Topshop's sponsorship of the McCarren Pool Parties in Williamsburg has begun. The British retail chain's got a colorful stands up right by the entrance to the concert venue, and during events, they're handing out branded buttons, tanks and bamboo mats.
As you may recall, the aspect of the sponsorship we were most intrigued by was the blog component (specifically, that Topshop would cover "McCarren gossip"). Heading over to their new New York City website, we find a "hipster photo gallery," and...no gossip yet. But there are a few posts up; in the latest, we get British fashion editor Chioma Nnadi's take on the pool: "McCarren Park Pool is huge. Freaking massive." Also, it's been really hot. Um, we're sure there'll be more dirt as the summer drags on.
· Topshop Prepares for Pool Time [Racked]
· Topshop NYC [Official Site]
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]
Williamsburg: As Fashion Week Daily first reported, British retailer Topshop is planning on working its way into New Yorkers' hearts this summer before the fall opening of the brand's first U.S. store in Soho, and they've picked none other than the McCarren Park Pool to kick things off. The brand will be sub-sponsoring parties at the pool throughout the summer.
Some specifics on that sponsorship, from their PR team: Beginning July 13th, Topshop will set up colored beach huts, mats and deck chairs in one corner of the pool and promo girls will prowl the area, armed with limited-edition beach blankets covered in Topshop hearts and some sort of McCarren motif. Photographer Nicky Digital will be around to document the street style of all those characters you typically see dressed in their best "I just threw this together from a Beacon's Closet rack" getups (photos will appear on Topshop.com). And most curiously, "McCarren gossip" will appear on Topshop's blog. So, Williamsburg—make us look good, okay? Try not to be too ridiculous this summer. The world is watching.
· Topshop Thinks Tall [FWD]
Topshop won't be opening a NYC store until October (or later), but they'll be taking over the city as soon as this summer. "The fast-fashion retailer will be the apparel sponsor at McCarren Park Pool in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, this summer. The annual summer-long festivities, whose highlight is a series of concerts that run through Labor Day, draws thousands of students and young adults--the UK-based brand's key demographic...Topshop will outfit the park staffers in its seasonal wares, while the company's style consultants will randomly, and inconspicuously, patrol the grounds to scout for trends and take photos of the crowd. There's also talk of installing the company's famous Helmut Newton Photo Machine, which debuted in London to showcase the lensman's iconic images and allows shoppers to become the subject, stylist and photographer, all in one." [FWD]
Today's Street Scenes subject is Sam, shot on the corner of Mulberry and Bayard Streets in Chinatown. 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.'
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]
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]
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]
Later this summer, expect Kira Plastinina to gain a friend on Broadway: Eryn brinié, a 22-year-old "living a care-free life in New York City" will open her flagship store in August at 501 Broadway between Spring and Broome streets. Already with over 30 stores in Korea and China, Eryn is eyeing to expand to other continents, and Topshop rumors abound. Judging from the STUDIOS architecture and natural elements in the space, this shop will be a cool respite from the overstimulation of Broadway.
Looking at the clothing, which "speaks to a woman who is warm-hearted and sensible, but also possesses a slight artistic flair," we can't help but think of Gossip Girl's Serena. The pricing is a bit more on Jenny's level, ranging from $50-$150 and aimed for the older sisters of Kira Plastinina's devotees. A word on Eryn brinié from our man in Seoul: "Take two cups of Charlotte Ronson, a tablespoon of Vera Wang and a small pinch of Miu Miu." Sounds like yummy low-fat cream cheese.
· Eryn brinié [Official Site]
· Some PoMo Up Top of Soho's 501 Broadway [Curbed]
· Now Open: Lollipops and Lycra at Kira Plastinina [Racked]
Soho: If you haven't taken a stroll down Broadway recently, may we direct your attention to the above photo. This is what the Topshopsite at no. 478 looks like now. A Racked correspondent, who sent in the image, writes: "Not sure if you've run this already or not, but man, that new facade at TopShop site is really something." Given that the store isn't opening 'til October 10th, Soho's going to be stuck with that big yellow wall for some time.
· RackedWire: Topshop Sets a Date, Cartoons Cover Uniqlo [Racked]
· First Look: Inside Topshop Soho [Racked]
· Workers Now Toiling Away on Topshop Soho [Racked]
Taking a page from our friends over at Curbed, let us now take a very visual look at the latest retail and shopping news as revealed on our West Coast site, Racked LA, this week.
1) Melrose Avenue: Racked takes a trip to Illadelph, a store on Melrose Avenue west of La Brea that's dedicated to fancy glass pipes and bongs. Because stoners appreciate high design, too.
2) La Cienega: New York only has a one little boutique, but LA gets an entire Opening Ceremonymini-mall. The maze-like space has separate rooms for brands like Acne, Mayle, Nom de Guerre and Topshop.
3) Melrose Ave: What's a town without a bespoke suit shop or fifteen? Racked drops into newcomer Sorum Noce, to peruse designer Max Noce and Velvet Revolver/former Guns N' Roses drummer Matt Sorum's fancy-pants offerings.
SOHO—Rejoice: Sir Philip Green, the owner of British fast-fashion chain Topshop, has set a date for the opening of his first stateside store at 478 Broadway in Soho. Fashion Week Daily's blog reports that the date's been pushed from September to October 10th. [Chic Report]
SOHO—The Uniqlo store a few doors up from the Topshop site is looking a bit different these days. The Shophound dropped in today to find that the staff has "covered parts of the store in manga cartoons." The reason for this madness? They've just received a fresh shipment of UTs, and the new decor references the shirts' emphasis on manga art. [The Shophound]
It's been far, far too long since we've checked in on the progress at the Topshop flagship going in at 478 Broadway in Soho. Since we broke the news of the British fast-fashion retail chain's Soho outpost back in October, construction teams have been hard at work inside the former Yellow Rat Bastard storefront, prepping for a September reveal. Today, security was a little lax at the site, and Racked operatives were actually able to sneak inside the first floor of the 40,000-square-foot, tri-level space to snap a few photos. As would be expected, things are looking a bit unfinished at present—they're going to have to slap some pressed tin on top of that drywall on the ceiling, and those rows of columns are in desperate need of a paint job. Click through our gallery to take in the whole scene.
· Workers Now Toiling Away on Topshop Soho [Racked]
· Yellow Rat Bastard Liquidates for Topshop's Arrival [Racked]
· Breaking: Yellow Rat Bastard Closing, Topshop Coming This Way! [Racked]
· Topshop Planning Not One, But Three Manhattan Stores [Racked]
· Exclusive: Topshop Coming To Soho [Racked]
SOHO—British fast-fashion chain Topshop has begun recruiting for its first US store at 478 Broadway in Soho. They are "looking for the best retail talent to open and run this exciting new venture." You must love skinny jeans, Kate Moss. [RackedWire]
SOHO—A well-informed Racked tipster checks in with some much-appreciated info on Uniqlo's upcoming designer collections: "BTW, the launch date for Tim Hamilton for Uniqlo is March 28th and Loden Dager+Alexander Wang are May 30th. I got the inside info from the company." Expect serious lines, especially for the latter. [RackedWire Inbox]
MIDTOWN EAST—The strangerumblings surrounding Brioni's midtown shops continue. A Racked source reports that it's the women's store that the company is trying to offload, and that the men's is staying put. "Right now they have three shops, one on 52nd Street and two on 57th Street. From what I hear, they are looking to get out of the lease for the women's store at 67 E 57th. Maybe women's isn't selling as well?" This could also have something to do with the mysterious departure of designer Cristina Ortiz, who quietly left the company for a position as chief designer at Ferragamo. [RackedWire Inbox]
New Racked feature Like/Likely is where we highlight attractive (and not so attractive) vacant storefronts, discussing what business would, in a perfect world, lease the space—and what, in reality, will probably end up there.
[Rendering; click to expand]
Soon will come the day when the massive, muddy pit marring the border of Williamsburg will be replaced with mega-development The Edge. The 7.5 acre site, which will contain three shiny towers with a head-spinning 1,085 luxury condos, will also boast 60,000 square feet of retail space. Since the rumor about Apple looking to move in was quickly squashed, we have to wonder: Who's going to be doing business at the Edge?
What we'd like to see open: Well, since being swallowed whole by the earth isn't an option for the Edge, wouldn't a W'burg Barneys Co-op be nice? How awesome does Topshop Brooklyn sound? And can you imagine how pissed Manhattanites would be if Nordstrom ditched its midtown dreams and went this far east?
What we're likely to see open: A supersized Duane Reade, anyone? A mega-Target store, perhaps? A Subway sandwich shop? Those all seem to be relatively safe guesses. And since Steve Jobs has said no way to the area, maybe Circuit City or Best Buy will swoop on in. Oh, and let's not forget the bank chains.
Have hopes, dreams and predictions for the Edge? Hit up the comments.
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Topshop's sponsorship of the McCarren Pool Parties in Williamsburg has begun. The British retail chain's got a colorful stands up right by the entrance to the concert venue, and during events, they're handing out branded buttons, tanks and bamboo mats.
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SOHO— Mark your calendars: The blog Fashion Binge has 
Williamsburg: As Fashion Week Daily first 
SOHO—British fast-fashion chain Topshop has 
