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What is the Boutique of the Week?

With a belief that everyone can use a little retail therapy, The Boutique of the Week helps guide you away from the New York City chains and expensive designers and directly to the most unique and affordable boutiques in the city. 

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Entries in Leather (5)

Tuesday
Jun152010

ABK

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Location - 105 Henry Street (near Allen St)

This tiny leather boutique is filled with hand-dyed and hand-stitched leather goods of the highest quality displayed in a wonderfully cozy space. Owner and designer Alya Kazakevich opened the doors in November of 2009 and has created a unique environment of organic potted plants and rustic country charm of found vintage furniture and well-worn home decor to match the supple leather collection she creates in her studio in the back of the shop.

The collection consists of anything Alya makes in her studio, including totes, purses, shoes, sandals, wallets, laptop carriers, notebooks and belts. The rich leather is worn to perfection and comes in deep chocolates to honey browns. The shoes are sprinkled throughout the shop and are individually unique - from laced oxfords to slingback sandals - each has beautiful hand-stitched detailing and even the soles of the shoes have amazing craftsmanship ($375-$450). The wallets ($50-$175), bags ($250-$550), and belts ($95-$145) are sturdy, soft, and are created to age perfectly with use. 

The leather goods are not only beautiful, but the hand-crafted quality and time put into each piece would make anything in ABK a perfect addition to your wardrobe and would last a lifetime. You can even see where all the work happens with sheets of raw leather and dozens of bottles of dye lining the back studio portion of the shop. 

The shoes are display sizes in the store, so Alya custom-makes each pair to your specifications, and can even customize any piece in ABK if it doesn't fit your needs.  Allow 3-4 weeks for custom orders, and hours are Wednesday-Sunday, noon-7pm.

DateTuesday, June 15, 2010 at 8:34AM | CommentPost a Comment |
Monday
May242010

Trunk

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Location - 68 Jay Street (between Front & Water Streets) - DUMBO, Brooklyn

 Opened in November of 2009 by five local designers who wanted to create a market-style boutique for locally made quality goods, Trunk's large, open space is filled with unique clothing, accessories and furniture that mix vintage and modern styles seamlessly. The white walls serve as a great canvas for not only the collections, but also for the constantly rotating art exhibits, and adds to the constantly updating marketplace feel.

The clothing is organized by designer and range from $40-$300 and include collections from Mel en Stel, Samoy Lenko, Zam Barrett, Aimee G, Ryann, and Creem.  Some favorites include comfy side-pleated leggings ($80), glamorous ruffle-collar trench available in a variety of colors ($260), and perfectly silhouetting strapless multi-patterned dresses ($180).  You can find a great collection of jewelry tucked in display cases and styled on mannequins, ranging from silver and gold hand-pounded metal hoops to delicate alphabet necklaces. Beautifully organic crochet metal pieces can be found from Radka Design, and colorful silk-wrapped hoops that make amazing statement pieces are from Lauren Wimmer. Accessories also include hats, ties, bags, and belts.

Sprinkled throughout the space and not to be missed are the amazing selections of salvaged and reworked furniture from three local designers: B.spoke, Nightwood and Michael Whitney.  Pieces range from a found, perfectly-aged ladder re-shaped into a coffee table, a beautifully minimal update of a sideboard, and a quirky, yet amazing collection of chairs based on famous historical men mixing vintage frames with modern fabrics.

Style and quality are never compromised, and since the designers staff the boutique themselves, they are the perfect stylists to help you find a unique piece that would enhance any wardrobe or home.

DateMonday, May 24, 2010 at 11:01PM | CommentPost a Comment |
Monday
Apr052010

Sucre

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Location - 357 Bleecker Steet (between Charles & W. 10th)

A boutique filled with hard-to-find gems and closet staples, Sucre - meaning Sugar in French - is a definite spot to find something sweet for your closet. On bustling Bleecker Street, owners Candace Mohr and Selima Salaun make sure Sucre is a haven for unique quality pieces and fun, ornate accessories.

Stocked with pieces that are flirty and edgy, there's something for everyone at every price.  Items range from as low as $70 to $600+ from well-known brands as well as hard-to-find designers.  Great stretch cotton pieces from Alexander Wang range from $70-$150 and include tanks, tees, and slim-fitting dresses that drape in all the right places. Gar-de supple leather jackets in perfectly tailored cuts hover around $600.  You can find a rare selection of items from Hero Crane, a Japanese line that boasts beautifully de-constructed organic shirts for $185. Make sure to check out the flowy silk prints from Margarita Saplala, the studded-shoulder tunic from Aiko, and the "Perfect Shirt" from Current/Elliot.

The accessories are edgy and trend-setting, with unique pieces including body and shoe jewelry that add flare to any outfit with chain, metal, and fringe - definitely check out a statement-making cross-body jewelry piece with a feather-shoulder flare that would spice up anything from a tank to a jacket.  The jewelry is beautiful and ornate with bright colors, precious metals, and a punk-edge, with pieces from Lulu Frost, Toki, Christina Viviani, Annie Costello Brown, and Saya Hibino.

In addition to the unique clothing and bold jewelry, the display cases full of eyewear is not only vast - it includes both sunglasses and optical glasses - but is a mix of both vintage re-worked frames and new contemporary styles that would make an instant standout of anyone who wore them.  Eyewear designer and Sucre co-owner, Selima Salaun, has her own line of beautiful glasses in retro-with-a-twist styles. Favorites includes colorful glasses with unique details including snakeskin on the frame edges. Styles from Benjamin from LA and Balenciaga can also be found.

DateMonday, April 5, 2010 at 9:36PM | CommentPost a Comment |
Wednesday
Oct142009

Ludivine

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Location - 1216 Lexington Ave (between 82nd and 83rd street)

 After bringing Parisian style to the West Village for years, Ludivine recently opened a second location in the Upper East Side, which is even larger and continues to be stocked with hard-to-find French designs.  The rich wood floors create a warm environment and a perfect base for the luxuriously feminine collection.

Modern cuts in exquisite fabrics can be found from European designers such as Vanessa Bruno, Les Prairies de Paris, and Claudie Pierlot.  Despite a higher price tag with most items hovering between $350-$450, the clothes are so versatile and of the highest quality that they will remain in your wardrobe for years.  The most notable pieces are the chunky sweaters from Lomberto Losani and the amazing butter-soft leather jackets that are water resistant from Japanese designer Sissi.

Accessories range from sturdy leather boots, bright clutches, classic hats, and a wide range of leather bags.  The friendly staff are excited and happy to show you the newest inventory and help make the entire European experience complete.

DateWednesday, October 14, 2009 at 11:29PM | CommentPost a Comment |
Sunday
May172009

Blue Bag

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Location - 266 Elizabeth Street (near Houston)

 

Elizabeth Street is known for its charm - the beautiful pre-war buildings housing not only artists and cafes, but shops that can interest any personality.  The hard part is not the viewing, it's the choosing.

Blue Bag is one of those stores that makes it easy to enter.  With huge windows showcasing the entire store, the vibrancy of colors and openness of floor plan invite any passerby in.  The brick walls and wood floors create a cozy, lived-in feel, which contrasts pleasingly with the vivid colors of the bags.  Handbags, shoulder bags, clutches, wallets, and totes lure you to touch and leave you wishing you were bold enough to wear a purple-sequined cross-body.  No color of the rainbow is left unclaimed and are visualized in all textures.  Rich, go-to leather neutrals share a wall with bright, lemon-yellow extravagance.  

Clutches and wallets range from $75-200, whereas bags can be found from $125-500, with more on the less expensive end.  The prices were shocking (in a good way) to say the least, based on the prime Nolita location, and a spot that has neighbors such as Hayden-Harnett and Tory Burch, Blue Bag's range in both quality of merchandise and price make you feel like you've found a gem.

As Blue Bag boasts, they change out their entire stock every month to open up the ability for everyone to "have an addiction here," leaving room for both days of needed essentials and daring sequins.

 

DateSunday, May 17, 2009 at 9:07PM | CommentPost a Comment |