LIFE REALLY IS GREENER: Who needs the Hamptons?
Memorial Day is still a way’s off, but rather than chase the summer crowd with a pop-up in the East End, Proenza Schouler has put down stakes in Greenwich, Conn.
With scores of New York City commuters still ensconced in their Fairfield County homes due to the pandemic, Proenza Schouler is meeting them where they are, setting up shop at 272 Greenwich Avenue. The 1,600-square-foot white-walled minimalist space will be open through September. The arrangement amounts to retail’s version of a long-term temp. As more businesses have struggled in the past year, store vacancies, which were already abundant before the coronavirus crisis, have increased across the country. All that open space has created more opportunities for designers and other businesses to test-drive locations in different markets for extended pop-ups.
The pop-up will showcase Proenza Schouler’s range of products including ready-to-wear and accessories. Shoppers will also find Proenza Schouler White Label, the brand’s more casual attire that made its debut in 2019. The pop-up is in line with the company’s long-term strategy to connect with customers on a local level. The Greenwich location is the first of what will be several “migratory stores” that are being set up through a partnership with FlagshipRTL.
Some of the Greenwich shoppers may know Proenza Schouler’s designers Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez beyond their collection. The duo recently featured newly minted IMG model Ella Emhoff as their muse for the label’s fall collection. The stepdaughter of Vice President Kamala Harris made her runway debut last month in Proenza Schouler’s show that was shot at the Parrish Art Museum in Water Mill, N.Y.
The company’s straight-to-the-chase approach to retail is in line with its ethos. Hernandez recently told WWD, “These days, what feels relevant is the elimination of anything excessive and superfluous.”
By: rosemaryfeitelberg
