Aaron Bakalar Digs This Appointment-Only Lofted Vintage Shop

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New York City has more stores than anyone could physically tackle, but somehow we always keep returning to the usual suspects. To break out of the rut, we've asked some of the city's shopping and fashion gurus to provide their hidden retail gems—those unique stores around our fantastic island (and beyond) that we might not all know about. Cue The Beatles: We're about to get a little help from our friends.

Today's subject is Aaron Bakalar, the founder and creative director of The Collaborative Agency. Balakar founded the boutique representation and creative direction shop on the premise that It Kids need agents too—his client roster includes Ronson sibling Annabelle Dexter-Jones, pro skater Alex Olson, and scenester filmmaker Tracy Antonopoulos.

Says Bakalar, "A few weeks ago, Annabelle took me with her to her most recent appointment at Melet Mercantile, a vintage showroom on Wooster Street in Soho. There were specific hard-to-find relevant pieces everywhere, clearly curated to current trends. There were awesome letterman jackets in every color (and I mean every color), as well as carefully organized vintage sweatshirts, t-shirts, and Converse. It also has an amazing book selection that even included vintage copies (in perfect condition) of publications such as Interview magazine. The entire book selection is great for finding a unique gift. It's a lofted space within a Soho building, so you get to avoid all the busyness of the streets below. It's a by-appointment-only space, and once you get there, you will completely understand why, as it's very overwhelming, yet perfectly organized and well-kept."—Yale Breslin
· The Collaborative Agency [Official Site]
· Introducing Hipsters: Incorporated [Daily Intel]
· Melet Mercantile [City Search]