Where This Director/Producer Shops for Menswear on the LES

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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 local shopping and fashion gurus to provide their hidden retail gems—those unique stores around our fantastic city that we might not all know about. Cue the Beatles: We're about to get a little help from our friends.

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Director and producer David Boatman founded Boatman Media in August 2004, after pioneering the first fashion video content for Style.com. Over the past eight years, David has gone on to direct two feature documentaries, the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund online series and many commercial projects for clients including Coach, eBay, Mercedes-Benz, Starbucks, and the Elton John AIDS Foundation. Here, he fills us in on where he likes to shop in the Lower East Side for those finely-crafted closet essentials.

In a city of fast fashion and popular retail outposts, it can be a challenge to find an off-the-beaten-path menswear destination. However, my favorite is Martin Keehn, which is located in a nondescript storefront on the Lower East Side. In lieu of obvious branding, Keehn has chosen to keep the original bright blue awning marked only with the address, 27 ½. If you are like me and become overwhelmed with the crush of choices at larger department stores, then you should definitely seek out Martin Keehn.

At 27 ½ Essex Street, you will find a very well-edited collection of the finest, street-savvy designs New York City has to offer. Keehn occupies a small retail space with simply merchandised leather hoodies, belts and bags. Sexy twists on iconic, American sportswear is what I love—his modular separates and accessories are a perfect fit for my life on Manhattan's mean streets. Before hanging his Lower East Side retail shingle, Martin worked as a master tailor for some of the best stylists and designers, from Calvin Klein and Balenciaga to celebrities such as David Bowie, Nicki Minaj, and Ozzy Osbourne. He's known for his meticulous craftsmanship and Keehn eye for design!

· Martin Keehn [Official Site]
· Boatman Media [Official Site]
· All Shopping Confidential Posts [Racked NY]

Martin Keehn

27 Essex Street New York, NY 10002