The Shophound

FRENCH IMPORTS: Maison Kitsuné Makes Its American Debut

The Shophound wandered into the higly anticipated new Maison Kitsuné store at the NoMad hotel yesterday only to be told that though the doors were open, the store was not. However the staff kindly invited us to have a look around anyway. They didn't go all lout and invite us to the opening party at LeBaron, but, you know, we take what we can get. Anyway, we can report that though modest in size, the boutique adds a certain flair to what continues to be one of the most strangely eclectic shopping neighborhood in the city.

For those unfailiar with the 10-year-old Kitsuné brand, it is both an apparel company that makes classic, even preppy styles filtered through a refined French sensibility and also a music label. The music side of the business is out of the spotlight in the new store which uses the elegant 1,200 square foot space to showcase the pricey but beautifully made men's and women's apparel collections along with exclusive shoes and accessories made for the store by labels like Want les Essentials de la Vie and  Pierre Hardy. We did not see the special edition J.M. Weston loafers that are reportedly being offered exclusively by the store, but we did glimpse a charming pair of multi-colored handsewn moccasins made for the brand by Maine shoemaker Quoddy.

The new store features a crisp and tidy restoration of the corner store at Broadway and 28th Street with a spanking new parquet floor and glowing globe shaped fixtures. It makes a nice companion a couple of blocks away for Opening Ceremony (which sells Kitsuné in its other locations), though the neighborhood still makes for an odd fit for the refined little shop. Only steps away are still an abundance of cheap wig and janky accessory dealers, and for all the hip folks who work in the nearby Flatiron district or in the home furnishings showrooms over on Fifth, there are just as many street vendors milling about because this is still the neighborhood where they buy their cheap sidewalk sunglasses and dodgy perfumes. We can't tell if the the NoMad and the Ace Hotels and their complementing boutiques will be able to completely remake this odd stretch between Greeley Square and the Flatiron Building into the next Meatpacking District, or even if that would be a good thing, but for now, it is probably the only part of town where you can get a $1,499 Liberty-print silk dress and a cheap bargain wig with some designer impostor perfume on exactly the same block. That must count as a unique shopping experience.

Maison Kitsuné in the NoMad Hotel 1170 Broadway at 28th Street, Midtown

COLLABORATION ANTICIPATION: DVF For Kids Selling Out At The Gap While Fashion Star Is A Hit At H&M

Our friends at RACKED have spent some time on Fifth Avenue in Midtown this morning so we don't have to. Clearly it was the launch of Gap's Diane von Furstenberg children's line that brought them to the neighborhood, but while there they checked in at H&M where the first batch of winning designs from NBC's new show Fashion Star went on sale. Apparently, the Cutout dress by Sarah Parrott is sold out in both colors (online as well, but the men's navy jacket by Nzimiro is still available for all. They also report that while every trace of Marni's H&M line for women is gone, gone, gone, upstairs, there is still a selection of several items from the men's line, which in our ever so humble opinion, was one of the chain's best men's collaborations to date.

But back to the Gap, where the DVF line is reported to be gone by the end of the day. Racked recommends shopping online or checking the website for other, lower profile locations, but they warn that this collection really is for little ones only. Not even the most petite fully grown woman should attempt squeezing into any of the trendier items for some bargain-rate DVF collab style.

DVF For Gap Kids Is Going Fast on Fifth Avenue, H&M on Fifth Avenue Goes Fashion Star Crazy, H&M Fifth Avenue Is Still Haunted by the Ghost of Marni (RACKED)

AND WE'RE DONE: Say Goodbye To ESPRIT

About 5 years ago, Esprit tried to stage its own little '80s revival by opening a suite of prominent stores in Manhattan in efforts to revive its fortunes in its original home country of the U.S. Unfortunately, despite the brand's continuing success in overseas, it didn't do too well at enticing American shoppers of what had once been an exciting, groundbreaking brand a quarter of a decade earlier. A few months ago, Esprit announced that it would be closing its remaining New York stores with the exception of its Rockefeller Center flagship. Though the units at Columbus Circle and on 34th street would be gone, the one store would remain in hopes of eventually igniting interest. The New York Post is reporting, however, that the Fifth Avenue store will be shuttered as well, as soon as this week. So, goodbye Esprit. You... well, you probably won't be missed that much, but it was a good try. This leaves a sizable 14,000 square feet for the taking on a prime stretch of Fifth Avenue, so keep an eye on that spot for what will hopefully be a terrific store, but will definitely be one with deep pockets.

Rock Center Esprit no more (NYPost)
Previously:
The '80s are Back: Esprit Coming to Rockefeller Center (4.27.2007)

LIMITED TIME ONLY: You Have Until This Weekend To Check Out Jeremy Scott's Pop-Up In Hell's Kitchen

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If you had asked us ten years ago what the likelihood of Jeremy Scott's fashion line being around in a decade, we would have shrugged our shoulders and said, "Who knows?" After all, the prospects for a designer whose signature style can safely be described as "cartoon character" can be limited, and for every Vivienne Westwood or Jean-Paul Gaultier who survives, the Highway of Fashion is littered with the discarded labels of designers who thought they were more amusing than their potential customers did. Scott, however, is not only still around, but flourishing thanks to, among other things, a canny business sense, a combination of celebrities who need things to wear in music videos and smartly arranged collaborations, particularly with Adidas Originals. The Adidas line has been particularly successful, and so the sneaker giant's yearlong Hell's Kitchen shop has been hosting a two-week pop-up for Scott which will close up after this weekend. Ths Shophound stopped by over the weekend to check it out, because, as far as we know, this two week experiment is the only Jeremy Scott store that exists anywhere. Inside we found lots of bright, colorful clothes in the designer's typical, outlandish style, so if you always wanted a dress printed to look exactly like an actual potato sack, or have had a long-standing hankering to dress just like Fred Flintstone on some day other than Halloween, this is the store for you. We aren't judging anymore.

There are also plenty of Scott's Adidas sneakers in store including the newest versions of his justifiably popular Hermes-styled winged hi-tops (That's Hermes, the messenger of the Greek Gods, not the French leathergoods company). Prices run from affordable t-shirts to the thousands for more elaborate pieces. The winged sneakers run around $300, but even if you aren't ready for the flamboyance of a full Jeremy Scott outfit, it's still worth a trip for the sheer entertainment value of the store. Presumably, after this weekend, the shop will be converted back to its original stock of Adidas Originals, SLVR and Y-3 brands, and close down permanently sometime in May. It remains to be seen whether this store has raised the shopping profile of a neighborhood that despite its popularity among young New Yorkers remains pretty bereft of fashion, though it doesn't appear to have had an effect quite yet. Still, the unassuming location is part of the store's charm —which is what everyone says before some catalyst turns a pleasant little neighborhood into the next Bleecker Street.

Jeremy Scott through February 26th at Adidas Hell's Kitchen 715 Ninth Avenue between 48th & 49th Streets, Hell's Kitchen

MYSTERIES of the UNIVERSE: Yes, People Are Still Lining Up In Front Of The UGG Store

A couple of years ago, The Shophound noticed a strange phenomenon in SoHo in which people would stand in long lines in the cold outside what was then the only UGG store in Manhattan despite the fact that UGGs are widely available in over 80 stores in New York City. At the time, we thought it was some kind of fluke or a sign of a tiresome trend that had hit its peak, but no, last year there were more UGG stores and consequently, more UGG lines.

In case you were wondering (and we know your curiosity has been burning on this one) the lines are back again —at least in midtown. The above photo was taken yesterday afternoon in front of the UGG boutique at the corner of Madison Avenue and 58th Street where the line extended nearly halfway down a particularly long block. Why anyone continues to do this, we have no idea. It seems pointless on all fronts, but, as you can see, many people (tourists, they have to be, right?) in line are already converted devotées to the chunky, unflattering footwear.

We're beyond going on and on about why we can't stand UGGs at this point, but we still cannot endorse waiting in line for no reason whatsoever, so if you are hopelessly addicted to these shoes and you ust buy them from an official retail outlet, you might want to know that the third UGG boutique in New York, on Columbus Avenue between 67th and 68th street does not seem to be plagued with lines. In fact, The Shophound passes it often in our travels, and we have not noticed any lines outside since the beginning of the Holiday Shopping Season. So if you must indulge yourself, get out of the SoHo and Midtown crowd melée, and head across town to the more civilized West Side, just don't tell anyone we sent you.

GRAND OPENING REDUX: UNIQLO Opens Its Second Largest Store In The World On Friday

So perhaps you have been daunted by the crowds at the new, gigantic UNIQLO World Flagship store on Fifth Avenue. Don't worry, because phase two of the Japanese company's latest efforts, a second world flagship store (or third if you count the original SoHo store as a World Flagship, as it was called when it opened) will open on 34th Street tomorrow at noon with a special ribbon cutting and traditional Japanese ceremony.

Of course, at the moment, workers are still hammering away, and they probably will be installing finishing touches up until the doors open tomorrow. While Uniqlo had nearly two years to construct its Fifth Avenue store, the 34th Street location has only been under construction since April, and at 64,000 square feet, it is still a sizable undertaking.

Expect everything to be perfect tomorrow, however. The white exterior paneling has now been installed, so the store no longer looks naked from the street. In fact the store only has a few thousand fewer square feet of actual selling space than its uptown sibling, and shares the same design elements from architectural firm Wonderwall including a soaring central atrium and countless LED screens throughout. It will also be sharing the same opening specials including the $9.90 jeans which have been flying out of the Fifth Avenue store as well as cashmere sweaters in 25 colors from $49.90 to $59.90, Ultralight down jackets for $59.90 and Heattech items starting at $12.90. In addition, the first 20,000 shoppers at 34th street will recieve a free original tote bag featuring the now iconic red and white logo.

We just toured the newest store with Shin Odake, the US CEO of Uniqlo, who though he has given countless interviews over the past couple of weeks, was gracious enough walk The Shophound through. We watched as the flying mannequins which will be traveling up and down the three floors were activated for the first time (pictured above). This particular feature is unique to the 34th street store, and can be seen only in one other Uniqlo store in Japan. In fact, there are nearly twice as many mannequins in this store as there are on Fifth Avenue, showing every possible way to style the brand's wares.

Some may even find this particular store easier to shop than the one on Fifth Avenue, with featured items including the Uniqlo Innovation Project collection on a main floor split between men and women's merchandise, a full floor for women on 2, and menswear on the third floor shared with a separate section fully stocked with Jil Sander's swan song for +J. We shared with Mr. Odake one last lament about the demise of everyone's favorite designer collaboration line, and he promised us that we would be happy with the upcoming team-up with designer Jun Takahashi's Undercover label. As for more Uniqlo stores around the country, he told us, "As soon as possible!" probably for the thousandth time. He did confirm for us that now that they have so much more space, they would be bringing back children's clothes sometime soon.

His main concern, however, is obviously getting this store ready for its opening on Friday, after which he gets a well-earned rest while the rest of us get shopping.

UNIQLO's other World Flagship opens on Friday October 21st at Noon at 31 West 34th Street between 5th & 6th Avenues, Midtown

OPENIENG FESTIVITIES II: UNIQLO Parties In A Big Way

So last night, months of escalating publicity and promotion came to an apex as UNIQLO threw a big opening party to launch its immense, new Fifth Avenue Global Flagship which finally opens its doors at noon today. And boy, it was big.

The last time Uniqlo threw such a bash, it was almost five years ago, and most people weren't quite sure what this big Japanese store opening in SoHo was all about. They do now, even though this is still only the company's second store in the United States (with an only slightly smaller third one on deck to open in a week's time), and the event attracted an impressive crowd eager to celebrate with free flowing Sake-tinis. Well, everyone's always eager to celebrate with an open bar, but among the revelers we counted major retail figures like Saks Fifth Avenue president Ron Frasch, designers like John Varvatos and the Costello-Tagliapietra team who have had two well received collaboration collections with the store and other fashion crowd mainstays like Lorenzo Martone and stylist Robert Verdi.  Those who were at the previous launch would still recognize the traditional sake barrel breaking. This time, Uniqlo founder Tadashi Yanai did the honors with actress Susan Sarandon, who is starring in the company's "Made For All" campaign. In fact there were sake barrels throughout the store and the beverage was once again served not in glasses, but traditional little square wooden tumblers (We skipped the sake this time for a crisp basil lemonade with vodka).

Though there was an enormous crowd, the store's 89,000 square feet accommodated everyone nicely, and the vast space was well used with lots of bars everywhere so nobody really had to wait too long for a drink —truly the mark of a well organized event. Even so, with in the huge space it still took a god bit of texting and instructions for The Shophound to make contact with a friend who was also at the party. The production was turned over to nightlife promoter Josh Wood who did not disappoint with the entertainment choices. We would happily brave a crowded party and more to see one of our very favorite soul singers, Brooklyn's Sharon Jones who was backed not by her usual band but the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra. Wood also brought in Santigold (pictured above),who performed two songs —though we're still not totally sure she actually sang them— and LCD Soundsystem's James Murphy, who DJed.

The up-only escalators were running both ways for guests at the event, so as we made our descent and exit we were presented with a special white nylon tote printed with Uniqlo logos in its own zip pouch. Ok, last time we got cashmere scarves, so this was a teeny bit of a let down, but we recognize that in this day and age, it is churlish to bitch about party swag (and The Shophound already has plenty of scarves). That doesn't usually stop us, but considering the size of the guest list, we're not terribly surprised that the gift bag was somewhat more humble. The real prize comes when the store finally opens today. If you can make it through the inevitable crowds, you might be able to get ahold of the $9.90 jeans. We wouldn't blame you for waiting a couple of weeks for the hordes to thin out, though. If there's one thing this store tells us, it's that Uniqlo plans to stick around for a while in a very bg way.

Previously:
A User's Guide To UNIQLO's New Fifth Avenue Store,
Cashmere & Sushi: UNIQLO's Broadway Opening (11.10.2006)

SNEAK PREVIEWS: A User's Guide To UNIQLO's New Fifth Avenue Store

It's been a long time coming, but this Friday, UNIQLO's new global flagship will open its doors to the public at Fifth Avenue and 53rd Street. We're pretty sure that nobody has been as anxious to get their eyeballs on this store than The Shophound, and today we finally got a good look inside the most signifigant new new store in New York this season. Here's what we saw:

SIZE MATTERS
At a whopping 89,000 square feet, this location of the Japanese based chain will be the largest by far among its hundreds of store's worldwide. It is  2½ times the size of what was until now the only Uniqlo store in America, the five year old SoHo location —which at the time of its opening was itself the largest Uniqlo store ever.

START AT THE TOP
The first thing you see when you walk through the front door is an immense bank of escalators leading to the third floor. They all go up, not down, because the vast third floor is where all the action is, and it goes on and on and on. Most of the selling space is up there, and it contains the men's and women's regular lines. The floor is configured as a giant U-shape with women's lines placed at the back half of the store where the escalators let you off, and men's lines toward the front. There is a glass display box display area to spotlight the latest merchandise similar to the one at the SoHo store, a concierge desk for information and to facilitate things like alterations and other special requests, and huge banks of registers to minimize the checkout lines that often snake throughout the SoHo store. The most striking feature is the "swing tunnel" (pictured above) which connects the two sides of the store and will be used to focus on special collections and product lines. Currently, it is devoted to Heattech, the popular line of insulated t-shirts, innerwear and accessories now framed with mirrors and an LED ticker for maximum sensory stimulation.

THE UNIQLO YOU KNOW, ONLY BETTER
The store, like the SoHo unit, has been designed by Wonderwall Inc., the Japanese architectural firm, and includes all the familiar minimalist elements like brushed steel, natural oak floors and crisp white walls, but now they are festooned with LED panels on stairs that continually change colors and video screens at every turn focusing on the brand's latest products, campaigns and special collections. It's as if they scooped up bits of what we imagine Tokyo's Ginza neighborhood must be like and liberally sprinkled it throughout the store.

+J GOES OUT WITH A BANG
The second level of the store is entirely devoted to the final collection of +J, Uniqlo's wildly popular collaboration with the designer Jil Sander. The floor has been fully stocked with new goods, including many items that have already sold since this season's collection was released last month in SoHo. A final delivery of new items is reported to be arriving at the beginning of November, but we are told that that's it for this much loved label. Consider this an opportunity to grab some of those great pieces before it's all over. We can only guess what will take over the floor next season. Will it be the recently announced collaboration with Undercover's Jun Takahashi take over, or the ongoing Uniqlo Innovation Project (bottom Image) by Nicola Formichetti and former Issey Miyake protegé Naoki Takizawa which will launch with this store's opening, or some other as yet unannounced project?

SPECIAL OFFERS!
Regular Uniqlo shoppers know that it's always worthwhile to look out for special offers, and the store will be offering some particularly eye-popping special prices on some of its most popular items through October 30th at the Fifth Avenue store only. They are worth braving the crowds for, and they include:
Cashmere V-neck sweaters, normally $99.90 will be $49.90 for women and $59.90 for men.
Japanese Engineered Jeans in regular fit for men and skinny fit for women normally $39.90 to $49.90 at a mere $9.90.
Ultralight Down Jackets for men and women, normally $79.90 for $59.90.
Heattech collection items normally starting at $19.90 for $12.90.

So expect to see even more Uniqlo activity leading up to Friday's opening throughout the city, including their portable pop-up cube shops which are currently at 53rd and Fifth but could appear anywhere. And keep an eye out for street teams handing out little packages of Uniqlo tissues. We hear that they are very hot in Japan, and allergy season is coming!

Honestly, we are expecting the store to be mobbed for the forseeable future, but don't get too discouraged. A third 64,000 square foot store will be opening on 34th Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues only one week later on Friday the 21st, so that may help ease the crush of the crowds.

UNIQLO opens on Friday October 14th at 666 Fifth Avenue at 53rd Street and on Friday October 21st at 31 West 34th Street, between Fifth & Sixth Avenues

OPENING ANTICIPATION: And Now A Glance At UNIQLO Coming To 34th Street

Of course, The Shophound, like everyone else, is excited over the impending opening of the gigantic new UNIQLO flagship on Fifth Avenue which is now just over a week away, but we shouldn't forget that another enormous Uniqlo will be opening on 34th Street just a week after that. We found ourselves walking by a couple of days ago, and actually got a chance to peek quickly inside, where it looked like the store's interior was coming together nicely. Looking from across the street, however, it just seems like something's missing. What could it be? Oh wait, the store is...NAKED.

Apparently, the new store will have some sort of exterior which is still yet to be applied to the building. Talk about leaving things to the last minute! The 34th Street Uniqlo store is set to open on October 14th, so tick-tock people.

SAMPLE SALE REPORT: In Which Loro Piana Reminds Us That Even At The Sample Sale, Luxury Doesn't Come Cheap

We just got notified that prices are being cut at the Loro Piana sample sale currently running at Soiffer-Haskin on 33rd Street. That is always welcome news, but don't go thinking that they're giving stuff away over there.

The Shophound stopped by yesterday because the weather had changed and put us in the mood to hunt around for a bargain. There's nothing not to love about Loro Piana which, though fairly conservative in style, uses the most sumptuous fabrics in the world most of which the company produces itself. There were piles of cashmere sweaters for both men and women that made all others feel like scratchy shetland wool. The bad news? Even at 50% to 60% off the original prices, almost everything at the sale was still really expensive. Think about scarves that retail anywhere from $700 to $2,000, and sweaters that seemed to start at around $800 for even the simplest styles. That should give you an idea of the price range if you aren't familiar with the coveted label.

Of course, The Shophound knows that Loro Piana is expensive, but we hadn't noticed that the brand's prices had soared quite so high lately. Along with the sweaters and scarves and a good bit of women's footwear, there was an abundance of cashmere and leather outerwear for men and women, but few if any pieces that could be had for under $1,000. While Loro Piana makes all sorts of fabrics, they are most well known for their exceptionally fine cashmeres, which most of the apparel was made of. Of course, if you have the resources, there are lots of beautiful things to be had, and if you have a seamstress or tailor at your disposal, or are handy with a needle yourself, there are whole bolts of cloth available to fashion into whatever you want. While we left without making a purchase, we consoled ourself by remembering that a few weeks ago we picked up an $800 Tom Ford cashmere scarf at the new West Side Century 21 for about 85% off its original price, so we had kind of come out ahead already.

If you are thinking of stopping by for a little splurge, however you may want to shift your plans to accommodate a great big splurge.

Loro Piana Sale through Thursday, October 6 at Soiffer Haskin, 317 West 33rd Street between Eighth & Ninth Avenues, Midtown