The ghost of Monkia Chiang's defunct line will finally be erased from SoHo this Fall when one of America's great heritage brands, Woolrich takes over her former store for its first Flagship store. The Wall Street Journal reports that the brand, famous for its woolen blanket fabrics and rugged outerwear, has also taken substantial space in the building above the shop on Wooster Street for offices. Woolrich has benefited nicely from the past decade's obsessive heritage trend, raising its profile without slavishly relying on vintage archive looks. This leaves us with a question of exactly which Woolrich will we see in SoHo? The brand reportedly liked the new shop's close proximity to famous outerwear brands like The North Face, Moncler and Barbour, so perhaps we will we see a store filled with the fleece, blankets and parkas (pictured at left) it is known for from the moderately priced main line. On the other hand, A SoHo boutique may be more suited to the brand's more fashion-minded and upscale premium lines, Woolrich John Rich & Bros. and the revived Woolrich Woolen Mills (The Shophound's personal fave) designed by Mark McNairy. These labels are licensed to Italian manufacturer WP Lavori which just opened its own boutique on Smith Street in Boerum Hill. Or, maybe we will see an expansion of the new, more deluxe "Made In USA" collection the brand has been making under its main label. Will they be able to cram it all into one, modestly sized shop? We will find out after the Summer, which seems too far away to think about just yet.
Woolrich Settles on SoHo For First Flagship Store (Wall Street Journal via Racked)
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