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Starting tomorrow, Manhattan's retail scene will finally get what it's truly been lacking: a Proenza Schouler. Back in December, Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez mentioned that they were searching for their first brick-and-mortar store, and it was soon confirmed that they chose Madison Avenue. After chatting up a few construction workers, we figured out that the location would be at 822 Madison Avenue.
WWD stopped by for a walk through yesterday, and spoke with McCollough and Hernandez about their decision to settle uptown. Hernandez explained, "It just felt wrong in a good way to open uptown." He added that though the line is commonly referred to as having a "downtown" aesthetic, "the reality is, the clothes are expensive and the customer is here."
Speaking of downtown vibes, WWD reports that the store is "edgy and sophisticated but not overtly feminine," and that the interior includes exposed beams and accessories displayed on steel shelves. McCollough refers to the room that houses the ready-to-wear collection as being "made out of a sidewalk," which means it's composed of concrete walls and pipe fixtures. Since that's all starting to sound a little gray, there spread a few cactuses throughout the store.
As far as the merchandise goes, the store will carry almost all of the brand's runway looks and special exclusives, and for the first few seasons, all of the items will be cherry-picked by McCollough and Hernandez themselves. In regards to other extras, the first window installation was designed by McCollough's sister, Kate: It's a blue python PS1 bag sitting in a block of ice.
· Proenza Schouler: Grown-Up and Uptown [WWD]
· Proenza Schouler Will Open on Madison Between 68th and 69th [Racked NY]
· Proenza Schouler's Madison Avenue Shop Will Open This Year [Racked NY]
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