Hunks Installed
Though the store doesn't open until Thursday, the semi-clad doormen have arrived and apparently will be serving as advance-men for the big event.
They told us it was going to be "Awesome."
Onesole Lands In SoHo &
Stuart Weitzman Expands
Up And West
There is something a little bit upside-down about this report.
First, Onesole, the novelty interchangeable shoe brand has taken over the West Broadway space that was briefly occupied by watch Boutique SubChrono. Think of a Bermuda Bag (if you are preppy enough) for your feet where a cloglike sole can be fitted with an endless variety of sandal tops creating mules or ankle straps or what have you. You can wear them with your Topsy-Tail unless your hairdo is already fitted with a Bumpits!. Yes, they sound a little infomercially to us too, but they appear to be hugely popular —among whom? We have no idea.
On the somewhat more sophisticated side, Stuart Weitzman will be opening his third Manhattan boutique this Fall on Upper Broadway in the 70s not far from Barneys Co-op. Weitzman is clearly taking advantage of more favorable rental conditions as his label continues to excel at interpreting contemporary shoe trends at somewhat gentler prices than Manolo and Louboutin as well as fuller size ranges. This looks like a solid move, but wouldn't the more stylish Stuart Weitzman be rather more at home on West Broadway than Onesole, which might fit in better with Upper Broadway's fairly eclectic mix?
We take it back. Weitzman is probably preferable in both locations. We're pretty sure that Onesole is somewhat misplaced down the street from M Missoni and a block from Chanel. Everyone loves to knock SoHo as a big mall, but We don't think is has gotten quite that bad...until now.
Onesole 438 West Broadway between Prince and Spring Streets
Has The Sartorialist Backlash Begun?
We're all fans of The Sartorialist, the little blog that (with a few well placed connections) has become the latest chronicler of record for individuals of striking personal style. Since launching the blog, photographer Scott Schuman has found plummy work with Condé Nast publications and even inspired department store windows, so it was only a matter of time before someone aimed a critical (if still affectionate) eye at him.
That someone turns out to be Refinery 29 whose blog, Pipeline, has taken a good long look at The Sartorialist and deduced a clever formula for attracting Schuman's attention and immortalizing yourself in the online annals of style.
Read and learn.
Oh Snap! Our Step-By-Step Guide To Getting Shot By The Sartorialist By Christene Barberich & Piera Gelardi, Design by Joshua Covarubbias
The Sartorialist (Official Site)
A First Look At Hollister
WWD has the first glimpse inside the new "Epic" Hollister flagship set to open Thursday in SoHo (It's the big event of the week, so expect to hear a lot about it between now and then). Included in an interview with A&F CEO Michael Jeffries, we can see the dramatic cast iron staircase that will presumably be a centerpiece of the four-level, 40,000 square foot store. Jeffries promises a lavish interior composed of surf shacks with video screens throughout the store bringing beach footage to SoHo. Think of it as California by way of Columbus, Ohio. As usual, there will be no less than two shirtless models in board shorts to greet customers at the front door, and plenty of nubile "salesmodels" inside (fair hiring practices be damned).
Like any CEO, Jeffries is all smiles and good news, though Abercrombie & Fitch's same store sales numbers continue slump in the double digits across the board, including those at the Fifth Avenue flagship, and a variety of analysts chime in with their (mostly predictable) observations that while the company is finally starting to respond to its slowing business, it may not be doing enough to offer newness and otherwise adapt to customers' changing tastes and demands.
Jeffries confirms that the Hollister brand's international expansion hinges on the success of this new flagship, but don't expect any opening day promotions. It'll be full-price all the time at the flagship stores, because, really, who's looking for a sale these days anyway... right?
A&F Stays on Message With Global Strategy (WWD)
Hollister (Official Site) & Ride The Wave (SoHo Epic Store Site)
Scoop On The Ropes?
Scoop, the popular contemporary chain appears to be hitting a rough patch these days with a bunch of distressing challenges. This week, the SoHo Flagship store was hit by a protest from former employees who are suing the company for overtime pay and other questionable business practices including "promoting" stock and security workers to management positions without appreciably changing their duties, but restructuring their pay to a weekly salary, thus exempting them from potentially lucrative overtime pay. Many are West African immigrants who were fired over purported documentation issues, which they dispute.
And why should such a successful chain be so chintzy?
According to the lead story in today's WWD, vendors and factoring companies are growing impatient with Scoop which has been running behind on its payments to suppliers for several months. Factors are a quiet, usually rarely heard from component of the fashion industry who approve retailers' credit and help facilitate wholesale transactions. They are often the first to raise the red flag indicating that a retailer is in trouble. Vendors are often less willing to trifle with a long term retail relationship, and many are continuing gamble on shipping goods to Scoop, though the article seems to suggest that upcoming Fall deliveries may be held up.
While many still associate the now embattled store with its highly visible founder, Stefani Greenfield, she actually left the company last year, and the chain is now owned by Billionaire Ron Burkle's Yucaipa Companies. With such big backing, many are wondering why the relatively small chain (only eleven stores) is evidently so undercapitalized. Many observers (including this one) feel that Scoop, though it still carries appealing items and popular labels, has become formulaic since Greenfield's departure and has lost some of its luster and industry leadership. Its website suspended e-commerce over a year ago, and a promised redesign has yet to happen, although the actual stores also continue to occupy some of the most desirable retail real estate.
Will this month's misfortunes scuttle a once white-hot chain? Time will tell, but we are guessing that Billionaire Ron Burkle (we understand that 'Billionaire' is actually his real first name) is not ready to write off an investment made only two years ago, but eyes will now be on Scoop to see if the Fall goods that are arriving in other stores now start materializing on its floor as well.
Scoop NYC Feels Credit Squeeze by Lisa Lockwood (WWD)
Final Sale Hits Gilt Groupe
We suppose that this is a sort of de facto sponsored post, but we figure this is information you Shophounders appreciate appreciate anyway, so it's all good for everyone.
Gilt Groupe (which we know a lot of you out there love) is running final sales this week, which means that whatever is left from their designer sales gets marked down even more to discounts from around 70% up to as much as 90% off.
These final sales can be hit or miss, as we all know, and it's always good to be ready to click decisively at Noon sharp, but there are gems to be had if your nimble fingers are fast enough. The Men's Final Sale started yesterday, Women's Final Sale starts today, Thursday the 9th, at Noon, and tomorrow brings an Accessories Final Sale and Children's Final Sale. Each sale offers merchandise from as many as 50 designers.
If that's too much pressure, it's still worth marking your calendars over the next few days for an exclusive group of electronics accessories from Incase available only at Gilt, Oliver Peoples for Men and Women this Sunday evening, and Thom Browne, Marc Jacobs Handbags, Frye and Charriol early next week.
Click HERE for your invite
British American House Goes Russian Italian
Longtime New York retailer British American House is finally changing its name mainly because almost nothing it sells is either British or American anymore.
The century-old company is being renamed Pravda Abbigliamento e Calzature dal 1908 (if that's a mouthful, you can probably just call it 'Pravda'), which translates from the Italian as "Pravda Apparel and Footwear since 1908".
Before you think the name is a blatant attempt to court Russian born customers, know that the store's owner is named Philip Pravda, representing the fourth generation running a family business that stretches back to 1908. The Italian part refers to the fact that, for decades, the shop has sold mostly Italian made suits from labels like Canali and Belvest.
OK, the red star is pretty Russian looking, but with a name like Pravda, it's tough to resist that reference entirely.
British American House Changing Names (WWD)
Bagatelle's Wrapping Reminiscence
We have to admit that pretty often these days The Shophound feels a little bit blogged out, and occasionally relieved to find a reason to delete something from our prodigious RSS feed list. Sometimes it seems like we see the same stories slavishly repeated over and over and over from one blog to another (like anything regarding Marc Jacobs' personal life, for example). It's no small pleasure to find a blog with a unique focus, which happened yesterday when we came across "Bagatelle: An on-line museum of shopping bags... and other things money can't buy".
A blog about shopping BAGS?
It's better than it sounds. More than just creating a budding compendium of graphic design and corporate identity (trying to remember what the old Bonwit Teller bags looked like?), Bagatelle's author, Coco, often uses the bags, ribbons, boxes and even business cards as an opportunity launch into another often unrelated but no less amusing story, like this post about Bergdorf Goodman's iconic paper sacks,
We think you've hit on something here Coco.
We're anxiously waiting for a nice post on all those famous Bloomingdale's bags from the '70s and '80s. Consider yourself tasked.
Bagatelle: An on-line museum of shopping bags... and other things money can't buy (Official Site)
Kira Plastinina's Return Draws
Angry Protests In Los Angeles
Some Russian Heiresses really have nerve.
You may have heard that Moscow teen queen designer Kira Plastinina has surprisingly reopened her two Los Angeles Stores under a new Russian based holding company and modified name. Regular readers and New York shoppers will recall that the dairy scion's seven month old American chain closed abruptly just before Christmas last year following a speedy Chapter 7 bankruptcy filing which left most of her employees and not a few creditors high, dry and really pissed off. Many fashion blogs including The Shophound hosted a string of comments from rightfully enraged and disappointed former employees detailing all sorts of bad behavior from management, and those folks have not been quick to forget or forgive.
Perhaps Plastinina thought she would quietly reopen the two stores whose leases she retained as K. Plastinina, but WWD reports that one of the liquidated company's creditors, a construction firm that built eight of the original stores, picketed the Robertson Boulevard shop last Friday. Tom Rectenwald Construction is reportedly owed $2.5 million by Plastinina, and will continue picketing until he is paid —which, we're guessing, could be a while.
Perhaps Karma works differently in Russia
Kira Plastinina's Return Draws Protestors by Anne Riley-Katz (WWD)
Previously,
Shutdown Fallout: Kira Plastinina Staff Left High And Dry
Shutdown Fallout II: Kira Plastinina, It Gets Worse
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
Champ Leanne Marshall
Makes Her Bluefly Début
The most recent Project Runway champion, Leanne Marshall has finally made it to Bluefly today with her exclusive collection, and it's 20% off on day one.
We're not really sure if something actually can be 20% off if it has never been offered at "full price" to begin with, but we digress.
The tiny capsule collection looks good —based on the elegant creations Leanne came up with at the end of the season rather than the tricky, overly artsy things she made at the beginning (can you actually remember back that far?).
Leanne is not the enthusiastic media figure that her predecessor Christian Siriano is, so the PR dial for her has been set a little bit lower. Bluefly is featuring an "interview" with the charming designer by a bedraggled looking Kelly Cutrone of People's revolution and "The Hills" fame, who makes sure to plug her own upcoming show on Bravo, confirming to all who her number one client really is (hint: it ain't Leanne). But here we are talking about Kelly. We shall speak of her no more.
Back to Leanne. The collection, made from organic fabrics, ranges in price from $98 to $990 for a strapless silk gown. It looks pleasingly salable without being boring, and though she hasn't been able to whip up Siriano's frisson, it shouldn't last too long on the web page, so start your clicking.
Project Runway will finally return with its Lifetime début on August 20th.
Leanne Marshall on Bluefly (Official Site)
Kelly Cutrone Interviews Leanne Marshall (Fly•Paper)
Whimsy Overload Edition
In this week's Thursday Styles, Critical Shopper Mike Albo explores one of those love-it-or-hate-it stores, Pylones, the French based purveyor of gadgets and gewgaws. Mike deconstructs the chain's appeal and shortcomings, pointing out its usefulness when faced with obligatory courtesy gifts or tokens for kids. In fact, if one has the patience to look closely, there apparently are some interesting items there for grown-ups that don't look look they popped out of Pee-Wee's Playhouse, but in a culture where there is just too much stuff around he is quick to recognize one of its major failings:
We know that feeling, or maybe it's just the store's overabundance of adorable little items, none of them able to exist simply for their own purpose. A whisk has to be a jellyfish, too. A purse has to look like a chicken and so on... When does clever design become cloying, precious and twee? It happens at Pylones, folks. Enter at your own risk.
Critical Shopper | Pylones: That Is Too Cute! No, Really. By Mike ALbo (NYTimes)
Pylones 69 Spring Street between Crosby and Lafayette Streets, SoHo and other locations
Jil Has A New Label
+J At UNIQLO This Fall
OK, Technically this is not a collaboration because Jil Sander is actually a UNIQLO employee, but WWD has announced that her special collection for the Japanese retailer now has a title. +J will grace the discreet labels of the line when it makes its début at UNIQLO flagships this fall. Because Sander's actual name is owned by Onward Holdings Co. Ltd. which produces the Jil Sander label, the company and designer had to think up something that would refer to her as a person without directly referencing her name. Longtime Jil customers may remember that at one point her labels included a faint plus sign, which may serve as a subtle reference, but not likely enough to cause legal action.
As for the logo design, it resembles an abstracted winking smile, which is an unusually cheery image for the normally severe and minimal Sander, but fits in well with UNIQLO's upbeat aesthetic. Hangtags will include the message:
We're such UNIQLO and Jil Sander fans that this counts as big news for us. So far no pictures have been released yet, so, except for the tiny glimpse of a trim shirt-collar at right, we can only guess what the final product will look like for now.
In our mind it's looking totally fabulous.
Jil Sander's Collection For Uniqlo Will Be Called +J (WWD)
The Scaffolding Shrinks
As Hollister Reveals Itself
Even as it dissolves its ill-fated Ruehl division, Abercrombie & Fitch is getting ready to open Manhattan's first taste of its still popular Hollister chain. The plywood at 600 Broadway has shrunken to barely a single story revealing a façade that is...not appreciably different from what the building looked like when it was a Pottery Barn aside from a coat of white paint.
The so called "Epic" flagship store is set to open in just over a week, and the question here is not so much what to expect (we have a pretty good handle on their M.O. by now) but how much and to what degree?
We are well acquainted with the brand's boilerplate logo tees and flip flops by now, but are the "salesmodels" all going to be as gorgeous as we have come to expect? Will the older and somewhat less stunning still be banished to the stockrooms? How earsplitting will the music be? Will they be able to whip up a Topshop level of interest and frenzy? Giveaways? Well, that's probably a no on those last two.
Hollister's "Ride The Wave" mini site has a short film offering, along with the usual toned torsos, glimpses of the store's proposed interior which promises to be a beachy marvel of set design and art direction. It is, let's face it, atmosphere and ambiance that is the Abercrombie organization's real contribution to the retail business.
Hollister opens on Thursday, July 16th.
Rue La La Crashes!
We don't know what's going on over at popular online retailer Rue La La, but apparently the combination of BCBGeneration, Lacoste Home and Calphalon sales seem to have sent the online sample sale retailer over the edge. Salivating sale shoppers will be receiving this message:
Damn!
We were kind of looking to get some new pots & pans.
Perhaps thing will lighten up this afternoon while everyone is glued to the Michael Jackson memorial (like we can't watch TV and shop online at the same time).
UPDATE: Now they are closed for the entire day.
