Space Mercer Finds Its Niche in SoHo

It's all happening in SoHo these days. Space Mercer has opened its doors, and seems poised to fill the niche between the increasingly predictable it-girl trendiness of Scoop and Intermix and the rarefied, unabashed luxury of Jeffrey. They have brought a progressive sensibility that complements the bigger brands of fellow neighborhood shop Kirna Zabête. You may have to hunt for it as no sign exists aside from innocuous lettering on the window, so they get extra points for bringing back understatement. The interior is well appointed in a style we have come to know as "SoHo Classic", A roomy loft layout with merchandise presented on tables and single racks along the walls punctuated with distinctive display furniture. If we sound blasé, we don't mean to. The excitement here is in the clothes, not the perfectly tasteful décor, and Space Mercer is filled with offbeat labels, some familiar like Martin Margiela and Rick Owens, and others less so like Alexander Wang and Hanni Y. Their dedication to emerging designers is impressive, and you can count us as fans of any store featuring Shophound favorites like Rag & Bone and Doo.Ri.