dusty—in mall bathrooms, while Yoto arrived at the porcelain sink in the Origins store each morning, sampling its face cleansers. Occasionally, they leafed through books at Borders." Crazy—but as the article's author points out, given NYC's current retail make-up, don't we all sort of live in the mall? [Salon]
The pop-up shop Parisian boutique Colette is opening in Midtown with the help of the Gap now has its own website. And from the little that's disclosed there it's clear that the much-anticipated store, open from September 6th through October 5th, will be filled with very interesting merchandise (as if you didn't already expect that). From their site: "The Colette x Gap store will offer a mix of hard-to-find products from around the world and several exclusive collaborations."
Things to look forward to: Paris x NYC artists tees by Andre x Neckface, Thomas Lelu x Tobias Wong and Miss Tic x Claw Money; "exclusive products" by Adam Kimmel, Clements Ribeiro x Karen Nicol, Converse, Repetto and Longchamp; and items from Comme des Garcons, Oakley, Le Labo and Uslu Airlines. It's too bad that the space set aside for this exciting venture is so incredibly tiny.
· Colette x Gap [Official Site]
· Colette's Coming [Racked]
In Midtown, tourists continue to queue up to enter Abercrombie & Fitch's flagship on Fifth Avenue. "Nothing new going on in there, no new collection to see. Just the same old obnoxiously over branded tees and cargo pants. When I asked people in line what they were waiting for, they just said 'clothes.'" You have to admit, though: If you want to see torso, it's cheaper than going to a male strip club. [NonSociety]
British men's luxury brand Alfred Dunhill is trading up from its shoebox on Fifth Avenue to a shiny new storefront (that hopes to be LEED-certified) at 545 Madison Avenue. As they continue to rip out the old dark wood interior of the Fifth Avenue location, the newer light wood interior is already in place on Madison, meaning they might just make their target July 2008 opening.
At their new location, you'll be ogling more than just the leather goods; Madison Avenue will carry "the full extent of Alfred Dunhill luxury product offerings, including menswear, leather, men's jewelry, writing instruments, timepieces, gifts and games." There's even a basement for bespoke and buried treasures like Truman Capote's Dunhill tuxedo worn at a 1966 "Black & White Ball" and original sketches of a suit made for Frank Sinatra. We're betting that Jude Law, currently the face of Dunhill, will show up for the grand opening with (hopefully) a bulldog in tow.
· Dunhill [Official Site]
· Dunhill Inks Lease in Plaza District [bNet]
· Relocations: Dunhill [Racked]
Recession? What recession? Fifth Avenue is doing quite well, thank you very much, and a whole bunch of new stores are opening, including Kira Plastina (which is sort of the Russian Forever 21), surfer shop Quicksilver, and an Italian watch company called Morellato & Sector. All three will come to a section of Fifth known to real estate brokers as (we love this) SOS, or "South of Saks." One, in a flurry of broker-speak, describes the influx thus: "It's starting to look like lower Broadway in SoHo, with a touch of fashion and electronics, and the panache of the international." [NYDN]
Brace yourselves, department store shoppers of Fifth Avenue, as today Lord & Taylor at 424 Fifth Avenue and West 38th Street welcomed a graffiti crew to do over the windows. The exhibit, lasting through July 27th, is all part of L&T's new "Art in Action" project to showcase exclusive artwork in an effort to hip-ify their image and appeal to a wider audience than the usual blue-haired biddies.
This completely off the wall (haha) exhibit is actually being created today, LIVE, by the renowned Bronx-based graffiti muralists TATS CRU. The 11 windows of designs, executed by five artists from TATS CRU, "depict a dazzling mix of graffiti forms and fashion imagery in the brilliant colors typical of the attention grabbing style of the genre." Hey, if their work is good enough for the Smithsonian and Second Avenue alike, then we're sure there won't be any crying over a little spilled krink.
Only a few storefronts down from the as-yet-unopened Kira Plastinina Midtown sits an utterly gutted building which will become the flagship boutique for Fossil Accessories.
According to the Fossil website, the store at 38 West 34th Street will ideally open this summer, but as you can see the zone is still very much a hard hat area. This will be Fossil's second Manhattan store after the one at Fifth Ave and 44th Street, carrying all of their lines inspired by vintage Americana. Yep, this will not be another watch store; their very Coachesque sunglasses, handbags, jewelry and other small leather goods are quite a cushy source of income for Fossil and will totally attract tourists for a few more NY souvenirs they could have probably bought at home.
· Fossil Jumps on the Eco-Tote Bandwagon [Racked]
This little piece of hand-written cuteness dropped into our mailbox yesterday (our real, physical mailbox - omg) from Arden B. at Fifth Ave and West 16th Street.
Seems as though they've got 50% off dresses. $19.00 basics! Go over and check it out! But let us first have a moment of silence for the poor girl at Arden B. who had to sit and sharpie-up probably a thousand of these postcards.
· Arden B. [Official Site]
Brooklyn boutique mini-chain Bird is beloved by many ladies for it's excellent selection of designer merchandise from labels like Rachel Comey, 3.1 Phillip Lim and Tsumori Chisato. And soon, men will be able to get in on the action. We've just received word that owner Jennifer Mankins will be shuttering the current Bird Park Slope (at 430 Seventh Ave) to open another Slope store on bustling Fifth Ave. From the email:
Our new location in Brooklyn, 316 5th Avenue, will not only carry our usual hand-picked selection of women’s clothing and accessories (including the first shipment of our new line of eco-knitwear, Green Bird!), but will also carry menswear, which we’re super excited about.
Label:Frette Deal:70% off fine Italian linens and "Frette to Wear," including men's and women's loungewear, slippers, and unmentionables When/Where:Monday, June 16th through Thursday, June 19th. Daily 10am—6pm. 4 W 58th St at Fifth Ave, fourth floor (646-233-3438).
Yet another of the city's huge plywood presences, the construction site of the Armani monolith at 717 Fifth Avenue and 56th Street, progresses - but it may find Giorgio's original Milan store a tough act to follow. Fulfilling Armani's vision of a one-stop shopping experience, the Via Manzoni location even includes a florist and bakery - perhaps part of the legacy to be passed on to the New York location. In the 47,000 square feet behind the mausoleum-like Fifth Avenue facade, Armani plans to house his world: the signature Giorgio Armani label, Emporio Armani, Armani Jeans, Armani Junior, Armani Casa (yay for furniture!), Armani eyewear, fragrances, jewelry, watches, beauty and who knows what else. We're thinking a ticket counter for the rumored Armani Airline would be a nice touch.
· The Armani Takes Manhattan [Racked]
· First Look: Inside Armani's Midtown Masterpiece [Racked]
The timing couldn't be more perfect: New York is awash with Sex and the City tourists and bookstores are hyping the beach reads. Enter author Lauren Weisberger, of The Devil Wears Prada fame, whose newest contribution to chic lit is getting some heavy promotion through July from Fifth Avenue's tony jeweler Harry Winston. Appropriately named Chasing Harry Winston, the book follows a trio of 30-somethings on the prowl for a diamond-sealed perfect love life. Now Weisberger is no Plum Sykes, but this may be the fluffiest read of the season, only worthy of a few skinny latte stains. If only the window had done it right: the cover clearly depicts a Louboutin skewering the rings, but Harry Winston instead substituted a few heels of their own.
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The pop-up shop Parisian boutique Colette is opening in Midtown with the help of the Gap now has its own website. And from the little that's disclosed there it's clear that the much-anticipated store, open from September 6th through October 5th, will be filled with very interesting merchandise (as if you didn't already expect that). From their site: "The Colette x Gap store will offer a mix of hard-to-find products from around the world and several exclusive collaborations."
Brooklyn boutique mini-chain Bird is beloved by many ladies for it's excellent selection of designer merchandise from labels like Rachel Comey, 3.1 Phillip Lim and Tsumori Chisato. And soon, men will be able to get in on the action. We've just received word that owner Jennifer Mankins will be shuttering the current Bird Park Slope (at 430 Seventh Ave) to open another Slope store on bustling Fifth Ave. From the email:
