The Shophound

Halloween Windows Report: Thrills & Chills On Bleecker Street

Lots of Bleecker Street's stores make an extra effort for Halloween windows, but it basically comes down to a battle between Ralph Lauren and Marc Jacobs to see who can concoct the spookiest display.
Ralph has the edge, of course, with four separate shops on the street to Marc's three (for now), but his sensibility leans more toward the genteel, with a Miss Havisham look in his women's store, and a more conceptual mannequin factory for the men. The obvious comparison would be the dueling side-by-side Great Pumpkin displays in both designers' children's stores. We'll call that one a draw.
We were a bit more repulsed by the pair of explorers in Ralph's RRL shop (below) who appear to have sat down one day a century ago and never gotten up, but they still had that pristine hyperstyled Polo Shop look despite their lack of flesh.
In contrast, Marc has mostly eschewed the idea of showing merchandise in his windows, turning his women's Marc by Marc windows into a dark, grisly swamp complete with animated ghouls emerging from the sludge —too dark, unfortunately for us to successfully photograph. It was, however, the Marc by Marc Accessories shop (pictured above) that impressed us the most with a simple concept executed perfectly: Heaps of skulls and bones neatly arranged as a macabre wall covering with a warning clearly posted at eye level. "Stop. You are entering the valley of the shadow of death..." Simple, to the point and yet really, really gross.
Match goes to Jacobs.

New Additions: Gant To Fill Bleecker's Last Spot

Despite the retail shakeout in neighborhoods across the city, Bleecker Street's north end has seen little space go unoccupied in the past couple of years with new stores moving in quickly as soon as old ones depart, usually with no break in occupancy —with a glaring exception. 
353 Bleecker Street has sat empty for the past few years (an eternity in Bleecker time) with a humble "FOR RENT" sign in the window ever since Gerry's (the now defunct sportswear boutique) was forced to move after a rent hike. The narrow shop finally has a taker as Gant, the American founded, now Swedish based, label will take over the space and devote it exclusively to its younger, more stylish Rugger division. Gant USA CEO Ari Hoffman tells WWD that the store will have an “industrial factory” look, with steel benches and cast-iron fixtures.
Look for Gant's Rugger store to open its doors on Bleecker in early 2010
In related news, Gant will be launching a special collection of six vintage inspired shirts (pictured above)today exclusively at Barneys to celebrate the label's 60^th anniversary. Dubbed "The Rugger", "The Hugger", "the Pullover", "The Hubby", "The Sea Island" and "The Cashmere", each style will represent a different decade of the company's history ranging in price from $135 to $295.
Gant to Open on Bleecker Street (WWD)
Gant (Official Site)

Fashion's NIght Out: Forget The Sales, It's Drinks For Everybody!

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Fashion's Night Out is over and we are pooped. POOPED!
If the goal of the event was to get people into stores, then in Manhattan, at least, it succeeded wildly. Every shopping area we hit was busy, and some were downright teeming with people.
We started the evening after three runway shows and three presentations, so really, we would just as soon have stayed home, but that would have been shirking our duty, and if the designers are putting in extra effort, so should we.
We began at Saks, whose main floor was packed with surprisingly dressed-up customers. The entire store felt like it was a busy Saturday in high season, with particularly concentrated crowds on the sumptuously renovated, designer laden third floor. We made our way to 7 to meet our friend DJ Aaron Elvis who was spinning for Marc by Marc Jacobs with a martini and margarita bar in tow, and the drinking was in full swing.  As we were next off to SoHo, our friends from Marc urged us stop by their Mercer Street shop where we found the designer himself in his signature kilt with more cocktails and snacks. Between Marc, Vera Wang, Costume National and Marni, that particular block was a raging party scene.
Onward to Greene Street, where we had Champagne with our friends from PHI and met Creative Director Andreas Melbostad along with star of the runways Suvi Koponen, who is lovely and tall, especially in her PHI boots. We would have happily to spend the rest of the evening there, but there was more to see. SoHo in general was buzzing, and some stores like Intermix were forced to impose velvet ropes on the sidewalk like nightclubs (which kind of defeats the purpose of the event, does it not?)
A Bathing Ape had a line wrapped around the corner of Spring Street, but that happens there every other day. The new Original Penguin store celebrated its grand opening with live models in the window, and Opening Ceremony was a madhouse. Throngs waited on the sidewalk to get in, but even if you weren't ready to face that, there were vendors on the street like Band of Outsiders' Tie Truck, selling specially priced neckwear just for the evening. Perhaps no store was better suited to the evening that Jil Sander across the street, whose first level is basically empty display space, making an easy transition to stylish downtown bar. After a quick tour through Anna Sui's elaborate Target Pop-Up on Crosby Street where models played various "Gossip Girl" characters and we were on to the final phase of our evening.
The last leg of our tour took us up to the West Village, where we meant to stop in at John Bartlett, but as his tiny store was quite full, and our feet were starting to give out, we headed up Bleecker Street where Ralph Lauren's string of shops had people flocking and Marc by Marc Jacobs was offering customers their photographs taken with models.
Finally, Raindrops began to fall as the Meatpacking District loomed. Adam by Adam Lippes had a lounge-y vibe and giant searchlights rotating at the front door. Theory's huge flagship was packing them in and taking orders for young designer accessory lines, and Jeffrey had a crush at the door that was surely brought on by rumors of Hugh Jackman. Did we stick around? No. Could we have gotten if we had? Probably not, but our feet were thanking us for turning homeward as we passed the door lines at Stella McCartney and Alexander McQueen at 10 PM.
Did the event translate into sales? We don't exactly know yet, but what we do know is that retailers and designers have learned that they now need to do more than just hang up the clothes and open their doors to get customers back shopping again, and open bars don't hurt.

Today In Enlargement: Jack Spade's Giant Tote

The folks at Jack Spade seem to have wound down their bike shop for the season, and the latest attraction at the Bleecker Street store appears to be supersized accessories —really supersized.
Yes, possibly inspired by pop artists Claes Oldenburg and Coosje Van Bruggen, that's a giant canvas tote bag in front of the store, stuffed, perhaps in absence of a bit more structure, with a whole lot of tissue paper.
The Spade staff seems, at least, to know what its customers put in their totes. A closer look reveals a giant pair of iPod headphones.
Dumbo's perhaps?

Jack Spade 400 Bleecker Street between West 11^th & Bank Streets, West Village
Previously: Today In Switcheroos: Jack Spade Ditches Fruitcake for Cycling

Moves On Bleecker: It's Official (Almost) Marc Takes Biography Bookshop

We have been speculating over the fate of the Biography Bookshop space for a while, and the building's owner has confirmed to WWD what many suspected: Marc Jacobs will be moving in to open an as yet unannounced new concept store. Jacobs President Robert Duffy hinted several months ago that there were expansion plans afoot on Bleecker Street, but offered no specific details, and the company is still mum on the topic. Reportedly, the designer's lease on the enviable 500 square foot corner shop at 400 Bleecker will begin in February 2010, which suggests that a new store will be open next Spring, making a whopping six freestanding stores for Jacobs in the West Village —four of them on Bleecker.
As for the bookshop, as reported before, it will be moving further east on Bleecker and renaming itself Bookbook.
Marc Jacobs Set for Another Store on Bleecker by Sharon Edelson (WWD)
Previously, Extended Relocations: Biography Bookshop Transitions Down The Street

Ralph, Marc & Bloomingdale's Commemorate As Gay Pride Hits Middle Age

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It has become traditional as June wears on for Bleecker Street's boutiques to give a nod to the West Village's traditional but slowly vanishing character. This year, the 1969 Stonewall riots, which started the modern Gay Rights movement and took place only a few blocks from Bleecker, hit their big 40^th anniversary.
Marc Jacobs, for one, has typically recognized Gay Pride, and this year he has festooned his women's and Accessory stores with rainbow graffiti and slogans. Thankfully, it appears that he has avoided revisiting last year's poorly received "Rebel Pride" t-shirt.

Now that he has even more Bleecker frontage, Ralph Lauren has upgraded his displays from the clever but spare racks of Polo shirts arranged in rainbow formation he has used in recent years. This year, he has added a more dynamic window design promoting a $10 "Live Colorful" tote bag his stores are selling to benefit the Hetrick Martin Institute. The bags read "I Kiss Girls" or "I Kiss Boys" depending on whom you feel like kissing (presumably, bisexuals will be encouraged to buy both).

Interestingly, the most respectful commemoration is not in the West Village, but a neighborhood away in SoHo, where Bloomingdale's has installed windows specifically referencing the uprisings that began at the Stonewall Inn. Mannequins free of merchandise depicting a retro Christopher Street scene are affectionately styled as West Village stereotypes (OK, the Madonna t-shirt is slightly less retro, but entirely appropriate) recalling some of the recently republished photographs of the riots including a protesting drag queen carrying a placard with her rebel cry:

We are the Stonewall Girls
We wear our hair in curls!
We wear our dungarees
Above our nelly knees!

Silly, yes, but still apparently effective.
Marc Jacobs 385 & 403-405 Bleecker Street
Ralph Lauren 381 & 383 Bleecker Street, West Village
Bloomingdale's 504 Broadway, SoHo

Unsurprising Announcements: Ruehl Gets The Axe

We could brag that we saw this coming, but that's not really saying too much. Frankly, we couldn't see the point of Ruehl when Abercrombie & Fitch launched the new division a few years ago, and apparently neither did much of anybody else. The parent company announced today that it would be shuttering the chain following a month of strategic review. Ruehl posted losses of $58 million last year, which would be a substantial sum for a department store chain like Saks or Neiman's, let alone a measly 29-unit specialty chain.
That leaves a choice little spot on Bleecker Street where the chain has an accessories-only location to be vacated just as the company is readying a huge new Hollister flagship in SoHo.
Conventional wisdom would have other retailers vying to take over the lease on the still-desirable street, but we are betting that Abercrombie will hold the spot for another of its nameplates, possibly Gilly Hicks, the women's intimates chain (with an imaginary history in Sydney, Australia) launched last year, whose website predictable features lots of images and a promotional video of women in and out of lingerie frolicking on the beach with mostly naked men.
Sound familiar? Don't bruise your fingers clicking over there.
Plus ça change...
A&F Decides Ruehl's Fate (WWD)
Abercrombie & Fitch to Close RUEHL Operations; Company Amends Credit Agreement (PR Newswire)
Previously: Ruehl's Days Are Numbered

Extended Relocations: Biography Bookshop Transitions Down The Street

The folks at Biography Bookshop have made it known for some time that their days at the end of Bleecker Street are numbered. Last week they officially notified passersby that they would be vacating the enviable corner storefront in January of 2010. In an unusual overlap, however, their new location will be opening in August at 266 Bleecker Street between Morton & Leroy Streets in the thick of the more food-centric section of the street.
Additionally, the shop will undergo a name change to Bookbook, officially broadening its focus beyond biographies. Rampant speculation has the soon-to-be-vacant corner store at 11^th & Bleecker in line for the new retail concept that Marc Jacobs teased earlier this year, but, so far, all parties remain mum.
While the new location might not seem like the obvious spot for a bookstore, it's no less appropriate than Bleecker's now boutique laden northern end, and is equally well trafficked, so we hope Bookbook has a long and healthy life amongst the butchers and cheesemongers.
Perhaps it's time to beef up that cookbook section?

Windows Report: Marc Jacobs Goes For Fluorescent Bondage On Bleecker

Marc Jacobs has made a switch from the flower festooned décor from from six months ago in his Stuff store on Bleecker. Casual passersby this weekend discovered a striking composition in the windows of mannequins bandaged to the walls with day-glo duct tape, as if trapped by a giant spider designed by Stephen Sprouse. Considering how much Jacobs has done in the past few years to promote Sprouse, we figure he has earned the reference, though the display also makes something of a visual pun on the newly ubiquitous Hervé Leger bandage dress.
Campy, kinky and slightly disturbing, the new look fits perfectly with the new summer merchandise inside. The tumbling blossoms have been replaced with gleaming colored lights spotlighting a fresh shipment of fluorescent hued accessories of all types mostly priced under $100 (many under $20) and available to those skilled in elbowing crowds aside.
Marc Jacobs Stuff 385 Bleecker Street, West Village
Previously: Redecorating Alert: Marc Jacobs Has A Flower Fit

Mike Albo Goes Shopping: Kind Words For Tommy Edition

This week's Critical Shopper Mike Albo expresses a much more charitable opinion of Tommy Hilfiger in tomorrow's Thursday Styles than The Shophound has held. Mike visit's Tommy's Bleecker Street boutique, which has updated and added menswear, and finds it surprisingly charming, though he still cannot release his conviction that the world is going to hell and nobody has any business buying anything but the barest necessity.

Bleecker has a natural magic that gives stores that zing of authenticity that merchants so desperately try to capture for their wares. The quaint street, rustly trees and narrow storefronts make everything in the windows look delectable, buyable, wearable — even some whore-ish miniskirt in Juicy Couture appears timeless. ...And in the future, when our currency splinters and pinto beans are used as coinage, people will still walk up and down this street deliriously, buying overpriced purses.

Thank heaven for those people, otherwise neither The Critical Shopper nor The Shophound would ever have anything to write about again. In the very worst of times, there are still people with money, and they have to shop somewhere —even, apparently, at Tommy Hilfiger.
Though it's hardly the most extravagant store on the block (in fact it's sort of low-end for Bleecker), from Mike's descriptions it still sounds like the poor-man's-Polo we have come to expect from Tommy, though with an extra degree of cloying salesmanship. Mike describes the staff as, "A hovering bright-eyed and bushy-tailed staff is on hand to help you find your way around the mix of vintage, new and marked-down apparel."
Sounds like we aren't missing much.
Critical Shopper | Tommy Hilfiger: Spend Some Time, if Nothing Else By Mike Albo (NYTimes)
Tommy Hilfiger 375 Bleecker Street between Perry and Charles Streets, West Village