Label:Diane T Deal:Up to 60% off clothing and accessories from lines like Vanessa Bruno, Marc Jacobs, DVF and Rebecca Taylor When/Where:Through Wednesday, August 20th. Tue—Fri 11am—7:30pm; Sat 11am—6:30pm; Sun 1—5:30pm. 174 Court St at Bergen St, Cobble Hill, Brooklyn (718-923-5777).
In response to the news (taken badly by many) that another high-end boutique would be setting up shop on Bleecker Street, a commenter writes: "To place all of the new stores on Bleecker into a lifeless category is foolhardy, especially since such stores are creating more pedestrian traffic, a proxy for street life, on a stretch of Bleecker that previously got little attention. The magnetic appeal of Ralph Lauren, Brunello Cucinelli, and Marc Jacobs have synergized well with independent Bleecker restos such as August and the remaining antique shops on the street. While some shopowners complain that the influx of luxury retailers has prompted landlords to demand higher rents for the storefronts, many more shopowners praise the increase in traffic driven by the uber-luxe chains for increasing sales across the board for everyone in the area. That said, stop bemoaning the arrival of every new shop on Bleecker." [Racked Comments]
A reader (and commenter) sends word of major markdowns at Barneys: "I was at Barneys yesterday (Friday), and on the men's designer floor (3rd floor) they had taken a third markdown (i.e. now 75% off). Loads of shirts from Paul Smith, Miu Miu, Martin Margiela, Marc Jacobs, Jil Sander, et al. now $130 or less. Many suits and blazers between $300 and $500. Obviously hit and miss regarding sizes, but still a lot of stuff around." [Racked Inbox]
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]
She's back! Our favorite Marc Jacobs salesgirl Ginny Branch, who you might remember from such escapades as thisDomino post and thisLucky article, has been captured by Post fashion blog The Haute List for their very own Street Scenes-esque feature. Now we learn that aside from working at the Marc Jacobs boutique on West 4th and Bank and spending time as a "freelance fashion illustrator," she's developing her own line of...headbands? The post states that in addition to her army surplus shorts, MJ top and shoes and the belt she got from an ex-bf's mom, she's wearing "a headband she designed under the label Year And A Day." Maybe we'll see them in our nearest Marc store soon.
· Scene: NYC streets [The Haute List]
· MJ Shopgirl Goes from Domino Blog to Lucky Mag [Racked]
· Domino Blogger Raked Over the Coals for MJ Post [Racked]
Those who stayed in town for the holiday weekend, and perchance found themselves on Bleecker Street amongst the tourist hordes were witness to a strange event on Saturday afternoon courtesy of luxury leisurewear brand Juicy Couture. A tipster: "Juicy Couture pulled an 'interesting' stunt down Bleeker in the West Village this afternoon. Five women and one man paraded up and down Bleeker, in pink dresses, singing 'God Bless West Village' (to the tune of 'God Bless America,' naturally). Oh and did I mention that they stopped to do a little dance routine with cupcakes? ...Because they did. I'm surprised they had the balls/Thatchers to march into Marc Jacobs Land like that. I'm sure tens of people decided at that moment that they needed some classy velour tracksuits."
Designer/man about town/West Village colonizer Marc Jacobs is on the latest cover of Interview magazine made up to look like Andy Warhol. To celebrate this honor, today Jacobs had his minions place images of the cover photo (and another from the spread) in the windows of two of his Bleecker Street boutiques. According to WWD, rabid Marc fans will be able to purchase tees ($35) and totes ($15) emblazoned with his Warhol-ed out look at the shops, with proceeds benefiting the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh. He knows it's a big wig to fill: On being compared to the legendary artist, Marc said, 'I'm going to get a lot of hell for this.'
· Memo Pad: Fifteen And Then Some... First-Half Fumbles... [WWD, subscription req]
Who knows what statement Barneys is trying to make about Marc Jacobs here. The ad seems to put forth that people who love Marc might be ugly, but at least they're happy. We'll argue that its strategic placement at Mulry Square in the West Village, right above the "Tiles for America" memorial, is to confuse tourists seeking the Marc Jacobs stores of Bleecker Street. Think about it: they walk to the West Village and one asks, "where do we buy all the Marc Jacobs again?" and the obvious answer in sight of the billboard is "Barneys, of course!" There's also the fact that anyone headed south to the Holland Tunnel is sure to get stuck at a light here and reflect on this crazy heinous ad. Bring on the forehead tattoos.
· Marc: Your Daily Nude(s) [Racked]
· In the Window: Marc Jacobs Goes Commando [Racked]
· Billboards: H&M on Houston Getting Work Done [Racked]
The New York Observer's just released their list of the "100 Most Powerful People in New York Real Estate," and Marc Jacobs, the king of the West Village retail scene (aka the MarcPacking District), makes the cut! He's number 63, and here's his blurb:
Marc Jacobs didn’t invent the West Village, but his five stores there have made it into a precious, pricey, overpopulated, well-corduroyed, bubble-skirted dreamland. There’s a store for men, one for women, two for accessories and one for noun-named children.
Today's Street Scenes subject is Raphael, shot on West 14th Street between Ninth and Tenth Avenues in the Meatpacking District. Feel free to vote on whether you like or dislike his outfit below—your choices are 'Perfection!,' I feel strangely ambivalent about it,' or 'Who Did This To You.'
Today's Street Scenes subject is Lisa, shot on Elizabeth and Spring Streets in Nolita. Feel free to vote on whether you like or dislike her outfit below—your choices are 'Perfection!,' I feel strangely ambivalent about it,' or 'Who Did This To You.'
Today's Street Scenes subject is Jordan, shot in Union Square. Feel free to vote on whether you like or dislike his outfit below—your choices are 'Perfection!,' I feel strangely ambivalent about it,' or 'Who Did This To You.'
Ever wondered what's behind those "Protect the Skin You're In" T-shirts at Marc Jacobs? Trend blog If It's Hip, It's Here looks at the history of the campaign (all way back to 2006!), currently available nudes, and "...the number of celebs who have donated their time and beautiful bodies to this campaign. There seem to be far more than most people know." It doesn't disappoint; the article is nicely picture-heavy. [If It's Hip, It's Here]
Take a stroll through the Marc by Marc Jacobs mall on Bleecker Street and you'll notice a new tone to the windows. It seems Marc is mustering for war; quite a departure from the happy skunk scene of only a few weeks ago. At both the Accessories and the Mens boutiques, Marc is offering $45 refurbished old army kit bags, complete with a tag warning the buyer that any holes or discolorations are part of the unique nature of the item. What's not part of the nature of the item is the gigantic Marc by Marc Jacobs Surplus logo splashed across the entire bag, and lining the interior of some of the spring men's clothing.
Close readers of this here blog will recognize the above face—it belongs to Ginny Branch, whimsical salesgirl and subject of a dreadful Dominoblog post about one of the new Marc Jacobs boutiques in the West Village. Funnily enough, she's popped up in Domino's sister publication Lucky this month in their "Lucky Girl" column. Apparently, when Ginny's not working for Marc, she's a fashion illustrator. Lucky gives us the details on dear Ginny's favorite shops: Opening Ceremony, Oak, and Little Marc (her place of employment, obvs, a fact that isn't disclosed in the piece). Full scan after the jump.
Today, the the gigantic @Murakami exhibition opened to the public at the Brooklyn Museum. Although the counterfeit installation was nowhere to be found (was that only up for one night?), the rest of the exhibit is pretty amazing. The incredibly comprehensive retrospective, which will be on view through July 13th, spans multiple floors and galleries. It's really obvious that the whole thing took a lot of work to set up—whole rooms and stairwells are papered in Murakami's eye-popping prints, and the museum built a little Louis Vuitton boutique at the center where today, museumgoers were eagerly snapping up pricey purses.
Murakami's always blurred the lines between art and commerce, and there's plenty to both look at and purchase here. The special @Murakami gift shop offered plush toys (priced from $29 to $100), t-shirts ($42) and lithographs ($750, already sold out). Of course, there were also stickers, books, pins and post cards. The merchandise was flying off the shelves, making this a very profitable exhibit for the artist, the museum and Louis Vuitton.
· @Murakami [Brooklyn Museum]
· Monogramouflage Hitting the Streets of Brooklyn [Racked]
· BK Museum's @Murakami LV Shop Shows Itself [Racked]
PROSPECT HEIGHTS—Racked Flickr Pool contributor athletemovie.com dropped by the Brooklyn Museum's @Murakami bash last night and took a bunch of photos of Louis Vuitton'santi-counterfeit installation on the sidewalk (photos galleried above). You take those purses out of the store and stick them on the sidewalk, and they really do look fake as all get-out. [Racked Flickr Pool]
NOLITA—A Racked source checks in with some intel on the changes at shoe store Otto Tootsi Plohound on Lafayette Street. The report: "I said sorry if this is rude, but I've noticed that the quality of the shoes you carry has really gone down. He said many people have said the same thing and it's true that the euro is so strong and they cannot afford to carry the shoes they used to right now because people are not buying them. A lot of the stuff i saw on the shelves was made in China and looked mass produced." [RackedWire Inbox]
The Brooklyn Museum is really about to get its day in the sun. Tonight's big-boy gala event honoring developer Bruce Ratner and celebrating the @Murakami exhibit—complete with a Monogramouflage reveal and a performance by Kanye West!—is sure to draw crowds of angry protesters. The next day, the museum will unveil the attention-grabbing @Murakami exhibit, complete with a little Louis Vuitton boutique to museum members (it opens to the public Saturday). The craziness will go one step further, however. From an article in today's WWD: "Outside the museum, Vuitton is setting up 10 New York-style street vendors—not to sell fakes, but rather authentic Louis Vuitton product and special Monogramouflage canvases that Murakami has created specifically for the exhibition." Yes, that means that the sweet, fancy Monogramouflage will be laid out like so much PVC junk on fold-up tables on the sidewalk. Why? "While it may seem lighthearted on the surface, the presentation is meant to underscore just how serious Vuitton executives are taking the counterfeit trade, and how diligently they are working to stop copycats from getting their merchandise to consumers."
· Fighting the Fakes: Louis Vuitton and Murakami Make a Show of It [WWD, subscription req]
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In response to the news (taken badly by many) that another high-end boutique would be setting up shop on Bleecker Street, a 
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