Byline: Natalie Zmuda
Atlantic City Gambles on New Retail Complex
Atlantic City, N.J., is placing its bets on retail with a new $145-million retail, dining and entertainment complex slated to open in summer '05. Called The Pier at Caesars, the 575,000-sq.-ft., four-level space has already confirmed Gucci, Hugo Boss, Louis Vuitton, Armani A/X and Burberry as retail tenants. According to Scott Gordon, president of Pier Developers Inc., retail leasing space is still available and the group is shopping for a 'cutting-edge' athletic shoe store.
Built from the bones of a former mall, the new complex will feature nine restaurants and a three-level, glass-enclosed multimedia presentation of water, fire, light and sound. According to Gordon, The Pier's beachfront location will inspire the design, which will include plenty of ocean views, seagrass and dunes. Architects Elkus Manfredi of Boston and Rockwell Group of New York will collaborate on the interior and exterior designs. 'This is a beach theme, with some throwback qualities to old Atlantic City,' said Gordon. 'A shopping center with middle, upper-middle and luxury tenants [along with] entertainment and dining over the ocean doesn't exist anywhere else in the world.'
Stubbs & Wootton to Close New York Store
After 10 years at 22 E. 72nd St., Stubbs & Wootton has decided it's time to close shop. The brand's New York store operated as a collective with several other creatives who have recently left the space as well. 'We decided it was time to close and start looking for another street-level space on Madison Avenue,' said Bill Lenihan, director of sales and marketing. 'We're still in the early stages. After the summer season, we'll really focus on finding the right space. Our New York customers know where to find us, and we still have our store in Southampton, [New York].'
Lenihan told Footwear News it would be nice to have a location before the holidays, but said a store opening could come as late as next spring. In terms of space, Jimmy Choo's 1,500-sq.-ft. location at 716 Madison Ave. is 'along the lines' of what the company is looking for, Lenihan said.
Soho Goes Ape for Bapesta Sneakers
The ultra-hip Japanese label A Bathing Ape is making its Stateside retail debut this summer with a 3,036-sq.-ft. space at 91 Greene St. in New York. The company, which already counts doors in Japan, Hong Kong and London, was founded 11 years ago by Nigo, a designer, producer, musician and disc jockey. A Bathing Ape got its start in apparel, before branching out with a shoe line, Bapesta, a few years ago. The brand has long been the rage with sneakerheads abroad and is sure to make a splash here. 'After kids saw rappers like [Pharrell and Jay-Z] wearing Bapestas in their videos, it's all they seem to want to wear,' said Eddie Cruz, co-owner of Los Angeles-based Undefeated. 'Bapesta is now satisfying the taste buds of kids who are looking for [something different]. Sneaker collectors now have a new toy to trade and play with. Game over.'
The two-level space, which features an all-glass facade and close to 20 feet of street frontage, will carry apparel and accessories and include a cafe. Garrick-Aug Worldwide represented the landlord in the deal.
Nike Goddess Comes Down to Earth
After three years with its Nike Goddess retail concept for women, the Beaverton, Ore.-based athletic superpower is opting for a name change to the more straightforward Nikewomen. As part of the change, the firm's two Goddess women-only stores, seven in-store shops and Website will be phased out, with the first Nikewomen store scheduled to open in July at South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, Calif.
According to Nike, the name change is meant to convey a clearer connection between the firm and female shoppers. 'Nike has been at the forefront of cultivating the relationship between women and sports,' said Elliott Hill, Nike's VP and GM of U.S. retail, in a statement. 'The [new store] will provide Nike another outlet to build new relationships and foster existing ones.'
Hollywould to Open In Los Angeles
Hollywould is heading to Hollywood. The company's third store is slated to open as a store-within-store concept at Star Shoes, located at 6364 Hollywood Blvd., on June 17. But this won't be just any shop. Instead, it will be one of entrepreneur Paul Devitt's brainstorms, which in the past have included marrying concepts like manicures and martinis at the Beauty Bar, a salon-themed bar with locations in Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco.
Star Shoes, a three-year-old bar that sells vintage shoes from the likes of Joseph LaRose, wanted to up its fashion quotient. Enter Hollywould's Creative Director Holly Dunlap, who was looking to expand her brand into the L.A. market. Under their agreement, Hollywould will now be the exclusive brand sold in the shoe-themed bar. 'Star Shoes is the perfect place for Hollywould in L.A., because it has that old Hollywood glamour you can only find at spots like Chateau Marmont and Hotel Bel Air, but with a dance floor and cocktails,' Dunlap said in a release.
The 2,200-sq.-ft. space boasts a 1940s-department-store motif, complete with vintage seating fixtures and fitting stools. Shoes will be sold during the day, but at night the bar will take over, moving the shoes out of harm's way, but still on display. Hollywould plans to kick off the opening with a star-studded party, where the drink of choice will be a Stiletto, of course.
Ted Baker Bows in San Francisco
The City by the Bay is gaining another fashion-forward retailer in London-based Ted Baker. The company will open its fourth U.S. location June 13 at 60 Grant Ave. in the heart of downtown San Francisco, celebrating with a launch party June 25. The 4,000-sq.-ft. space will house men's and women's shoes, apparel, accessories, fragrances and sunglasses. Footwear will make up between 5 percent and 10 percent of the total mix. In-house interior designers and architects worked together, developing a modern industrial space with a lounge atmosphere. In honor of the brand's English heritage, traditional English accents and furniture are scattered throughout.
Send retail news to natalie.zmuda@fairchildpub.com
