LUXURY EXPANSION: It's Ladies Only For Bottega Veneta On Madison Avenue

Bottega Veneta added a swiftly built new Madison Avenue store over the weekend that departs a bit from the boilerplate luxury flagship formula. Taking over Sonia Rykiel's recently vacated space, the burgeoning brand decided to focus its latest shop on women's products only. It's a new strategy that, according to WWD, could bring smaller Bottega Veneta stores specifically pitched to different neighborhoods. While there are a few men's-only shops from the brand in Asia, this store is a first for the U.S., meant to bring the label and its products to the Madison Avenue shoppers and Upper East Side women who are less likely to subject themselves to midtown Fifth Avenue where the main Bottega Veneta flaship store exists amidst an endless tourist crush. The brand's creative director Tomas Maier tells WWD that the company is not necessarily planning to open separate men's and women's shops in tandem, but that various neighborhoods would be analyzed to decide exactly what kind of store, if any, would be appropriate.

Though there are no further specific plans for New York, Maier says, “The specifics will depend on the location and the space, but there is definitely a need for a downtown Bottega Veneta.” You could safely translate that to mean that SoHo, the Meatpacking District (which has some well placed vacancies on the horizon) or possibly Bleecker Street are under serious consideration for new boutiques. Let the rabid real estate agent speculation begin.

Women's-Only Bottega Veneta Store Unveiled on Madison Ave. (WWD)