CityStyle.com

Mark Ronson: DJ and now, Gucci sneaker designer

Editor — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 17:00:23 +0000

They say you can tell a lot about a person by the shoes they wear.

So when the Gucci style gods wanted a healthy dose of hip to go with the launch of GUCCI ICON-TEMPORARY, their new flash sneaker store debuting later this week in Soho, they called for Ronson.

Mark Ronson.

You’re well aware of Mark’s reputation as turntable master, award-winning producer (see Back to Black by Amy Winehouse), and favorite DJ of the fashion police.

Now, thanks to a smart collaboration with Gucci’s creative director Frida Giannini, you can add footwear designer to the list. Starting this Friday, his new line of Gucci Ronson shoes will debut at Gucci’s new pop-up shop on Crosby Street.

Along with his designer sneaks, Gucci will also unveil a limited edition collection of kicks featuring 16 men’s styles and 2 women’s styles, all highlighting classic Gucci design elements. Each shoe comes with either silver or gold metal dog tags, and you can even emboss your initials onto a customized leather tag on each shoe’s laces.

Throw in a special 12-inch vinyl record with tracks selected by Ronson himself and you’ve got a pretty cool deal.

You do own a turntable, don’t you?

Gucci Icon-Temporary opens to the public on Friday. To see more Gucci Ronson kicks, click here. For more details, visit Gucci Icon-Temporary’s Facebook page.

Gucci Icon-Temporary
43 Crosby Street (between Broome & Spring Streets), Soho
no phone
gucci.com

43,000 Square-Feet Of Armani Style

Editor — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 05:01:21 +0000

In your world, actions speak louder than words.

With that in mind, nothing says stimulus this season…

… Like a brand-new flagship store. Opening next Wednesday, Italian fashion maestro Giorgio Armani is moving to Fifth Avenue. Armani/Fifth Avenue sits on 43,000 square-feet of prime UES real estate while its glass walls stretch 45-feet high.

In his glass house, like you’d expect, is a glossy, beautiful, modern display for everyone to admire. Start at the basement for all your casual needs courtesy of EA7 and Armani Jeans; those Beckham-approved threads also make their home here. The ground floor houses accessories and fragrances. Climb up the modern staircase and you’ll find Armani Casa, as well as both Giorgio and Emporio collections.

Being a flagship, there’s a stable of perks. Book a private VIP fitting room for those precision suit fittings. And in between picking peak lapels and debating vents, you might even sample Armani Dolci’s line of fine chocolates.

The sweets and select products from both lines are unique to this store.

So is that limited-edition, crocodile messenger you’ve had your eye on.

Armani/5th Avenue
717 Fifth Avenue (at 56th Street)
Tel: (212) 339-5950
armani5thavenue.com

Black Fleece, Meet Bleecker Street

Editor — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 05:01:41 +0000

You’re always willing to give the shirt off your back.

That’s about to change…

…thanks to Brooks Brothers’ first freestanding Black Fleece store. We’ve been hearing rumblings of the store’s existence since last October, and are happy to report that the anticipation comes to an end this Sunday.

The collaboration between America’s benchmark in tradition, Brooks Brothers, with New York’s designer debonair, Thom Browne, has been found peppered in Brooks Brothers shops across the country, but never standing alone. Sunday can’t some soon enough. Think short jackets and high-hemmed pants coupled with sleeves exposing ample cuff, shin-brushing trousers, and stunted collars—it’s the sharper end of America’s move toward a narrower fit.

The 1,700-square foot space, however, is anything but narrow. The interior is a masculine contrast to Browne’s shrinking suits. It’s lavish and upscale. Exposed brick walls, handsome slate-hued Louis XV armchairs, topped with a stunning chandelier all work in effect to give you West Village moxie meets New England prep school.

It’s safe to say Browne is the new Black this season.

Brooks Brothers Black Fleece debuts this Sunday.

Brooks Brothers Black Fleece
351 Bleecker Street (at West 10th Street)
Tel: (212) 929-2763
brooksbrothers.com/blackfleece

Rag & Bone Lands in the West Village

Editor — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 05:01:28 +0000

You don’t live under a rock.

You know it’s Fashion Week.

And with that, perfect timing to open your flagship store in Manhattan. Good job, Rag & Bone. Located on a quiet Christoper Street block, Rag & Bone’s first shop is everything you thought it would be. A raw, antique-feel room of exposed brick walls, worn wooden floors, pressed tin ceilings, and vintage touches like distressed trunks and suitcases, the 1,600-sq.-ft. space houses a tightly edited selection of designers David Neville and Marcus Wainright’s hip and sophisticated looks for men and women.

Marvel over Fall 08 highlights, like a casual-cool gray leather track jacket or a smoky gray hunting vest, or pick through the shop’s wall of denim in pursuit of the perfect dark rinse.

Ties, boots, and hats also stud the display tables, along with sharply tailored button-downs that will help you get through the day…

…And the night.

Rag & Bone’s flagship store is now open.

Rag & Bone
104 Christopher Street (between Bedford & Bleecker Streets)
Tel: (212) 727-2990
rag-bone.com

Introducing J.Crew Tribeca Men’s Shop

Editor — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 16:54:07 +0000

Sartorially speaking, you know August as the month of leisure.

The dress code: crisp white shirts, sharp shoes, and a little seersucker.

Here to assist your style needs with panache… the brand new J.Crew Tribeca Men’s Shop. Located in the former landmark digs of The Liquor Store, a storied bar on a quiet downtown block, the new J.Crew space is an instant classic. For starters, they’ve kept most of the original fixtures and transformed the actual bar into a display area.

They’re also introducing collaborations with an A-List of men’s designers; think high-end British label Thomas Mason, Borsalino hats from Italy, Mackintosh coats, and luxe luggage from Globe Trotter.

All the essentials for the man about town.

With wallet-friendly prices, too.

J.Crew Tribeca Men’s Shop opens Thursday.

J.Crew Tribeca Men’s Shop
235 West Broadway (at White Street)
Tel: (212) 226-5476
jcrew.com

Muji Takes Manhattan

Editor — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 05:01:34 +0000

As a New Yorker, you often wish for something, no, anything to ease that train-wreck we call Times Square.

The masters of minimalist design have answered that wish: introducing Muji Times Square.

Located on on the ground floor of the ultra-modern New York Times building (designed by architect Renzo Piano), Muji’s new flagship is a retail masterpiece. Juxtaposed with the adjacent Port Authority’s constant congestion, the store offers divine simplicity, full views of the building’s signature moss-and-birch-tree garden, and 1,750 household goods. Yes, this is the largest Muji collection in the States by far!

Muji fans will also appreciate the brand’s respectable offering of 420 inexpensive apparel items.

Just stay away from those shrink wrapped tee shirts - the goal is to look crisp this Summer.

Muji Times Square
The New York Times Building, 620 Eighth Avenue (Entrance on 40th Street)
Tel: (212) 382-2300
muji.com

Manhattan’s Most Stylish New Shoe Store

Editor — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 23:38:26 +0000

When it comes to fine shoe stores, it seems like men are always one step behind.

Fortunately, discerning gentlemen have a new place to step up to: introducing Leffot, the new West Village, luxury shoe store just for men.

Conceived by Steven Taffel, a fashion industry veteran of Bottega Veneta and Prada, and his wife Hiroko, a former window designer for Bottega and J.M. Weston, Leffot is a feast for fans of European footwear. Whether your tastes run British (Church’s, Edward Green, Graziano & Girling), Italian (Artioli), or French (J.M. Weston, Pierre Corthay, Aubercy), you can easily find something sharp to slip into.

And for those whose who insist on bespoke, you get to work directly with Taffel for your custom-made creation.

Finally, a well-heeled shop for the well-heeled man.

Leffot opens early next week.

Leffot
10 Christoper Street (off Greenwich Avenue)
Tel: (212) 989-4577
leffot.com

Inside Gucci’s New Flagship

Editor — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 05:01:59 +0000

You’ve always been a fan of living large.

Gucci is with you on that. This Friday, they’re opening doors to their biggest flagship in the world. Once you get in, you’ll be treated to a visual masterpiece conceived by their creative director Frida Giannini and architect James Carpenter.

We’ll quarterback you through the “three spacious, warm, light-infused floors”:

MEN’S COLLECTION. The men’s ready-to-wear collection encompasses the entire second floor! Revel in the recessed lighting, marble floors, and dark rosewood floors. Indulge yourself in suits, jackets, shoes, and all the luxurious Gucci accessories (ties, hats, sunglasses) that you can imagine.

WOMEN’S COLLECTION. The rest of the Flagship belongs to women. The first floor is handbag heaven (they call it the Fashion Handbag Salon). Ladies can browse through the current season’s handbags, as well as classics. There is also a women’s shoe salon (of course) and an eveningwear salon on the third floor (check out the view when you’re up there).

46,000 square feet of Gucci goods in one location.

What more can you ask for?

Gucci Flagship
725 Fifth Avenue (at 56th Street)
Tel: (212) 826-2600
gucci.com

Style Arbiter | Coup De Coeur

Editor — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 05:01:59 +0000

You may not have heard of Amanda Sheppard or Lucia Tait of Coup de Coeur, but to their partners, Soho House and Hotel Gansevoort, their guided shopping tours are legendary. That’s because both ladies bring deep insider knowledge of New York’s finest retailers and designers to every client that engages them for an individually tailored shop seeing excursion.

This year, they’re adding shopping tours for a few, good gentleman. We asked the professional shoppers for a little guidance on their favorite bespoke men’s tailors:

DUNCAN QUINN. “The only rule is: there are no rules. With bespoke, each piece is for an individual person with unique needs from the piece,” declares Duncan Quinn, perhaps the best known bespoke tailor in New York City. DQ combines the sartorial splendor of Saville Row and energetic color (midnight blue with fuschia, grey with purple). His shop also sports a fine collection of cuff links, oversized Fleur de Lys ties, and hand made umbrellas.

Duncan Quinn, 8 Spring Street (near Elizabeth Street), (212) 226-7030, duncanquinn.com

HISHAM OUMLIL. Recently nominated for Fashion Group International’s Rising Star Awards, Hisham Oumlil is a name that’s buzzing in menswear circles. “We don’t sell clothing as a necessity, we approach it as an art and Hisham Oumlil handles all aspects of the process from fittings to production to ensure the true tradition of bespoke,” explains Hisham. André Balazs and Jude Law, both long-time clients, agree.

Hisham Oumlil, 257 West 39th Street (inside Beckenstein Men’s Fabrics), (near 8th Ave), (212) 730-0720, oumlil.com

To schedule your own personal shopping tour (and score discounts), contact Coup de Coeur at (917) 464-3699 or visit coupdecoeurny.com.

Indulging In Three New Pop-Up Shops

Editor — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 05:01:48 +0000

The parties. The presents. The booze.

Yes, it is the most wonderful time of the year. Here to keep the festivities lively and help keep the edge off… three new pop-up stores to celebrate three of your favorite vices.

Don’t you just love the Holidays?

The Vice: Whisky
The Venue: A Johnnie Walker Blue Label pop-up store at Time Warner Center
The Lure: A brief intro to the rarest of the Johnnie Walker whiskies by a Master Whisky Taster. Get to know Blue Label, and Johnnie Walker’s two most luxurious and limited-edition blends: King George V and Blue Label Anniversary Pack. No tastings though. Now through January 4th.

The Vice: Coffee
The Venue: The Illy Push Button House at Time Warner Center.
The Lure: Enjoy complimentary Illy coffee and espresso, while viewing artist Adam Kalkin’s Push Button House: a fully furnished compact home that unfolds from the inside of a shipping container in 90 seconds. Stop by Mondays in December (12/3, 12/10, and 12/17) from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and pair your coffee with free Bouchon Bakery treats. Coffee service begins Thursday (11/29), the Push Button House will be open Monday (12/3). Through Saturday (12/29), on the second floor at Time Warner Center.

The Vice: Beer
The Venue: Details Magazine Block Party sponsored by Peroni in the Meatpacking District
The Lure: Peroni and discounts at your favorite MePa shops, including An Earnest Cut & Sew, Buckler, Jean Shop, and Theory. Plus pop-up shops by Asics, Dunhill, Epson, Hanes, Kenneth Cole, Le Blanc, and Remington in the Hotel Gansevoort (view the Peroni Gatefold). One-day only: this Saturday (12/1), from Noon to 5 p.m.