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Marc Jacobs Nudie Redux Available Now

NakedheidiklumTheeey're baaaack.
And they're in the store now, so don't dawdle. The latest editions of Marc Jacobs' celebrity nudes have arrived including new shots of Heidi Klum, Eva Mendes and Helena Christensen. This time around, they are printed on basic gray T-shirts, so those of you that bought last season's bright colors can be secure in knowing that yours will be identified as first editions. Versions in heathered blue and charcoal will be available at the Bleecker Street stores only. In addition to the brave celebrities, several of Marc's employees have volunteered to pose as well, which will make it possible to actually buy a T-shirt from the person pictured on it. That'll definitely make his stores even more crowded than usual.
As for the many queries we receive asking where to buy the shirts, we will remind everyone that the shirts are available at Marc Jacobs Stores. If you can't get to one, then call them.
Marc by Marc Jacobs 382, 385 and 403-405 Bleecker Street, West Village


Righteous Indignation Alert: CBGB to Officially Become John Varvatos Boutique

Cbgbvarvatos

Let's be honest, The Shophound's fake nostalgia for places we never could have gone to in their heydays tends to run more along the lines of Studio 54 and Danceteria. That said, we understand how the merciless closing last year of legendary rock and roll venue CBGB rankled so many. We sort of felt the same way about the Roxy (where the bathrooms were just as revolting). Those disgruntled rock fans will probably take the news that the space will soon be turned into a designer boutique as adding insult to injury.
Designer John Varvatos has confirmed that he will be opening a store at 315 Bowery next Spring, presumably after a lot of cleaning. Frankly, such a store fits in far better with the new, shiny Bowery than a rock club that was typically described even by its most ardent fans as filthy. Of course, they meant it as a compliment.
We are willing to bet that Varvatos makes the most of his new store's colorful heritage, as his recent ad campaigns have eschewed models in favor of rock stars like Iggy Pop and, currently, Alice Cooper. We just hope it has a better bathroom.


Midtown Market to Come Direct From Italy

24eataly6001_2 Tired of Whole Foods?
Has the novelty of Trader Joe's worn off?
New Yorkers will soon have a new food store to obsess over. Italian food superstore Eataly is set open a scaled down U.S. version this spring at 18 West 48th street. The two level, 10,000 square foot store will be but a precursor to a global chain of superstores designed to recreate the experience of the hugely popular 30,000 square foot original in Turin, Italy, which is touted as the world's biggest food and wine market.
Described by today's New York Times as a combination of "a bustling European open market, a Whole-Foods-style supermarket, a high-end food court and a New Age learning center", Eataly chief Oscar Farinetti plans to do for Italian food what Ikea has done for cheap Swedish furniture. If you think that the smaller store will be a pale representation of the original, just have some patience because Farinetti has secured a Meatpacking District location to replicate his main store in 2011.
We're hungry already.
Spacious Food Bazaar in Turin Plans Manhattan Branch (NYTimes)
Eataly (Official Site)


Collaboration Update: Bryan Bradley at Lord & Taylor

Bryanbradleylordandtaylor

After we hit BCBG over the weekend, we figured we would walk a block or two south and see how the revival of Lord & Taylor was coming along, particularly to see how Tuleh designer Bryan Bradley's exclusive collection for the store had turned out. All we could find of the line, called Bryan by Bryan Bradley, was the chiffon trimmed knit cardigan and dress ensemble pictured above which totaled about $500 for both piece. In a Tuleh-ish sort of way, it could look winsome and feminine on the right lady and prim and schoolmarmish on the wrong one.
That was it. Not much to judge from.
Either everything else was sold out or they are starting slow. We could find nothing of the line on the store's website, so perhaps they are shooting to launch it big for Holiday.
As for the rest of the store, most of their other big initiatives have yet to be implemented, although they have clearly made an effort to reduce clutter on the sales floor and upgrade their displays and visual merchandising. A mobbed women's shoe department proved that the store could still attract a crowd, but the remodeling and renovation the building desperately needs have not yet begun. We will be keeping an eye on them, however. This is one turnaround that the entire fashion industry is rooting for.
Previously: Lord & Taylor Signs Tuleh's Bryan Bradley and Starts Looking Interesting


The Costume Institute to go Superpowered Next May

Metfacade

The Metropolitan Museum will get a healthy dose of pop culture next spring when The Costume Institute opens its next exhibition, "Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy" on May 7, 2008.
Met curator Andrew Bolton tells WWD, "Originally, it was based on clothing that provided wearers with superhuman powers and that quite literally extended the the natural abilities of the human body, but over the years, we became more interested in the superheroes as metaphors for sex, power and politics."
That might a lot more consequence than Wonder Woman is used to shouldering, but the 70 outfit show should at the very least be colorful and entertaining. The blogger in us says it sounds vaguely reminiscent of FIT's recent show, "Love & War: The Weaponized Woman", but the latent comics fan in us says "Yay! Superheroes!"
Wwoman_2This would seem like a golden opportunity to raid Thierry Mugler's archives (in fact, he could probably have designed the whole show), but the exhibition will also include everything from Haute Couture to activewear from the likes of Nike and Speedo.
In addition to perennial co-chair Anna Wintour, The Costume Institute has recruited superstar power for their annual gala including George Clooney, Julia Roberts and Honorary Chair, Giorgio Armani who is underwriting the exhibition. If they don't make sure Wonder Woman Lynda Carter is there, they lose all credibility.
We certainly hope Bolton doesn't forget to include some Underoos in the show. They are, after all, Underwear That's Fun To Wear!
A 'Super' Take on Fashion (WWD)
Previously: FIT Takes Up Arms: Love & War The Weaponized Woman


BCBG Makes A Lavish Fifth Avenue Bow

Bcbginterior

OK, so this is only like the sixth BCBG store in Manhattan, but clearly, this is The Big One. Max Azria has just unveiled his core brand's dramatic three-level Fifth Avenue flagship, the biggest store in the chain of more than 160 stores. It's an impressive transformation of a 12,000 square foot former Pier 1 space with stone and acacia wood floors and sculptured metal decoration. Bcbgentrance Its corner position gives it an imposing entrance marquee, so you really can't miss the place. What is most unusual, however, is its location on the corner of Fifth and 40th Street, not exactly the center of midtown shopping activity. Traditionally, we think of Fifth Avenue's prime area as ending just south of Saks, and despite the recent appearance of Sean John and Alice + Olivia, the area around the New York Public Library is still clogged with the kind of discount electronics stores that have long since been swept away from the more northern blocks of the street. That may finally be changing with the recent opening of the large H&M at 42nd and Fifth and the still very-much-in-progress revival of Lord & Taylor. The BCBG store was respectably busy, though not mobbed last Saturday afternoon. The sales staff was welcoming, abundant, and very enthusiastic about making The Shophound aware that they were in the  middle of a sweater promotion. The store is fully stocked with every product category including shoes and accessories. Dressier eveningwear is housed on a mezzanine bordered with a vertigo inducing glass railing while jeans and casual sportswear can be found downstairs. The more expensive "Runway" label takes up only a couple of racks, and the premium Max Azria collection was not yet available there, but should be added in a few weeks. If all goes as planned, the store could mark a whole new stretch of Fifth Avenue turning upscale.
BCBG 461 Fifth Avenue, Midown


Celebrity Sreet Fashion Report

Mickeyminnie_3 Here in Manhattan, it's not unusual to see celebrities walking around, but it is always a surprise to see America's favorite rodents Mickey and Minnie Mouse strolling around caught between holidays dressed, apparently, for the Fourth of July, but carrying Christmas stockings.
What was perhaps most unexpected was Minnie's choice of accessory. Minnie, it turns out, is a fan of Dora the Explorer.Minnieanddora
Evidently, Dora is very big with the vermin.
We're not sure how her bosses at Disney will feel about her quiet support of a rival Nickelodeon star. Is it a bit of passive-aggressive rebellion? Is she unhappy with her contract?
While the two showbiz icons appeared to be happy to pose for photographs, they refused all interview requests.


Best Buy Ready Any Minute Now at Columbus Circle

Bestbuywestside

Well, it won' be the first Best Buy in Manhattan, or even the second or third, but as a West Sider, we must admit that The Shophound is comforted to know that should we get the sudden uncontrollable urge to to purchase a flat-screen TV or a refrigerator, we won't have to go very far. The new 46,000 square foot store is the first and, so far as we can tell, only retail tenant thus far in the opulent limestone 15 Central Park West condominium building (There's still 40,000 square feet left. Hurry!). Like it's Chelsea sibling, it appears that most of the store will be underground; an efficient solution for fitting a not-so-glamorous big box store into a luxurious Robert A. M. Stern designed CPW building. With its whopping $75 million over 15 years lease, the store also confirms that the Columbus Circle area, once a retail no-man's-land is now a shopping destination even outside the confines of Time Warner Center.
Best Buy 15 Central Park West, at 62nd Street & Broadway, Columbus Circle


Stella McCartney Turns Green for Barneys

Stellamcartney_5 Green, green, green.
Ecological awareness couldn't be trendier these days, but it's not always easy to put your money where your mouth is. Barneys is making "Green" the theme of its Holiday advertising this year, and has recruited Stella McCartney to create an exclusive 18-piece eco-friendly and organic capsule collection for the resort season, to arrive in mid-November.
McCartney is no stranger to the movement and will be launching "Care" her organic skin care line in tandem with the apparel line. The designer has gone so far as to incorporate trims and recycled fabrics from past collections to minimize waste. In McCartney, Barneys has chosen a designer who has stuck to her convictions since she originally started her own label. She has already proved that it is possible to create a luxury fashion brand including shoes and accessories without using leather or animal skins, so taking the crunchy granola out of organic clothes should be a snap.
In addition to Stella, Barneys will also have special items from Rag & Bone, Henry Cuir and Rogan as well as a collection from 3.1 Philip Lim made entirely from organic cotton.
Stella McCartney's at Barneys, Naturally (WWD)


Shirts Off at Abercrombie & Fitch...This Time It's the Customers

Noshirts01_2
We wish we could have there!
Clever urban prankster group Improv Everywhere gave Abercrombie & Fitch a much needed ribbing recently when it recruited exactly 111 "agents" (pictured above) of all shapes and sizes to descend upon Fifth Avenue's Abercrombie flagship and, in the spirit of the store's fabled imagery, shop topless.
While customers and many staff members were entertained, management was not amused and ultimately ejected the group, even as some were making purchases. Maybe it was because several of the agents were way hotter than the full-time shirtless model at the store's entrance, or maybe it was because several of them weren't.
In a certain way, The Shophound owes much of our success to the ridiculous Abercrombie & Fitch, so here's hoping this becomes a nationwide movement. They're totally asking for it!
Improv Everywhere has copious photo and video documentation on their website.
Enjoy!
No Shirts (Improv Everywhere) via Racked
Previously, one more time: What, No Drink Tickets?: Abercrombie & Fitch