The Best Store in the Whole Wide World

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In today's Styles section, Eric Wilson pens a love letter to Soho boutique Opening Ceremony. "In fashion, there is often a common denominator, even in seemingly random events, that persuades a designer to take up residence far from the beaten luxury path; a foreign retailer to try to conquer New York; and a multibillion-dollar company to invest in a hot niche brand. In this case, the catalyst happens to be a store: Opening Ceremony, at 35 Howard Street, opened in 2002 by two former luxury retail executives, Humberto Leon and Carol Lim. The store looks like an old mom-and-pop, inside and out, and retains the vivid imprint of its former life as a distribution center for Pond’s skin-care products. The displays are messy, and the dressing room curtains don’t quite close all the way. But as a destination for fashion insiders and the people who wish to dress like them, this may be the most influential place in retail at the moment." [NY Times]