If you could describe a boutique as "brooding," we would apply the term to Staerk. Behind the somewhat imposing exterior, the austere Mulberry Street shop is filled with Danish designer Camilla Stærk's sexy dresses, trousers and shoes (her latest collection is titled, fittingly, “Bride of the Black Moon”). The accents are few, but striking: an ebony chair and couch, gold framed photos of Staerk herself hanging over the racks, a coal-colored curtain hiding the fitting room (which, according to the Times, is also pitch-black inside). For more on Staerk, click through to the Critical Shopper piece on the store or check out our intro post on the store.
Staerk 182 Mulberry St between Broome and Kenmare Sts;
(212) 343-1160
Mon—Sat 11am—7pm; Sun noon—6pm Website
What is it with all of the food-themed sneaker shops? There's Dave's Quality Meat in the East Village, the sadly departed La Pizza in Soho and now we have Solefood NYC, a restaurant-themed Tribeca newcomer. The place has an interesting backstory: Queens native Matt Murphy used part of the windfall from Barry Bonds' record-breaking 756th home run ball, which he caught and auctioned off to Mark Ecko for more than $752,000, to open the store. His earnings got him a 650-square-foot boutique filled with colorful Nikes displayed on serving platters, racks of bright tees and artwork from local artists. For more on Solefood NYC, click over to their website or check out this NY Daily Newsarticle on Murphy.
Solefood NYC 38 Lispenard St between Broadway and Church St;
(212) 941-7653
Call for hours of operation Website
This pretty little place is Mulberry Street newcomer Court, which as we reported a few days ago is brought to you by the owners of East Village boutique Circa Now. There are shoppable items for both sexes here; the roster, which will rotate seasonally, currently includes lines like Tashkent, Sophomore, Society for Rational Dress and Christopher Dean alongside a few vintage pieces. We take this store opening as a sign that Little Italy, while being challenged by Chinatown on three sides, might be taken from above by the retail industry.
· Now Open: Court Appears on Mulberry [Racked]
· Ball’s in Your Court [DailyCandy]
You could, if you were feeling bold, say that Boston isn't quite as much of a fashion town as New York. So it's gusty of New Englanders and old friends Brooke Garber and Stephanie Nist to add to their mini Boston chain Mint Julep with a store at 173 Ludlow between Stanton and Houston. The L.E.S. Mint Julep, which opened in August, is the third in their empire, following a shop in Brookline (opened in 2004) and one in Cambridge (2006). The aesthetic is high girly. Think Free People, Orla Kiely, and Plenty by Tracy Reese, with jeans from Citizens of Humanity, J Brand and Joe's to sort of balance out all the adorable frilliness. Their accessory collection continues the theme with sherbet-colored bangles by Anthropologie designer Lenora Dame and bags made out of vintage grandma fabrics from Kim White. In short? It's all very sweet.
Mint Julep 173 Ludlow St between Stanton and Houston;
(212) 533-9904
Mon—Sat 11am—8pm; Sun 11am—6pm Website
The most striking thing about new East Houston Street boutique Georgia, owned by fashion industry vet Jodie Patterson and Kiara Ellozy, isn't the shop's serious array of beauty and hair-care products—it's the place's gorgeously decayed-looking interior. The work of Christian Wassmann and Serge Becker, the man behind lushly-decorated LES hotspot The Box, the walls of Georgia are peely, crumbly-looking showstoppers that play beautifully off the shiny wood floors, marble countertops and shelves of cleanly-packaged products. The offerings here include lotions and potions from brands like Bumble and Bumble, Mop, Mane & Tail, Farouk and Davines and an edited assortment of lingerie from Kiki de Montparnasse, Eberjey and Huit. For product junkies in need of a touch-up, a nook in the rear of the shop hides a petite hair salon, where patrons can enjoy cuts, blowouts and color treatments. For more on Georgia, click over to TONY or New York Magazine.
Georgia 89A E Houston St between Elizabeth St and Bowery;
(646) 827-2428
Daily noon—10pm Website
Rackage is a look inside recently-opened stores around town. Today, we head to Union Square to check out travel bookstore Idlewild.
Guidebooks are boring; fiction's impractical. What's a traveler to do? The new bookstore Idlewild, recently opened on the second floor of a storefront just north of Union Square, solves the dilemma with shelf upon shelf of travel guides and world literature, organized by destination. In the enormous New York City section, for example, books offering advice to tourists with small children and bargain-hunting fashion hounds sit alongside Edith Wharton's House of Mirth and the just-released Lower East Side crime novel Lush Life.
Idlewild was founded by a former UN press officer who clearly takes pride in being worldly; the store carries a ton of European, Middle Eastern and Latin American fiction and specializes in rare English translations. It's decorated in a sort of "map chic" style, with a globe on nearly every flat surface not covered with a book. A chandelier hung with paper scraps, each handwritten with a poem or saying in another language, dominates the back room. Even if you're not going anywhere this summer—actually, especially if you're not going anywhere this summer—the setting invites fantasies of flight.
Idlewild Books 12 W 19th St between Fifth and Sixth Aves;
(212) 414-8888
Mon—Fri 11am—8pm; Sat—Sun 12pm—7pm Website
Rackage is a look inside recently-opened stores around town. Today, we head to Nolita to check out design shop Matter.
Last year, Park Slope-based design shop Matter made the move across the East River to open a petite shop on Broome Street in Nolita. Recently, owner Jamie Gray decided to expand the Broome Street outpost by adding an annex dedicated to the store's well-edited jewelry collection. The space, located off the main selling floor, was originally used as storage by the business next door; after reaching an agreement with the neighbors, construction workers busted through the wall separating the two rooms.
Inside the nook, glass cases show off the beautiful work of jewelers like Christine J. Brandt (burnished wood and semi-precious stone rings), Bylu (delicate gold earrings) and Saya Hibino (lacey necklaces). And though prices can run high (our favorite of Brandt's pieces is $3,000), it doesn't cost a thing to look.
Matter 405 Broome St nr Centre St;
(212) 343-2600
Daily noon—7pm Website
Under the guidance of recently-appointed creative director David Chu, a swank Tumi store has opened at 67 Wall Street in the Financial District. Here, you browse for your carry-on bag in style: The 1,100-square-foot boutique features red Murano glass chandeliers, polished ebony fixtures and limestone floors. All that helps the luggage retailer hold its own with nearby luxury brands like Tiffany, Thomas Pink and Hermès.
In keeping with the look of the place, the store sells the crème de la crème of Tumi offerings. There are suitcases, of course, but there are also polished cuff links, leather document cases, sleek money clips and streamlined garment bags—everything the business traveler could ever want or need in the way of luggage. For more on Tumi Wall Street, click through to DNR.
Tumi 67 Wall St at Hanover St;
(212) 742-8020
Mon—Fri 8:30am—6:30pm; Sat 11am—4pm Website
As a retailer, it doesn't hurt to have an angle that helps you stand out from the competition. For True Boutique, a newish Nolita shop (pictured), that's owner Katie Campbell's serious attempt to appeal to women of many different shapes and sizes. Unlike many other pricey little stores in the area, sizing at True doesn't stop at an eight or a ten—clothing from Cloak and Dagger and Dallin Chase and denim from James Jeans and Jordache is available in sizes 00 to 16. Campbell also has a professional tailor on-premise five days a week for quick alterations. For more on True Boutique, click through to Editors Blog and Daily Candy.
True Boutique 278 Mott St between Houston and Prince Sts;
(212) 431-7709
Tue—Sat noon—7pm; Sun noon—6pm Website
The enormous retail expanse you see before you is H&M's newly-opened 25,000-square-foot store at 505 Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street. The three-level emporium is the Swedish clothing company's tenth store in Manhattan, and is located only a few minutes away from the retailer's NYC flagship at Fifth Ave and 51st Street. What you'll find here is what you'll find at any other H&M: trendy casual wear at fairly cheap prices. The store is notable in that it gives mens and womenswear equal space (as pointed out by Times Critical Shopper Mike Albo) and for, well, not much else. There are already quite a few H&Ms in NYC and we expect that this outpost will not be the chain's last in our city.
H&M 505 Fifth Ave at 42nd St; (212) 661-7012
Mon—Thu 10am—9pm; Fri, Sat 9am—9pm;
Sun 11am—8pm Website
Well look at that: the National Hockey League has just opened its own massive flagship store. The pro-sports league partnered with Reebok on the 6,700-square-foot emporium, which debuted to frenzied hockey fans last Friday. A Racked reader writes, "Long lines, promotions, games and activities, giveaways, and former Islanders on hand to sign autographs. Was a mob scene." The shelves are stocked with jerseys, hats, t-shirts, sneakers and other accessories for men, women and children representing all 30 of the NHL's teams. But there's more to the place than gear...much, much more.
NHL Powered by Reebok 1185 Sixth Ave between 46th and 47th Sts;
(212) 221-6375
Mon—Sat 9am—9pm; Sun 11am—8pm Website
The Charlotte Moss Townhouse, which opened back in April, is an interesting retail experiment. The five-story building is at once the interior designer's shop and showroom, as everything displayed, from beds to sconces to wallpaper, is for sale. Floors one through four display a variety of purchasable goods like blue damask linens and delicate china; custom and bespoke services are available on the fifth floor of the space. Read more on the townhouse at Apartment Therapy, NY Mag, and on their official website.
Charlotte Moss Townhouse 20 E 63rd St between Fifth and Madison Aves;
(212) 308-3888
Mon—Fri 10am—6pm; Sat 10am—5pm Website
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