Fortunately, discerning gentlemen have a new place to step up to: introducing Leffot, the new West Village, luxury shoe store just for men.

Conceived by Steven Taffel, a fashion industry veteran of Bottega Veneta and Prada, and his wife Hiroko, a former window designer for Bottega and J.M. Weston, Leffot is a feast for fans of European footwear. Whether your tastes run British (Church’s, Edward Green, Graziano & Girling), Italian (Artioli), or French (J.M. Weston, Pierre Corthay, Aubercy), you can easily find something sharp to slip into.

And for those whose who insist on bespoke, you get to work directly with Taffel for your custom-made creation.

Finally, a well-heeled shop for the well-heeled man.


Leffot opens early next week.


Leffot
10 Christoper Street (off Greenwich Avenue)
Tel: (212) 989-4577
leffot.com

Gucci is with you on that. This Friday, they’re opening doors to their biggest flagship in the world. Once you get in, you’ll be treated to a visual masterpiece conceived by their creative director Frida Giannini and architect James Carpenter.

We’ll quarterback you through the “three spacious, warm, light-infused floors”:

MEN’S COLLECTION. The men’s ready-to-wear collection encompasses the entire second floor! Revel in the recessed lighting, marble floors, and dark rosewood floors. Indulge yourself in suits, jackets, shoes, and all the luxurious Gucci accessories (ties, hats, sunglasses) that you can imagine.

WOMEN’S COLLECTION. The rest of the Flagship belongs to women. The first floor is handbag heaven (they call it the Fashion Handbag Salon). Ladies can browse through the current season’s handbags, as well as classics. There is also a women’s shoe salon (of course) and an eveningwear salon on the third floor (check out the view when you’re up there).

46,000 square feet of Gucci goods in one location.

What more can you ask for?


Gucci Flagship
725 Fifth Avenue (at 56th Street)
Tel: (212) 826-2600
gucci.com

Yes, it is the most wonderful time of the year. Here to keep the festivities lively and help keep the edge off… three new pop-up stores to celebrate three of your favorite vices.

Don’t you just love the Holidays?



The Vice: Whisky
The Venue: A Johnnie Walker Blue Label pop-up store at Time Warner Center
The Lure: A brief intro to the rarest of the Johnnie Walker whiskies by a Master Whisky Taster. Get to know Blue Label, and Johnnie Walker’s two most luxurious and limited-edition blends: King George V and Blue Label Anniversary Pack. No tastings though. Now through January 4th.

The Vice: Coffee
The Venue: The Illy Push Button House at Time Warner Center.
The Lure: Enjoy complimentary Illy coffee and espresso, while viewing artist Adam Kalkin’s Push Button House: a fully furnished compact home that unfolds from the inside of a shipping container in 90 seconds. Stop by Mondays in December (12/3, 12/10, and 12/17) from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and pair your coffee with free Bouchon Bakery treats. Coffee service begins Thursday (11/29), the Push Button House will be open Monday (12/3). Through Saturday (12/29), on the second floor at Time Warner Center.

The Vice: Beer
The Venue: Details Magazine Block Party sponsored by Peroni in the Meatpacking District
The Lure: Peroni and discounts at your favorite MePa shops, including An Earnest Cut & Sew, Buckler, Jean Shop, and Theory. Plus pop-up shops by Asics, Dunhill, Epson, Hanes, Kenneth Cole, Le Blanc, and Remington in the Hotel Gansevoort (view the Peroni Gatefold). One-day only: this Saturday (12/1), from Noon to 5 p.m.

You speak the language of love and The Street.

So you’ll appreciate tomorrow’s opening of the brand new Tiffany Wall Street. Boasting 11,000 square feet, 35-foot ceilings, and marble walls, the store is simply grand.

Designed by acclaimed firm Yabu Pushelberg (Tom Ford Flagship), the shop is a brilliant jewel in and of itself. A focus on glass and lighting highlights the Tiffany collections, while making the interiors themselves shine. A striking, S-shaped center staircase (think Marquee) winds through the center, beneath a 75-foot, floating lighting sculpture made of mesh and crystal.

But you’ve come for the diamonds not the design. Peruse the links, rings, Paloma Picassos and Frank Gehrys inside one of Tiffany’s two private sales salons. Decked out in ebony and rich woods, each salon has custom LED lighting to view your rocks in a variety of casts, from daylight to candle light.

Because nothing whispers elegance like illuminated ice.


Tiffany Wall Street opens tomorrow (10/10) at Noon.


Tiffany Wall Street
37 Wall Street (between William & Nassau Streets)
Tel: (212) 514-8015
tiffany.com

But now that it’s Fall, go for a more polished look.

Something refined, something sporty - get both at the newly remodeled Gant Flagship on Fifth Avenue. Boasting four floors and a whopping 6,600 square feet of retail space, Gant’s updated digs have something preppy for everyone.

Gentlemen will gravitate to the label’s signature, all-American look of classic rugbys, chinos, and ties, as well as the higher-end Elliot Gant collection of twill dress shirts, herringbone suits, and cashmere coats. Ladies will be lured by casual dresses, lambswool scarves, accessories, and footwear.

The centerpiece of the newly updated store is an open, four-story curved staircase (think Guggenheim Museum but with tighter curves) designed by noted architect Annabelle Selldorf (Barneys New York, Abercrombie & Fitch). “The new store environment is a modern interpretation of Gant’s heritage, and beautifully achieves the level of quality and sophistication that is now inherent in the products that we produce,” says Ari Hoffman, President and CEO of Gant USA.

Preppy is back. Again.



To view the current Gant collection, visit gant.com.



Gant Flagship
645 Fifth Avenue (near 51st Street)
Tel: (212) 813-9170
gant.com

Fear not.

Phillip Lim’s mission is to make everyone look better, one beautiful piece at a time. From launching his first collection 3.1 Phillip Lim in the fall of 2005 to his Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) nomination for the Fashion Fund Award in July 2006, Lim’s star just keeps rising.

So it only makes sense that exactly one year later his picture perfect 3.1 Phillip Lim Flagship debut on Mercer Street in SoHo. An elegant, spare interior provides the perfect backdrop for Lim’s carefully detailed pieces. Bamboo and white walls, geometric wood floors and mirrors flank the neat row of perpendicular racks - one for men, and one for women.

And on those racks? The clean, slightly imperfect (by design) clothing the designer is known for. Unique elements like suede-covered wooden buttons, light as air sweaters, and perfect draping are found throughout the collection. Each piece is carefully planned, yet subtle enough to never look overdone.

Even the basic pocket tee can’t escape Lim’s attention - his version is slightly askew, with raw cotton edges to remind you that this is no ordinary Hanes.

Imperfection never looked so perfect.


3.1 Phillip Lim Flagship
115 Mercer Street (Spring Street)
Tel: (212) 334-1160
31philliplim.com

All 3,000 square feet of interiors have been completely revamped to house your favorite English-style shirts, perfect ties, and silk knots accessible through three different entrances.

There’s also formal wear (bow ties, anyone?), under wear (boxers), and night wear (pyjamas) to go with the knit wear collection (cashmere V necks and crew necks).

Oh, and the amenities: a new interactive kiosk with updates on the entire Pink collection, and introducing Personally Pink, a new made-to-order program located in the heart of the marble rotunda. The domed space, separate from the rest of the store, will also feature an accessories bar in the very, very near future.

But the best part about the new Pink Flagship?

It opens at 8:30 a.m. Just in time to dump last night’s boozed up button-down for a crisp Black Label shirt.

Losing your shirt just became fashionable.


Thomas Pink Flagship opens today (6/25).


Thomas Pink Flagship
63 Wall Street (Hanover and Pearl Streets)
Tel: (212) 514-7683
thomaspink.co.uk/us

And so you probably know about that storied and venerable French luxury house that’s opening right across from the New York Stock Exchange.

The one with the orange boxes. Signature silk scarves for her. And power ties for you.

Yes, Hermès Wall Street is set to open on Thursday (6/21), just in time for the start of Summer. Manhattan’s second Hermès location (after the original at 691 Madison Avenue) will be grand: 4,000 square feet of mosaic stone floors, glass-paneled walls, and cherry woodwork.

It will also introduce a vast menswear collection, including dressy sportswear, limited edition watches, signature ties, and an all new made-to-measure service for shirts and suits. The Hermès woman will, of course, feel at home with luxurious scarves, cashmere shawls, jewelry, and handbags.

There’s also a home & beach collection and designer dog collars, too.

Now, aren’t you glad you work downtown.


Hermès Wall Street opens Thursday (6/21).


Hermès Wall Street
15 Broad Street (Wall Street)
Tel: (212) 785-3030
usa.hermes.com

While we’d never say that 55 DSL is stealing thunder from its parent brand Diesel, the powers that be have agreed it was time that 55 DSL got a home of its own.

55 DSL’s new stand-alone flagship opened recently at the crossroads of SoHo and Nolita with the decibel of a whisper. Like the fashion housed inside, the store’s aesthetic fuses simplicity with a street vibe in the form of a white exposed brick space. With gleaming surfaces and a roof skylight, the place feels like a mechanic’s garage post “Extreme Makeover.”

Avant-garde rock infused duds and denim are best left to Diesel, so what you’ll find here is lighter fare that’s still edgy enough to bear relation to Italy’s leading denim brand. Think color-coordinated, ultra-soft logo and punk graphic splashed tees, sweats, and polos, make up a majority of the store’s inventory, but don’t overlook the ample styles of trendy (and totally reasonable) shades.

When combined, the look is a lot like a diesel engine: Sensible, hot, and loud enough to turn a few heads.


55 DSL
281 Lafayette (at Prince Street)
Tel: (212) 226-5055
55dsl.com

But, new SoHo boutique Blue in Green aims to keep denim fanatics one step ahead of the game with their tight selection of mostly Japanese labels, like Somet (think Dior) and the one-shuttle-stitched Oni.

The store also boasts an impressive lineup of fine imports, including Samurai Jeans, Johnbull, and Paul Smith’s Japanese-made Red Ear jeans (sold exclusively in the US at Blue in Green).

Fashion boys will drool over items from Italy’s Monotype, Britain’s Baracuta, and Yves Saint Laurent. More esoteric Japanese labels, like Full Count and Low Hurtz invoke a rockstar meets Tokyo street vibe, with Chinoiserie embroidered chambray baseball jackets, fur-collared denim vests, and grunge reminiscent oversize plaid shirts.

Have fun with all the dynamic apparel, but please don’t go all Harajuku on us.



Blue in Green
8 Greene Street (between Grand and Canal Streets)
Tel: (212) 680-0556
blueingreensoho.com