Juliette Longuet

Giorgio Armani will open a concept store on Fifth Avenue on February 18, 2009, offering Giorgio Armani, Emporio Armani, Armani Jeans, EA7, Armani Casa and Giorgio Armani Beauty, as well as exclusive products from both Giorgio Armani and Emporio Armani.

About the project Armani has said: “A really exciting challenge, that is how I would describe our new concept store, Armani Fifth Avenue in New York. It is a special project requiring a degree of courage, as it brings together in one space different elements such as Armani Jeans and Emporio Armani side by side with Giorgio Armani. I was determined to send out a clear message of change, interpreting the current trend for mixing genres, juxtaposing items in different price brackets. You could say that this is a provocative move uniting in the same place and with the same furnishings, without visible boundaries, the various collections that combine to from the entire Armani universe. This freedom of expression defines for me the spirit of Fifth Avenue: a prestigious shopping destination, of course, but one that is less exclusive in character than comparable addresses, with a democratic mood which I am certain represents the future.”

There will be a full-service restaurant and Armani Dolci will be available for the first time in the United States. As it houses Armani’s multiple lines as well as a restaurant, the new concept store is sure to draw comparisons to his extravagant Milan outlet.

Madison Avenue is graced by wealth of fine jewelry boutiques.

Brazilian designer Jack Vartanian is opening his first store in North America at 996 Madison Avenue. The store, located in the 1927 landmark building The Mark, was designed by the Arthur Mattos Casas firm and was intended to evoke the Brazil of today. Dark chocolate brown is predominant color, and the space is accented with reflective glass, raw wooden materials and natural woven fibers.

Anne Hathaway, Kate Hudson and Cameron Diaz are all reported fans. “I am fashion-conscious when it comes to jewelry and am inspired by what I feel a woman needs to finish a look,” says Jack Vartanian.

The Brazilian designer operates five other successful stores in Sao Paulo and he plans to open more stores in Los Angeles, Asia and Europe in 2009.

Miu Miu’s third Manhattan outpost has opened in the former home of Jil Sander on 57th Street. Shiny, golden, three floors and 4,860 square feet, it symbolizes everything the economy is not.

Patrizio Bertelli, Prada’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, said that “Miu Miu, with its strong and independent identity, has reached in just a few years a worldwide success and recognition. The growth registered in all of its sectors confirms its position as one of the global reference brands in the luxury industry. The opening of the new store on 57th Street in New York is consistent with this approach and with the brand’s values.”

The flagship will feature a gallery on its third floor which will be devoted to special events revolving around art, culture and fashion. The first exhibit called “Modern Portrait Gallery” consists of renditions of Miu Miu ad campaigns starring celebrities like Kisten Dunst, Vanessa Paradis, Lou Doillon, Lindsay Lohan and Chloe Sevigny.

For its flagship store on Fifth Avenue, Louis Vuitton covers the facade of the building with Takashi Murakami’s iconic Monogram Multicolore print.

Daniel Lalonde, CEO of Louis Vuitton North America said that “the idea to wrap the Fifth Avenue Maison in Monogram Multicolore came about earlier this year in an effort to do something truly unique for the holiday season and that the store’s white and glass facade lends itself to a variety of creative ideas. Louis Vuitton wanted to do something that was festive and exceptional, but at the same time true to the brand. Throughout the past year we have collaborated with Takashi Murakami on a variety of projects and thought his Multicolore print, displaying the Louis Vuitton monogram in 33 cheerful colors, would be a perfect combination of tradition and excitement.”

Takashi Murakami is one of the most thoughtful and thought-provoking Japanese artists of the 90’s. Murakami is internationally recognized for his collaboration with designer Marc Jacobs to create handbags and other products for the Louis Vuitton fashion house.

There is also the “Bag Bar” on the flagship’s mezzanine level. The bar, designed by Peter Marino, includes bar stools and installation of moving display fixtures to highlight different handbag styles.

The Manhattan skyline will lose a bit of New York and gain a touch of London in coming months. Next March, Burberry will move its US headquarters to 444 Madison Avenue (a 68,000 square foot building , formerly owned by The New York Times), between 49th and 50th Streets and will top off the 42-story Art Deco tower with three glowing Burberry signs, which will also show the time and temperature.

The building will also include space for a retail store.Currently, Burberry has two stores in Manhattan: one on 57th Street between Madison and Fifth Avenues, and the other in SoHo.

Peter Som may have officially resigned from Bill Blass on October 28, he’s wasted no time finding new projects. Luxury children’s brand Best & Co. signed the designer to create a seven-item limited-edition capsule collection, four pieces for boys and three for girls, for the holidays, launched on November 6 at Bergdorf Goodman.

And while Som’s Bill Blass line may have had financing problems, this collection certainly doesn’t. The price tags are hefty, reaching upwards of $1,195 for a girl’s double-breasted coat or $995 for a girl’s organza dress. And for the boys, a full navy suit with trouser, shirt, vest and blazer comes to the grand total of $1,715. And though this may seem excessively expensive given the current economic outlook, the launch reminds us that there’s a market for high-end, well-made children’s clothes.

Sanrio, the parent company of the Hello Kitty brand, has opened its first Sanrio Luxe concept shop in Times Square, at 233 West 42nd Street.

The idea behind the new concept is to attract fashion-forward women in their 20s who grew up with the Hello Kitty brand, said Janet Hsu, President of Sanrio global consumer products.

The 1,200 square-foot shop boasts a new design by LA-based interior designer Tracy Beckmann. Beckmann created the store glossy display tables, black and white interior design, making way for glass jewelry cases, fixtures and dramatic black framed mirrors. Shiny white-clad fixtures feature cashmere cardigans & silk scarves.

Clothing ranges from about $75 for a pair of cashmere gloves to $250 for a knit cashmere cardigan sweater. $550 will get you a leather jacket, and almost every item found in the newly renovated Sanrio Luxe store is exclusive.

You’ll be able to find pieces made in collaboration with Kimora Lee Simmons, Victoria Couture, Mabel Palacio & more.

Cities used to be for beer making. Wine, traditionally made near the vineyard, is moving into cities at warp speed. City Winery, opening this fall at 143 Varick Street, will offer wealthy wine lovers the chance to buy their own oak barrels of unique vintages made for them in the spot.

The 200 privately owned casks will cost between $5,000 and $15,000, depending on the quality of the grapes, shipped from vineyards across the country. Winemaker David Lecomte guides the winemakers, helping them create their perfect bottle. But making wine in the city has some inherent challenges.

The idea for City Winery came from Michael Dorf. He used to own The Knitting Factory, a long time hotspot for music and beer. City Winery is sort of the grown up version. When the winery opens, it will have several bars, a dinning area and a stage.

The Winery is opened to the public and to its wine makers who by the way can’t sell their wine. They can drink it, share it and savor it. The wine bar, music venue and event space will open in December.

There are BOSS stores in Columbus Circle and SoHo, and there’s a HUGO outpost in Greene Street, but finally, the components coalesce: a Concept Store is finally opened in the Meatpacking District.

The new HUGO BOSS store brings its four BOSS lines (BOSS Black, BOSS Orange, BOSS Selection and BOSS Green) and the HUGO brand together for the first time to create a total look for a complete and simulataneous brand experience. The store also includes a suiting salon in the rear.

The 401 West 14th Street boutique - formely Western Beef grocery store - features a wooden framework cocoon that “symbolizes the interconnectedness of the various HUGO BOSS lines,” explains architect Matteo Thun, “and as such compromises an architectonic manifestation of corporate identity.” Another luxurious detail? A lighting concept, designed by AJ Weissbard, produces effects that react to the weather and time of the day.

You have to see it, it looks very high end and interesting!

Let’s start with the bad news: The British fast-fashion retailer, which originally planned to open a 40,000-square-foot flagship in SoHo this fall, has postponed its entrance into the U.S. market until March because of construction delays at the store, located at 478 Broadway.

Though it was originally slated to open in October, Topshop owner Sir Philip Green said “buiding the SoHo store has been a logistical nightmare. America is a new territory for us and we have to get it exactly right. This store can’t be a 9 out of 10 when it opens; it has to be a 10 out of 10. So we’re delaying the opening until mid-March.”

The good news is that Topshop has finally launched its US Shopping Website on September 9. The website launching has coincided with the global launching of the Topshop’s Fall Kate Moss Collection. At least now we have the website!