New York at Christmas Time! (part 2 - shopping) by Stacey DeAngelis
New York at Christmas Time! (part 2 - shopping)
 by Stacey DeAngelis
 Monday, December 13th, 2010
 New York, NY
 Views: 10,237
 
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Good Morning & Welcome to New York at Christmas Time, Part II

You’re not really experiencing Christmas in NYC unless you get knee deep in the shopping experience (overwhelming and scary as it can be). Everywhere you turn there is an amazing shop to find “just the right gift” for everyone on your list.

Shop Shop Shop
Below are some of the best keep shopping secrets in NYC that even the most jaded New York will be impressed with!

Elliot Mann
324 East 9th Street #SE
New York, NY 10003
http://www.elliotmann.com
Danish-born designer and F.I.T. alum Louise Paul named her feminine, cleanly cut line of women’s apparel after her grandfather, Elliot Mann, a painter and early mentor. The inspiration carries beyond the clothes into the décor, with framed black-and-white family photographs of Paul and her grandfather covering the wall behind the register. Paul opened the store in 2007, and although her wares are sold widely throughout Asia and western Europe, this is the only freestanding boutique dedicated exclusively to her designs. Her deconstructed men’s button-down shirts, which are cut at the bust and sewn back together to fit a woman’s form, are best sellers. In warmer months, the Deep V tanks, which pair a low neckline with a gauzy, loose-fitting waist, sell quickly. Paul favors soft, touchable fabrics, creating feather-light tanks and tees from modal and delicate pastel dresses from silk. The small assortment of affordable vintage handbags and jewelry near the register caters to the neighborhood’s young, bargain-savvy shoppers, who dress up Paul’s simple, pretty designs with funky accessories. — Lauren Murrow

Foley & Corina
114 Stanton St., New York, NY 10002
nr. Essex St.
212-529-2338
http://www.foleyandcorinna.com
You want sexy, you want funky, you want girly-girly: Look no farther. This LES boutique is already a household name to locals, celebs, uptown girls, and even a few ballplayer's wives who fly in to ravage the biweekly new arrivals. In a spacious location decorated with colorful, Chinese-inspired watercolor collages on the walls—birds in flight, Botticelli-esque Birth of Venus skies—vintage shoes line the floors under racks of silk tops and cocktail dresses. Corset tops and dresses are core collection staples, complemented by Foley + Corinna handbags and a variety of jewelry. Reupholstered vintage seats make nice rest stops for spent gentlemen friends. — Jimmy Im

Shop
94 Orchard St., New York, NY 10002
nr. Broome St.
212-375-0304
(web site unnavailable)
There’s plenty to catch the eye at Shop, from a clothing line strung with frilly lingerie to the hot-pink floors. The two-room boutique sells clothing by young, cool brands like 3.1 Philip Lim and L.A.M.B. as well as smaller — but no less imaginative — labels like Mooka Kinney and Spring & Clifton. Fun undies from Betsey Johnson, bralettes from Eberjey, and thongs by HankyPanky spice up the space. Accessories abound, including Laura Merkin clutches, fashionable Charlotte Ronson wedges, and slouchy 80%20 boots. And new designs arrive monthly from local jewelers like Poupette, which personalizes necklaces with pictures and words, and Wendy Nichol, who rocks it a little harder with snake-skin cuffs and oversized stud earrings. — Caroline Kinneberg


Brunello Cucinelli
379 Bleecker St., New York, NY 10014
nr. Perry St
212-627-9202
http://www.brunellocucinelli.it
In 1985, designer Brunello Cucinelli bought a 14th-century castle in his wife's hometown, the small Italian village of Solomeo. He restored the structure and converted it into the headquarters of his cashmere clothing company, employing nearly all of the townspeople as everything from garment sewers to business administrators. Initially inspired by the United Colors of Benetton's brightly-colored wool sweaters, Cucinelli started his line in 1978, designing a similar line of cardigans, turtle-, V- and crew-necked sweaters—but all in cashmere. He eventually expanded his brand into complete luxe sportswear lines for men and women. Cashmere is still his specialty, but he now favors more muted colors and also designs silk dresses, polo shirts, flannel blazers, and jackets with elbow patches. Today the company has nearly thirty stores around the world, each one shipping in all its garments from the same castle in Solomeo. — Rachel Corbett

Calypso
280 Mott St., New York, NY 10012
nr. Houston St.
212-965-0990
http://www.calypsostbarth.com
Upscale hippie-chic reigns supreme at the Calypso string of stores. Owner and French native Christiane Celle's love of St. Bart's is brightly reflected in her resplendent silk-beaded skirts and dresses, flowing kurtas, and candy-colored silk camisoles, while the soft leather accessories, shoes, sarongs, and patterned bikinis evoke sultry island vacations. The coveted house line of candles and fragrances—including favorites like Mimosa and Chevrefeuille—are redolent of the tropics, too. Aside from these Calypso classics, each store’s stock varies according to its specialty. The baby shop pampers well-heeled kids with mini sequined cashmere sweaters; the company’s home store, a beautifully-decorated space on Lafayette, is full of silver-plated lanterns from Tunisia, French mohair quilts, Indian printed pillows, and unique smaller items, like horn-embellished keepsake boxes and calf-leather coasters. Sheets and bedding patterned after Calypso's skirts help create a soothing domestic tropicalismo despite the call of the urban jungle. — Jeannette Park

Custo Barcelona
474 Broome St., New York, NY 10013
nr. Greene St.
212-274-9700
http://www.custo-barcelona.com/en
Barcelona: A city known for its hot weather, hotter citizens and raging all-night nightlife. Custo Barcelona: A brand known for hot styling, hotter customers and clothing perfect for raging, all-night nightlife. Although the line is ready-to-wear, the brand’s iconic, brightly colored silk-screened and pieced tops for men and women manage to look like they’d be at home in an East Village or Lower East Side boutique of artisanal, hand-made T’s; each features intricately silk-screened and embroidered graphic and figurative designs, such as abstractions of swim-suited women or Bob Marley. A penchant for piecing also dominates, with tops, pants, dresses, skirts and jackets constructed from any number of differently patterned fabrics, for a near-anime aesthetic. Custo releases two collections a year—fall/winter, spring/summer—with new products arriving in from Spain every other week. — Andrew Sessa

Lafco NY/Santa Maria Novella
285 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012
nr. Jersey St
212-274-0629
http://www.lafcony.com
Lafco NY is sitting quite comfortably in its space on Lafayette, and its Santa Maria Novella line is grabbing attention all over the city. The over 600-year-old (!) Italian brand includes soaps and fragrances.

Jeffrey NY
449 W. 14th St., New York, NY 10014
nr. Tenth Ave
212-206-1272
http://www.jeffreynewyork.com
If you like your clothes and shoes runway-hot, but need some chill space while you shop, this swank mini-department store is for you. The airy warehouse (sister to an Atlanta location) brings together fashion staples like Prada and Michael Kors with newer designers like Libertine and Dsquared, then adds hundreds of wait-list-worthy shoes into the mix. (The men’s clothing section may be smaller than the women’s, but the selection is just as impressive.) While Jeffrey offers tons of luxury labels (at luxurious prices), the store is undeniably cooler than the similarly-stocked Bergdorf Goodman or Barneys, thanks in part to the store DJ who spins everything from ‘80s pop to indie rock. Another standout element is the layout and low-pressure ambiance; mellow white aisles allow shoppers to peacefully peruse rack after rack, minus any interruption from the sales staff. The cosmetics section at the store’s entrance is less of a whopper than at the uptown stores, but the absence of hyper-eager salespeople spritzing perfume more than compensates for the relatively slim pickings. — Faran Krentcil

Diane von Furstenberg
874 Washington St., New York, NY 10014
at 14th St.
646-486-4800
http://www.dvf.com/dvf
Built on a curve–to echo the style of Diane von Furstenberg’s iconic wrap dress–this flagship store is the cornerstone of the meatpacking district’s fashion quarter. Venture past the glass walls and you’ll find way more than wrap dresses, too; the designer’s shirts, skirts, and seasonal items (swimwear in spring; coats come fall) are also on hand and impeccably cut in a wide array of arresting patterns and fabrics. Tucked behind one wall, a stairwell leads down to an exclusive VIP fitting area, which boasts the same mirrored cream draperies as in the small dressing area upstairs, but with more rooms, a plasma TV, and beverage service. Aside from the DVF’s seasonal lines of womenswear, sportswear, and eveningwear, the store also carries a selection of the Diane von Furstenberg by H.Stern jewelry collection (fat chain bracelets and impressive cocktail rings) plus DVF Beauty, some Christian Louboutin shoes, and vivid DVF scarves to top it all off. — Christine Lagorio

Malin + Goetz
177 Seventh Ave., New York, NY 10011
nr. 20th St
212-463-7368
http://www.malinandgoetz.com
"Simplify your life!' advertises Malin + Goetz, the unisex Chelsea bath, body, and hair care boutique that looks like a Kiehl's-meets-a-spaceship hybrid. The brand's philosophy is simple: Each category (face, hair, body) requires only two products—one to cleanse and one to moisturize. (There are also fragrances, travel kits, and extras like scrubs, shaving creams, and sunscreen.) Also simple is the all-white store’s layout, which boasts only shelves, bathed in watery blue light and packed with white bottles that are wrapped in the company's minimalist sans-serif text. Founders Andrew Goetz and Matthew Malin use a patented formula that replaces harsh soap with amino acids and glycerin, and adds naturally moisturizing plant extracts like peppermint oil and lavender to most creams. Standouts include the Eucalyptus Body Cleanser, which has a subtly stimulating smell and a satisfying lather; a Vitamin E Face Cream that's soothing and light; and the residue-free SPF 30. M+G might look like 2001:A Space Odyssey, but its products are no science fiction. Hopefully, you’ll see some of them in your near future.

La Camiceria Italiana
509 Madison Ave
212.752.0823
http://www.nylci.com
The men’s wear shop  means “The Italian Shirtmaker) and that’s what they do best, offering a large selection of Italian-made, artisan-quality men’s shirts and accessories. Shirts are available in a variety of lux fabrics, patters and colors
    
Catherine Malindrano
652 Hudson St., New York, NY 10014
nr. 13th St.
212-929-8710
http://www.catherinemalandrino.com
Catharine Malandrino's flagship store is designed to leave the meatpacking milieu behind for a garden stroll, complete with sloping white-marble floors, green moss shaped into soccer-ball size topiary, and chairs fashioned from twisted branches. There’s even a "rain shower" chandelier with icicle-size droplets blown of glittering Murano glass, below which lies a smooth, round table that, like a pond, reflects both the cascade above and a yellow-gold banquette nearby. The room is divided by a wall. On one side, find runway-ready jacquard-print dresses, extensively hand-worked knits, and puffy chiffon jackets; on the other, set against metallic overlapping gold leaf-like squares, you’ll find the regular-folks line, featuring pointelle sweaters in soft-tone pastels, flouncy lace-insert dresses fit for a city nymph, beaded tunics and tanks. Malandrino designs for real women: Flattering bias cuts and woven knits emphasize curves; loose skirts with handkerchief hems elongate the legs; shirred or knotted tops show off the bust. Famous for playing with contrasting textures, the designer skillfully combines chiffon with heavy wool, or adds a swatch of heavy, embroidered fabric to a loose cotton top. There are handbags and shoes, too. — Diane Mehta

George Jensen
125 Wooster St., New York, NY 10012
nr. Prince St
212-343-9000
http://www.georgjensen.com
Once the final word in Danish modern housewares, this style setter now devotes its stores to gold and sterling-silver jewelry. Check out in particular the Cascade collection, which includes .74-carat-diamond button earrings, rings, and pendant necklaces.

Max Mara
813 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10065
at 68th St
212-879-6100
http://www.maxmara.com
There are around 2,200 MaxMara boutiques worldwide, but no matter which location you choose, you can be sure that each one deals the slick, Continental style that has defined the Italian design house since 1951. Uptown, on Madison Avenue, the three-story flagship sees a steady stream of young professionals popping in on a lunch break to update their corporate couture with one of MaxMara’s signature top-stitched tailored suits or luxurious camel-hair coats. For the leisurely weekend shopper, there are flat screens showing runway shows, a rotating design exhibition, and rabbit-hair pillows strewn alongside lounging mannequins near the neat racks of clothing arranged by hue. Downtown, a flashier, tourist-heavy crowd visits the West Broadway location, snapping up the lower-priced, trend-conscious SportMax and SportMax Code lines that trade suiting for silky party dresses and deconstructed tops. Inspired by the company’s in-house seasonal magazines, staff at both locations sell the idea that customers can create a whole look under one roof, and a recent focus on accessories spices up the conservative label with jewelry, scarves, shoes, and bags. — Elettra Fiumi

Napapijri
149 Mercer St., New York, NY 10012
nr. Prince St.
212-431-4490
http://www.napapijri.com
Whether you surf in Kapalua or hike Kilimanjaro, Napapijri has outdoorsy yet modern clothes for men, women, and kids. In keeping with the nature-inspired clothes, the Italian house's new Soho store, and first in the U.S., features an all-wood interior, an indoor garden, and fitting rooms surrounded by miniature birch trees. You won't find high fashion, but you will get durable board shorts, vintage-looking polos, and cargo jackets. — Aja Mangum

Thanks for reading today and don't forget to check back on Monday... Next time, restaurants!


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Last updated by Stacey DeAngelis - Monday, December 13th, 2010 -  New York, NY

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