Amid the hustle and bustle of fashion week, we were dismayed to discover two of our favorite design-and-accessories stores have closed: Auto in Meatpacking and Matter in Park Slope.
Auto owners Renata Bokalo and Roman Luba sent a sweet farewell e-mail to their customers late last week citing "the cost of doing business in New York and the current economic climates" as the duel culprits that forced the store's closing. The expertly curated boutique, whose wares ran the gamut from colorful Missoni pillows to delicate gold and silver jewelry, was our reliable go-to for gifting each season, so we're very sorry to see the store go.
Matter's shuttering was first reported by Park Slope blog All about 5th, who took a picture of the sign current posted on the boutique's door saying that the Manhattan store will remain open, and that -- in more positive news -- that location would in fact be expanding. Matter apparently is also trying to focus its energy on its new Matter Made label.
