Creative Partner & cofounder of the KeapHope collective Just Be Dope
Complex has a nice write up on the new J. Crew Men’s Shop in Tribeca. This is J. Crew’s first men’s only store in New York, its women only store Madewell, still going strong in SoHo, why not try out a men’s store? NYmag also wrote a piece onJ Crew’s take over of Liquor Store Bar and on a number of other retail giants “rethinking retail” and focusing on selling us their big box items at boutique style store fronts. Their basic formula: really seems to work. This men’s J Crew is “curated” a bit differently than your local mall J Crew with classic items from your catalog mixed with local and smaller independent brands including “Red Wing boots, Thomas Mason Selima eyeglasses, Alden shoes, Aesop grooming products, and Hollywood Trading Co. belts.” NYmag points out some of the other odd items, like chewed pencils from famous authors. On my trip to the store it was items like vintage Rolex watches and 70’s ash trays and lighters that caught my attention more than the fleece lined pants and button downs. One item I was very interested in was a wallet designed by Maxx & Unicorn. These wallets are designed out a single piece of leather, carefully folded and put together and feature a small embossing of revolvers on the front of the leather. They come in a number of colors but the Liqour Store was selling just the black and brown leather wallets. Made locally in Brooklyn, these can be bought online at Supermarket, runing about $80. Although they remind a bit of this wallet made from US Mails Tyvek Envelope: Cool video of a nerdy guy making his own wallets-I’ve even seen a bookstore in the LES that sells a version of the envelope wallet. To bring it full circle, its great to see these big brands communicating with the customer in non-traditional ways. As the market continues to tank it becomes more important to be selective with what you buy. J Crew has done a great job of taking a brand that I would normally pass by, and making thier store a destination for shoppers and bringing new life to their products, while spotlighting the smaller brands. Will is succeed past the launch period? Its chances seem slim, but stores like BBC/Ice Cream, Alife and Bathing Ape have thrived in the street wear market, and stores like Odin in the East Village continue to be mentioned as “best of” for NY shoppers. Maybe it will all work out for J Crew too.

Complex has a nice write up on the new J. Crew Men’s Shop in Tribeca. This is J. Crew’s first men’s only store in New York, its women only store Madewell, still going strong in SoHo, why not try out a men’s store?

NYmag also wrote a piece onJ Crew’s take over of Liquor Store Bar and on a number of other retail giants “rethinking retail” and focusing on selling us their big box items at boutique style store fronts. Their basic formula:

really seems to work. This men’s J Crew is “curated” a bit differently than your local mall J Crew with classic items from your catalog mixed with local and smaller independent brands including “Red Wing boots, Thomas Mason Selima eyeglasses, Alden shoes, Aesop grooming products, and Hollywood Trading Co. belts.”

NYmag points out some of the other odd items, like chewed pencils from famous authors. On my trip to the store it was items like vintage Rolex watches and 70’s ash trays and lighters that caught my attention more than the fleece lined pants and button downs.

One item I was very interested in was a wallet designed by Maxx & Unicorn.

These wallets are designed out a single piece of leather, carefully folded and put together and feature a small embossing of revolvers on the front of the leather. They come in a number of colors but the Liqour Store was selling just the black and brown leather wallets. Made locally in Brooklyn, these can be bought online at Supermarket, runing about $80. Although they remind a bit of this wallet made from US Mails Tyvek Envelope:

Cool video of a nerdy guy making his own wallets-I’ve even seen a bookstore in the LES that sells a version of the envelope wallet.

To bring it full circle, its great to see these big brands communicating with the customer in non-traditional ways. As the market continues to tank it becomes more important to be selective with what you buy. J Crew has done a great job of taking a brand that I would normally pass by, and making thier store a destination for shoppers and bringing new life to their products, while spotlighting the smaller brands. Will is succeed past the launch period? Its chances seem slim, but stores like BBC/Ice Cream, Alife and Bathing Ape have thrived in the street wear market, and stores like Odin in the East Village continue to be mentioned as “best of” for NY shoppers. Maybe it will all work out for J Crew too.

08.29.08