Alexander Wang Opens Shop in New York City
Photo courtesy of Alexander Wang
Swingers: The new Alexander Wang store in Soho, N.Y., complete with fur hammock.
“I wanted to take things that were personal to me and extend it into a retail environment,” says Alexander Wang, who showed editors around his brand-new Soho, N.Y., boutique—his first stand-alone store, located in the airy Grand St. space formerly inhabited by Yohji Yamamoto.
“I have a lot of goat-fur-covered furniture in my office, so we extended that idea to the fox-fur hammock,” he tells FashionEtc, pointing out the gorgeous glossy black fur hammock that hangs from the ceiling into the center of the store. “There’s a sense of irony—we like things to feel very sexual, but also a little comical to take the formality out.”
Photo courtesy of Alexander Wang
Keeping it to a minimum: The sleek and sparse design of Wang's store.
The 4,500-square-foot store features the aforementioned hammock, black leather couches, lots of white marble, and a 10-foot-high steel cage in the entryway—which, at the moment, is covered in greenery for a springy vibe. Another treat for shoppers? “We did an exclusive leather collection just for the store—it’s only available here,” Wang says. “The leather peacoat is probably one of my favorite pieces!”
Wang has had quite a week: In addition to opening the doors to his new shop, he showed a critically acclaimed Fall 2011 collection on February 12, and was named Best New Menswear Designer in America by GQ and the CFDA for his T by Alexander Wang line on February 11.
“It’s been a busy season for us, but every project has been so exciting,” Wang says. “The show and the store—it's been very hectic, but we’re all so pumped with energy that it doesn’t feel like work.”
The work—and the fun—isn’t over yet, though: “On Sunday I’m going to London to do a big event with Love magazine and Liberty,” Wang says. “Then I go to Milan and Paris—maybe I’ll take a vacation after that!”
