sector: Apparel, Luxury
district: SoHo
149 Mercer Street, New York 10012

In a nutshell

British architect Sophie Hick's minimalist take on Alaia's move from wholesale to D2C.

In their words

"A legendary Parisian fashion Maison with a Couture soul, Alaïa celebrates the power of femininity and the timelessness of beauty"

Visit Field notes

Part of the D2C push by the Richemont-owned brand, the store is a celebration of Soho with a minimal store behind fogged-out windows. Once inside the products are the heros, with an enviable array of ready to wear apparel and handbags. Decoration is from American luminaries like Robert Rauschenberge, Jonathan Horowitz, Donald Judd. This is a lesson in a compact brand showcase.

Other Reading

An alluring space that is obscured by the teasing frosted windows. Occasionally the roped queue will give away that something's happening. Inside the narrow, polished concrete front area gives way to a triple-height, bright area. The clothes are the focus against this stark, barely post-industrial background.

Others wrote:

Vogue - Alaia's return to New York - https://www.vogue.com/slideshow/alaia-store-opening-soho-2023

Conjuring the spirit of Alaia - https://wwd.com/fashion-news/designer-luxury/alaia-new-york-store-mercer-nyc-1235469477/ 

LAST VISITED

2024

Added

2023

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