The pace of new New York store openings continues to quicken. I found it interesting that one street in particular, Greene Street, had sprouted a plethora of stores. One of the new shops is a New York brand, but the rest come from around the world.
Interestingly all but one of them are independent labels. Each has its own voice and brand DNA. Several of the owners have said that the lower rents brought by the pandemic persuaded them to open stores in New York. Furthermore, landlords are more flexible with the lengths of leases, letting smaller brands and DTC companies open up brick and mortar locations.
Walking down Greene Street a month or so ago, I saw open doors with construction workers inside. Amiri, a popular Los Angeles-based streetwear line, had signs in the window stating they were opening soon. Now officially open for business, this is the brand’s only east coast store. The first store, and flagship, is on Rodeo Drive.
The spacious boutique has a “cool” minimalist look. There are collections for men and women, and plenty of fun and useful accessories. Mike Amiri, the brand’s founder and namesake, will clothe you from head to toe.
The designer got his start crafting stage outfits for rockers like Steven Tyler and Axl Rose, and first sold his RTW to Maxfield, the uber-hip LA boutique. The brand has scads of followers now.
There are basics, and then there are in-your-face prints and embellished clothing that you need a little attitude to wear. Amiri prides himself on hand-done details for an individual look.
The black jeans and denim jacket are encrusted with rhinestone embellishments, and another pair of jeans is covered in a star print. It’s no surprise then that the designer won the Swarovski emerging talent award several years ago.
The women’s collection goes from dressy to uber-casual. Both ends of the spectrum offer perfect urban outfits to rock your look(s).
Amiri, 76 Greene Street
Ami, Alexandre Mattiussi, just opened just across the street. Ami is a cutting edge Paris brand that has not been easy to find in New York. The contemporary price point clothing for men and women comprises updated classics that are hipper than suits, and are definitely not streetwear.
Their Paris shops have always been a go-to for me, so I am thrilled to find the clothes here in New York. The women’s clothing is a bit borrowed from the boyfriend in style. Clean and tailored.
The French sailor striped sweater is a classic, and Le Déjà-Vu bag on the shelves was introduced by Catherine Deneuve, a brand ambassador and a fan.
The striped sweater is a staff wardrobe pick. The men’s clothing has the same attitude as the women’s collection.
The curated classics have a unisex attitude. Jackets, coats and puffers for fall are all important looks. Ami is emblematic of a new trend in dressing that is informal but fine-tuned.
AMI, 77 Greene Street
Bottega Veneta also opened a SoHo outpost on Greene Street. The company has been in the fashion news lately as they abruptly fired their hot new creative director, Daniel Lee — apparently for having a bad attitude and causing staff to flee the company. I found the store has a bit of an attitude problem too, as they enforce a stand-in-line policy to gain entry. They only had two sales associates in the store, and a guard at the door, and were only letting two people in at a time. For a huge and profitable company, surely they can afford more sales associates? The guard laughed and agreed with me.
If you love emerald green, then you will find plenty here. Lee pronounced it “Bottega Green.” I don’t find the color terribly flattering on most people.
What was interesting in the news surrounding the dismissal is that of Lee’s collections only 7% of the sales were from clothing and 74% from leather goods.
Shoes accounted for 16% of the sales. Some of the best sellers are the Puddle boots in the background.
The men’s collection is at the back of the boutique. There is a relatively small selection of clothing for men and women; and whatever they do have is reflected in the resin floors.
The store fixtures are current and compelling, and accessories are on display everywhere.
Bottega Veneta, 101 Greene Street
Pat Bo is a Brazilian brand that specializes in vibrant prints, hand embroideries and evening wear. They have just added a colorful active collection, pictured above.
Everything is manufactured in the designer’s hometown. She started a school to teach the locals to sew and embroider, and now over 200 of them create the clothing and accessories.
The store is full of feel-good energy. The clothing is detailed and well made.
The back of the store has a bar so you can relax while you shop. The colorful walls are welcoming on a winter day.
If you don’t like prints, this is probably not the store for you. But if color and exuberant shapes are your thing, you will have a field day here.
Pat Bo, 65 Greene Street
Lafayette 148 also opened up on Greene Street. They outgrew their Broome Street location, and decided to open in a more central part of SoHo. These days, the contemporary brand has been doing well.
The store design is cool and clean with its own bar, and the stairs lead to a VIP area for private shopping. There are sofas for relaxing dotted around the boutique.
Lafayette 148’s look is minimal and features neutral colors and updated classics.
There are seasonal colors as well. The store design is flexible with translucent screens and racks dividing up the large open space. The brand also carries petite and plus sizes, a rarity these days.
Also on display are a large selection of accessories, including boots and shoes, bags, scarves, belts, jewelry and more.
Lafayette 148, 59 Greene Street
Acne Studios had been on this corner of Greene Street for a long time. The Stockholm-based design house was always packed. Almost too packed. They decided to double their space, and the new Acne just opened up. Founder and Creative Director Jonny Johansson really opened the space up.
Light pours in through huge windows. The space is minimally designed with thick carpeting on the floor.
A sampling of the clothing is displayed, with more in the stock rooms. Accessories are arranged with care. The woman’s space is a bit larger than that for men.
Acne is well known for their artful bags and shoes. The new space has plenty of room to display them.
The clothing seems more colorful this season. Acne is multidisciplinary and is known for publishing beautiful magazines and books. It is a true lifestyle brand.
Acne Studios, 33 Greene Street
Barbara Hodes is the owner of NYC Private Shopping Tour, offering customized tours in New York and Brooklyn.
