Where to shop in Manhattan now: Five multi-brand retailers worth visiting
Though several storied department stores have shut, a new crop of shops in the Big Apple is piquing interest.
Manhattan practically invented Christmas shopping. In department stores such as Barneys, Bloomingdale’s and Bergdorf Goodman, festive window displays, Santa’s grottos and gift wrapping were perfected and exported worldwide. The release this year of They All Came to Barneys, a memoir by Gene Pressman, co-CEO of his family’s store during its 1980s heyday, has rekindled nostalgia for when New York retail led the world. Since then, many icons of yesteryear, including Barneys, have closed, while other storied names have lost some of their lustre. Yet there has recently been a multi-brand-store boom, with many global retailers entering the market. Here are our picks.
(For Monocle’s complete city guide to New York, tap here)
1.
Printemps
1 Wall Street
French retailer Printemps opened its first US outlet in Downtown in March. As well as niche designers such as Joseph Duclos and Taller Marmo, plus many hard-to-procure French cosmetic brands, it offers a reason to linger, with five F&B offerings including a champagne bar. The cultural programming is ambitious: Jean Paul Gaultier haute couture pieces have been on display, while an exhibition recently celebrated Balmain’s 80th anniversary.
2.
Luisaviaroma
1 Bond Street
The Florentine brand, founded in 1929, recently made its debut in the US, opening a 1,000 sq m shop (its first physical store outside Italy) in a historic NoHo building with an elaborate cast-iron façade. Across three floors, the luxury fashion retailer stocks brands such as Auralee and Valextra. It also offers personal styling, with a floor where clients can view exclusive collections.
3.
Steven Alan
511 West 20th Street
More than 30 years after opening his flagship SoHo store, US menswear designer Steven Alan has a new space in Chelsea. Alan was known for introducing European brands, such as Acne Studios and Kitsuné, to US shoppers and for his own-label wardrobe staples in classic silhouettes. The new space mixes his practical jackets and shirts with vintage sweaters, ceramics and homeware from Japan.
4.
La Garçonne
504 Greenwich Street
Since launching online in 2005, La Garçonne has expanded steadily, opening its new Manhattan men’s store this year in a warehouse space in Tribeca. Shoppers come for unisex workwear-style pieces – jackets from Lemaire Men and jumpers from Margaret Howell – and to enjoy the loft-like room with neat racks and shelves that showcase the retailer’s handsome inventory.
5.
Colbo
51 Orchard Street
Opened by designer Tal Silberstein in 2021, Colbo is both a concept store and gathering space. In a narrow glass-fronted space in the Lower East Side, it stocks items from lesser-known labels such as Kartik Research and Yoko Sakamoto, as well as vintage pieces. There’s a coffee station and a vibrant events calendar.
Read next: Monocle’s complete city guide to New York, complete with downloadable map
