Karen Millen Storms SoHo
The 'entry-level luxury' brand opens its first New York outpost after almost two years of refusing to compromise.
BlackBook
February 12, 2008
PROJECT: KAREN MILLEN SOHO BOUTIQUE
DIRECTOR/PRODUCER: Gemma Metheringham, Creative Director of Karen Millen, and Sanjay Sharma, International Director of Karen Millen.
TEAM: Brinksworth (designer); Shawmut Design and Construction (contractor); Bergmeyer (architect).
LOCATION: 114 Prince Street at Greene Street. When it comes to luxury brands, there’s no location in downtown New York more sought-after than that little enclave south of Houston. It took almost two years to find the space because Sharma was unwilling to compromise. The former Mimi Ferzt Gallery offers historic SoHo architecture as a backdrop for the showcase of the store’s collections. “We wanted it to feel open and light, to make the space clearly show the different collections and make the product easy to see and shop,” Metheringham says.
DESIGN: The flagship SoHo boutique reflects the Karen Millen customer: polished, sophisticated, confident. “When she’s at a cocktail party, she stands out for all the right reasons,” Sharma says. The store, then, had to do the same. It incorporates glass display cases and white marble with the space’s existing cast-iron columns, tin ceilings, and timber floors, creating a space that is, according to Metheringham, “inspirational and bold, but also glamorous and exciting.” The result? A perfect union of SoHo heritage architecture and Karen Millen’s design ethos.
MISSION: Fancy a luxury wardrobe, but fear luxury prices? Karen Millen offers the next best thing: entry-level luxury. “Our customer aspires to the Dolce & Gabbanas, the big European and American fashion houses, the couture,” Sharma says. “And what we’re bringing is that level of design and quality at a lower, more accessible price.”
MOTIVE: To take over the U.S. fashion market. Karen Millen has been testing the waters in regional markets like Dallas and Atlanta before planning its big New York splash. “It’s my belief that we can build a minimum of 50+ retail store businesses in the U.S. over a 3-4 year period,” Sharma says.
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