Racked is no longer publishing. Thank you to everyone who read our work over the years. The archives will remain available here; for new stories, head over to Vox.com, where our staff is covering consumer culture for The Goods by Vox. You can also see what we’re up to by signing up here.
BROOKLYN—In news that should shock exactly no one, three shopping corridors in Brooklyn — Bedford Avenue, the area surrounding Fulton Mall, and Court Street — are among the top ten most expensive places to rent commercial space in the country, according to Crain's New York. Clocking in at $350 (5th), $250 (8th), and $200 (10th) per square foot, respectively, these retail rival prices in areas of Chicago, Miami, and Washington, DC. One important thing to note: Manhattan was left off this list, since no one comes close to Fifth Avenue's prices.
UPPER EAST SIDE—Our friends at Curbed NY peeked inside a bonkers townhouse near the southeast corner of Central Park that was truly designed for a fashion fiend: There's one room whose walls are covered in red Hermès leather, and another that serves as a temperature-controlled fur vault. Oh, and there's a refrigerator designed specifically for cosmetics, too.
MIDTOWN—Buy Diptyque, get free Diptyque. Simple, no? While supplies last, Barneys is offering customers a free mini Roses candle when they spend $75 on any Diptyque products. Sounds like a perfect Valentine's Day gift for ... yourself.
EAST VILLAGE—Several of the boutiques on East 9th Street between First and Second Avenues are offering a 10% storewide discount (okay, 9.99%, with a few exceptions) for the month of February. That includes food, salons, and boutiques like Fabulous Fanny's, Duo NYC, Eileen Fisher, Dusty Buttons, Meg, and Cloak & Dagger — seriously, this block is stacked. Thanks to EVGrieve for letting us know.
NOHO—Screaming Mimi's is offering up to 75% off retail prices on so much of its inventory through February 21st. Options include pieces you can wear every day, such as a Margiela baby blue bomber jacket with fun zippers for $349 (from $695), to stuff that's more fancy, like a Junya Watanabe Comme des Garcon purple velvet dress for $249 (from $660). Head over to 382 Lafayette Street to see what else you can find.
NEW YORK CITY—The Fashion Institute of Technology is looking for local labels to apply to Design Entrepreneurs NYC, a free program that runs in partnership with the New York City Economic Development Corporation to help up-and-comers figure out the business end of their operations. Learn more about it at the link above; applications are due by March 31st.