New York's chic set has been giddily anticipating the opening of it-boy designer Alexander Wang's first-ever flagship on Grand Street in south Soho.
WWD reports that -- following a VIP party on Tuesday and press preview on Wednesday -- Thursday will be the first time that shoppers can witness the massive, custom-built cage of a space for themselves.
Said Wang, “We wanted a discovery area, kind of a curated one, where we can showcase our special collaborations — like our upcoming pieces with [Paris jeweler] Betony Vernon — or things for the holidays, Halloween or whatever.” The store will also house various designer exclusives, with Wang explaining, “We can test-drive here."
Black leather rugs, cold-and-clean marble fused with steel and comfortable-luxe elements like a leather couch and -- perhaps our personal favorite, a leopard-print hammock at the store's center -- were all custom-designed to embody Wang's vision for something that's "quite pristine and hard" without being "too sterile and cold."
Wang seemed to indicate he'd be a fixture on the floor at the new store ("I'm a proven salesperson") reflecting on his retail past at his sister's San Francisco pottery shop, when he was 12, and at the city's Rabat boutique as an entrepreneurial high-school student (he was passed over for a sales associate position at Marc Jacobs before interning for him in college).
So, let the eleventh-hour countdown begin.
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