The Shophound

Today In Relocation:Chocolate Bar Heads East

After losing its original West Village space to the usual rent-related drama, Chocolate Bar has migrated East, and today marks its Grand Opening on East 7th Street.
Along with its usual arrays of sweets and drinks, artisanal egg creams have been added to the options offered at the new location.
If chocolate alone isn't enough to lure you in, the fine folks at Chocolate Bar are offering a Meet the Neighbors Special to celebrate the opening of its new home, which includes 1/2 price drip coffee and espresso for the first month and a complimentary stencil bar with every iced or hot liquid chocolate purchase (while supplies last).
Chocolate Bar 127 East 7th Street between 1st Avenue & Avenue A

It's Rogan Day

Sometimes we have to wonder how it is that Rogan Gregory won the big CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund prize for emerging designers? After all, if he has the wherewithal to orchestrate the opening of his second Manhattan boutique and a special preview at Barney's Co-op of his Target collaboration all on the same weekend, how could be possibly need cash prizes and mentoring? He seems to have things well in hand.
Much has been made lately of the cooperation between Barneys and Target for this preview, but it's notreally that surprising, and nobody seems to remember that last year, a similar event took place at Opening Ceremony for the Proenza Schouler/Target collection. Barneys is a natural choice because they have been Rogan's biggest supporter since his label started. Today, Co-op customers were not remotely dismayed by the $15 to $45 price tags on the capsule collection. The dreary weather may have kept it from being a stand in line and wait for insanity event like the Kate Moss/Topshop launch, and the Co-op was busy but not chaotic this morning at 10:45 AM, with shoppers loading their arms despite a three-item limit (which may or may not have been enforced). It appeared that customers were also receiving special Barneys/Target canvas totes with their purchases. Considering that the line will be available at Target stores all over America in a few days, it would have been silly to find a feeding frenzy at Barneys. As for the collection, the less expensive fabrics adapted well to Rogan's stripped down aesthetic, and look well constructed for the lower prices. Barneys Co-op customers will totally get it, but we wonder if it might be too subtle or minimal for the real Target crowd?
After Barneys, we shot dowtown to the new Rogan boutique that opened yeterday at the Bowery and Bond Street. By now, with the Bowery's gentrification in full swing, complaining about  it is utterly beside the point. In typically stealthy mode, Rogan has done his best to obscure his shop from the street, using the subtlest of signage. He has replaced the 'r's in the 'Bouwerie Lane Theatre' sign that remains on the building with his own blocky stencil script, making the store, like his Tribeca shop, pretty easy to miss. The interior is painted totally black with dramatic spotlighting which makes the store look closed from outside. Once inside, the theatrical lighting is striking, particularly on a gloomy day, but often makes it hard to examine the goods with spotlights glaring in your face at odd angles and much of the store in dark shadow. In the back, there is an elevated loft, which when we visited, held three employees who seemed to be folding things in utter darkness, which just seemed creepy.
As for the goods, Rogan has expanded beyond his signature denim, into more refined dresses, blouses with more tailored jackets and trousers for men in addition to printed tee shirts and jeans, all still in a minimal black, white and gray palette.
The store has an alluring, mysterious atmosphere, but if you're looking to do serious shopping, bring a flashlight.
Rogan for Target Go International at Barneys Co-op Madison Avenue only through May 11
Rogan Bowery, 330 Bowery at Bond Street, East Village

Den's Latest Pop-Up: Robert Geller

A few weeks ago, Den, the East Village's continuing pop-up store debuted it's latest temporary tenant: New York's Robert Geller.
Despite the tiny space available, the folks at Den constructed a skeletal house inside the store to show off the German-born designer's second menswear collection under his own name.
Fan's of the defunct label Cloak will recognize some of the subtle finishing and details that Geller brought to that collection as an assistant before he struck out on his own. This time, the military and nautical inspired looks are more relaxed and casual.
As with a previous tenant, Tim Hamilton, Den has found itself filled with appealing, interesting but expensive clothes. It's worth noting that the latest wave of New York's men's designers are as interested in jeans and casualwear as they are in suits (at which Geller excels). Unfortunately, this has given rise to the unfortunate phenomenon known as the $300 cotton hoodie sweatshirt.
Geller is only one of many who have given their own costly spin to what was once lowly gymnasium-wear, which only leads us to wonder, "How much do we have to pay to look like a schlump?"
Next up at Den is footwear maker, Common Projects, known for their luxurious, minimalist, and yes, expensive, sneakers.
Robert Geller at Den, 330 East 11th Street, East Village

John Varvatos Makes A Speedy Opening At The Former CBGB's

It may not quite be a record in store remodeling turnaround time, but John Varvatos has managed to open his shop at the former site of the legendary rock and roll club CBGB's less than six months after it was announced. A visit to the store, which opened its doors with little fanfare this past Saturday, explains how he got the interior finished so quickly.
He didn't change too much.
It's been a while since we have passed through the doors of CBGB's, and it was not exactly high on our list of regular haunts, so we can't be too precise about how accurately Varvatos has preserved the club's interior, but we do remember it as being a vaguely glamorous dump, where you might think twice about using the bathroom. The stale beer and cigarette aroma has now been banished. The designer has made the place somewhat more glamorous and quite a bit less dumpy, most notably by adding a smooth new floor, but he has preserved the club's dark, graffiti splattered walls, and turned the bar with a backdrop of stained glass church windows, into a long, high checkout counter. Album covers and framed rock posters now adorn the mottled walls, and a small stepped stage displays the butchest of Varvatos boots. Towards the entrance, there are bins of vintage vinyl at designer prices (Pearl Jam's Vitalogy in mint condition: $42). Video screens showing old CBGB's performance are a step away.
Varvatos has stocked the store with a mix of all his labels, emphasizing their casual side. For suits and topcoats you will still have to venture further south to his Spring Street flagship, but in keeping with the site's heritage, this location also offers vintage biker jackets, t-shirts and other items provided by What Comes Around Goes Around. He's hardly the first designer to add vintage pieces to his stock, but this is one of the few store where it doesn't seem so pretentious.
In fact, Varvatos has done a pretty good job of acknowledging the site's heritage without turning it into a souvenir stand. He has been associating his collection with rock musicians for the past several seasons in his ad campaigns, featuring Iggy Pop, Velvet Revolver and, currently, the members of Cheap Trick among others. Taken out of their context, however, the clothes themselves are only marginally rock and roll-ish. Overall, Varvatos' style, even in his casual lines, is generally quite a bit more refined than your typical rock club gear. He has, however, been respectful, even affectionate, regarding his latest retail home, with the clear understanding that he will never be able to please those who mourn its former tenant. There will inevitably be those who insist on grousing about the transformation of a beloved landmark into a chi-chi designer shop. It's fairly safe to say that for all its devotees, CBGB's most vital years were far behind it by the time it was forced out, and the unfortunate death of its owner shortly thereafter would probably have closed it anyway.
Look at it this way: It's a much better addition to the Bowery than the bank branch or Duane Reade that inevitably would have taken the space otherwise.
John Varvatos 315 Bowery at the end of Bleecker Street, East Village

Patricia Field Brings Back The Old Bowery

For everyone still wringing their hands that the Bowery has gotten too gentrified, Patricia Field did her part to junk it up a little over the weekend.
We aren't slamming La Field, who for all her eccentricity has become a New York cultural figure who is generally above reproach. Her weekend sidewalk sale just reminded us for a moment how messy and funky the Bowery, and the East Village in general, used to be. With CBGB's soon to be a John Varvatos boutique, the Bowery has long since passed the gentrification point of no return, but at least Pat Field is keeping it amusing over there.

Blue & Cream Bows on The Bowery

At this point it's hard to continue to be disturbed or offended by the continuing transformation of the Bowery. With John Varvatos coming and a luxe hotel just steps away, gentrification issues are pretty much beside the point now. The latest upscale offering to appear on the once seedy strip is Blue & Cream, a store that will be familiar to the Hamptons set. We were curious to see how a store whose business would have to be at least partially seasonally driven might do when transplanted to a less casual, year-round market.
Pretty well, it turns out. They have put most (but not all) of the jeans and sweatshirts in the stockroom and focused on more refined looks here with an focus on dresses and more tailored sportswear.
While the exterior of the Avalon Bowery complex that houses the store is singularly cold and uninspiring, the store itself has a vaguely space-age-y interior. The circular clothing racks form little alcoves for browsing adding intimacy, and the welcoming staff allowed us to explore the store with neither overbearing attention nor total indifference. Women's labels range from young designer collections like Zac Posen and Doo.Ri to more contemporary brands like Tibi, Mint and L.A.M.B. Right no there's an abundance of dresses for holiday parties. The smaller men's assortment includes Stussy's Deluxe line, Maharishi, V Room's inventive knitwear and Simon Spurr's sleekly classic but alarmingly expensive jeans and shirts.
Not unlike the nearby Whole Foods, Blue & Cream may be slightly ahead of the neighborhood's evolution, but not by much. Don't mistake it for a "hipster" store. It has a more sophisticated point of view than that, and it looks like the neighborhood won't take too long to catch up.
Blue & Cream 299 Bowery at East 1st Street, East Village
Previously: Hamptons Hits the Bowery: Blue & Cream Coming to Chrystie Place

 

Mike Albo Goes Shopping: '90s Nostalgia Editon

In Today's Thursday Styles, this week's Critical Shopper, Mike Albo visits Den, currently featuring Tim Hamilton's collection, and offers an opportunity to reflect on just how much the East Village has changed.

SOMETIMES when I walk through the East Village, I feel a gust of nostalgia for 1993, when I first moved to New York and lived with my artsy friend Jill in a two-bedroom on 12th Street. It was a carefree, de-gorgeous era, when I often wore girl’s-size thermals printed with snowflakes or flowers and $3 thrift store bell-bottoms. I even knotted my hair in Björk buns.

This brings to mind an alarming image, unless, of course, you lived in New York in the early 1990s. Back then, the East Village was cheap, charming and a reliable freak show every day. The neighborhood's fashion icons were Deee-lite's Lady Miss Kier and RuPaul who were both just becoming stars. Patricia Field was a local cult retailer and Avenue B was more known for junkies than chi-chi restaurants. People wore wild costumes to nightclubs and to the supermarket. Mike's outfit wouldn't have gotten a second glance from your typical New Yorker. It was a far cry from the gentrified neighborhood it has become today. Opening a designer store like Den or its parent next door, Odin in the East Village would have been a laughable concept. How things have changed. Albo is alarmed by Hamilton's prices (not entirely without good reason) but he does neglect to mention that the label Den debuted with, Cheap Monday is, in fact, much more affordable, so Den is not necessarily tied to expensive luxury vendors.
As for the rest of the article, we felt we had been there, and we had, a couple of weeks ago.
Since we're on the topic of our regular media items, we might as well mention that New York Magazine found another Shop Clerk this week, though they have become so few and far between that they are easy to miss. Brandy Cusamano labors at Space NK in SoHo, and if you were expecting to find some insight into what it's like to tend to customers' faces on a daily basis, you will, as we were, be disappointed to find a list of products instead. Brandy's opinions and personality remain frustratingly hidden, and we hope that one of our favorite "Strategist" features escapes from the product placement trap in which it appears to have been caught.
Critical Shopper: Come Out of Your Cave and Get Used to the Price by Mike Albo (NYTimes)
Ask A Shop Clerk: Brandy Cusamano of Space NK (New York)

Den Showcases Tim Hamilton

East Village revolving pop-up store Den seems to be moving increasingly upscale in its offerings. Starting with affordable Swedish sportswear resource Cheap Monday, they then moved to the more upscale Rag & Bone. Now they are featuring the relaxed but luxurious collection of menswear designer Tim Hamilton. One of an emerging group of American menswear designers, Hamilton, like Tony Melillo and Michael Bastian puts his own sumptuous spin on familiar, basic items. In other words, why make a wool sweater when you can use cashmere? Hamilton's approach is a casual one, so his gray herringbone tweed jacket is soft and unconstructed. Matching pants are also available, but perhaps to be worn on their own rather than as part of a suit. Everything is washed and rumpled for a lovingly worn effect, including jeans (with selvedge seams, of course) which are given a light rinse for softness but, thankfully, no self conscious distressing and whiskering. Hamilton's knits are particularly notable including featherweight striped t-shirts for layering without bulk. As a young designer label, however, Hamilton is unable to take advantage of the economies of scale available to larger brands, so small production runs keep prices at the upper end of next-door parent boutique Odin's scale. $1,200 seems a bit high to us for a lightly constructed tweed sportcoat, but that is one of the pitfalls of young designer collections. If, however, price is less of an object, there is much to like about Hamilton's line which is given a much better showcase (however temporary) here than it can get in bigger multi-brand stores.
Next up for Den are Karen Walker (the New Zealand born designer, not the "Will & Grace" character) and Menswear designer Robert Geller.
Tim Hamilton at Den 328East 11th Street between First and Second Avenues, East Village

Righteous Indignation Alert: CBGB to Officially Become John Varvatos Boutique

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.

Employee of the Week: Lata Chettri-Kennedy at Flower Power Herbs & Roots

Photo by Brad Paris for New York Magazine
New York Magazine finally gets inspired this week and instead of interviewing your typical shopgirl, finds an ordained green witch.
We're not sure exactly how she differs from a black or white witch, but Lata Chettri-Kennedy doesn't seem like the type to turn an unruly customer into a frog. Apparently, Flower Power Herbs & Roots has appeal beyond the Wiccan set, and let's face it, who wouldn't turn down a nice, natural herbal remedy if it were available.

Q What ailments do New Yorkers want to heal?
A Stress, insomnia, heartbreak, sexual impotence, weight gain, hangovers.

Q And what do they take?
A For stress, there’s vibrational therapy using flower essence. If it’s a mother-related issue, I’d give them mariposa lily. For heartbreak: bleeding- heart flower-essence therapy. Impotent men take oat seed, which is very effective. We also sell a love potion, an aphrodisiac blend … It’s potent.

Lata seems to be a serious herbalist as opposed to a Janie-come-lately Harry Potter fan, and while our doctor might scoff, we say, if it works, it works.

Ask a Shop Clerk: Lata Chettri-Kennedy (NYMag)
Flower Power Herbs & Roots 406 E. 9th Street near Avenue A, East Village