Todd Snyder's New Store Is the Menswear Temple We've Been Waiting For

Retail stores haven't had a great 2016. The woes facing brick-and-mortar doors can be summed up in headlines that announce the gradual demise of in-person shopping and a global economy that's pumping the brakes on spending. So on paper, it might not seem like the best time for Todd Snyder to be opening the doors of his first-ever U.S. boutique here in New York City. Then again, few brands or designers have Snyder's know-how when it comes to getting guys to happily open their wallets on some new threads (J.Crew's Liquor Store concept? A Snyder production when he was head of men's design there). Even fewer have the backing of a retail juggernaut. Then again, selling a bunch of menswear isn't Snyder's main focus here; it's providing a space and staff to help men look their best.

"The reason I got into fashion was pretty simple: when I was working at a tailor shop in Des Moines, Iowa, I was there to really help guys dress better," Snyder tells me as a building crew installs door fixtures and garland is being strung from the shop's multiple archways just before opening. "That's why I wanted to do my own brand. I feel like I have a really good sense of how to make guys look better, but I wanted to the experience to be easier for men and this store is the first step, whether it's expert advice or just being a one-stop shop."

The store's concept comes from Snyder's appreciation of London menswear shops that populate Savile Row and Jermyn Street and the fact that those purveyors of gentlemanly goods don't really exist in the states. Snyder also pulled aesthetic inspiration from himself, or rather his brand's four stores in Japan that have opened over the last two years. (Unfortunately, those shops will closet early next year after Snyder's Japanese partners decided to downsize). Designer James Mills (he and Snyder worked together at both J.Crew and Ralph Lauren) joined the project to help synthesize the multipronged space into one uninterrupted shopping experience.

Just a few steps into Snyder's new store and it's clear—very clear—that this isn't just another highly-shellacked, soulless marble-and-bleached-wood box built to get you excited about four run-of-the-mill sweaters. No. This is an emporium, Snyder's one-stop shop. It's his version of a department store but less sprawling, less cluttered, and situated throughout one easy-to-navigate floor. "I look at myself the way a museum would look at a curator, someone bringing together great talent and making it all sit together well," explains Snyder. "I wanted to do the work for the customer, so they don't have to have shopped everywhere I shopped around the world for the best clothes or furniture or shoes—I'm bringing it all to them under one house."

And the house of Todd Snyder is certainly stocked, replete with not just the designer's namesake line of A+ sportswear, tailoring, and essential winter outerwear, but also his ongoing collaboration with Champion, his white hot Timex watches, an entire area dedicated to British wares (think: Globetrotter luggage, John Smedley knits, and Mackintosh coats including one excellent reversible waterproof denim version), nearly 600 first edition or out-of-circulation books (all up for sale), a partnership with 1st Dibs that yielded many of the store's impressive fixtures (also all up for sale if you just can't walk out without a camel suit and a new credenza), a Moscot shop-in-shop, a massive selection of Aesop products, a full-time on-site tailor (boasting 30 year experience), a barber shop operated by Persons of Interest, and a coffee bar slash actual bar run by Nick Morgenstern's El Rey Coffee Bar & Luncheonette. Phew.

There's also a shoe section in the rear that could exist as its own standalone store. It's expertly-appointed with all the proper footwear a modern stylish guy could want from some of most top-notch brands. We're talking about Alden, Tricker's, Crockett and Jones, Red Wing, Sanders, Clarks, among many others and most up for grabs are exclusive collaborations with Snyder. It's hard to think of a better place to shop for men's shoes in New York City right now.

Of course, the success of the store all comes down to getting guys in the door, something Snyder believes will grow once word spreads about the shop's 360-degree service. "I'm always getting asked 'What do I wear to this event? or 'How do I wear this?' and this is a place for guys to come and be helped to answer those questions. We're not snobs who believe there's only one way to wear something. We want to collaborate with the people coming in and tear down the barriers of dressing better. I like making people feel good about how they present themselves. I mean it's not saving lives, but I feel good about making someone feel good."

Todd Snyder is located at 25 Madison Square North in New York City.

http://ift.tt/2gcdHgb

Best Product Soap
Defense Soap Bar 4 Oz (5 Pack) All Natural Antibacterial Antifungal Therapeutic

Kirk's Original Coco Castile Bar Soap, 4 Oz, 3 Count

Raw African BLACK SOAP Organic From GHANA Pure Premium Quality CHOOSE

Dial White Antibacterial Deodorant Soap, 4 Oz, 10 Count