Building Fashion Take 2: Heather Huey's Arty Hatbox

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Simon Spurr's suiting has left its spot under the High Line at Building Fashion's West 24th Street tin. In its place is an art installation and a wall of retail by New York-based milliner Heather Huey. Freshly opened yesterday with a tequila-infused party in Supima's adjacent open-air party space, the pop-up deflates on October 3rd.

Considering the space—a galley-like tin slip with one wall of glass—and the limited remodeling budget, the Huey shop has a remarkably different look than the Spurr shop. The crisp, chrome fixtures featuring tailored menswear and a massive TV looping runway shows have been replaced by two art installations created by Huey.

One, the Cocoon Project, features a wall of amorphous forms fashioned from layers of recycled felt. The material is scrap fabric and the effect is plush, gothy and almost ghoulish. On the other end of the spectrum is a series of exoskeleton-like cages in white boning entitled the Asylum Project. It's interesting, handmade and allegedly wearable; but it's essentially an art installation.

Only one end of the space is actually devoted to a snatch of the designer's handmade men's and women's hats—winter collection. Felt and velveteen, the hats range from irreverent gray fedoras with contrast piping to floppy and funereal burgundy numbers. Displayed among jet black hatboxes and an odd bejeweled headband, the collection comes off a little one note.

But it's not comprehensive—sellers have been instructed to refer inquiries to the line's website. Kind of defeats the purpose of brick and mortar but the installations are definitely still worth a view. Up next: House of Waris.
· Heather Huey [Official Site]
· Building Fashion [Official Site]
· West Side Pop-Up Fuses Fashion and Architecture [Racked NY]