We swung by Voz Boutique recently, whose soft opening was announced back in July. We were delighted to see Thread faves Gary Graham, Rick Owens, Stella McCartney and Dries Van Noten in new or gently used condition offered at a fraction of the original price. This model may exist in shops all over the island but we were particularly struck by the very reasonable prices and surplus of under-the-radar labels on offer.
All three owners, not surprisingly, are industry veterans whose stints include designing for Oscar de la Renta, Perry Ellis and Nanette Lepore. On a recent trip we were tempted by a Rick Owens asymmetric t-shirt, new with tags, for $85.00 and a black quilted Chanel bag with almost no signs of wear for under $400.00.
The interior, let's call cozy and eclectic, includes original artwork (for sale, of course), vintage Dutch housewares, and a floor tiled with pages of a Webster's dictionary from the 1950's.
The rather unassuming 9th St. block that runs between Avenue B and Avenue C in the East Village is becoming a bit of an off-the-beaten path shopping destination- what with the opening of Absolute Beginners last month and Voz located literally one storefront down. Between the two, it's possible to return from an Alphabet City excursion with a one-of-a-kind Parsons creation and a gently used Marni dress. Do we bother mentioning how times have changed?
Voz Boutique is located at:
618 E. 9th St. between Avenue B and Avenue C
