Porsche Design–the iconic fashion house started by a member of that Porsche family–opened its second NYC locale in Soho. The downtown store celebrated its inauguration into the neighborhood with a blowout last week, right in the middle of the Fashion Week festivities. The fashionable set came out in en masse to celebrate with a DJ spinning, custom pear-infused cocktails, and Top Chef’s Angelo Sosa making hor d’oeuvres on the spot. I sat down with Porsche Design CEO Dr. Juergen Gessler for the second time in the past six months (the brand has done nothing but gain momentum) to find out what’s so special about the new store and why the brand decided to head downtown.
“We started on Madison Avenue in 2005 and we thought about a second location; Soho is a special area and the special feeling and vibrations fits the Porsche Design Brand very well,” said Dr. Gessler.
That it does. Porsche Design is known for products that are both extremely luxurious and cutting edge. Take, for example, the brand’s leather ware. Whereas with all other brands their leather ware has a lining in order to simplify manufacturing and help the product hold shape–Porsche Design hand sews all of its leather products so that they are able to hold shape without a lining. Likewise, Porsche Design pioneered the pilot aviator and the white dial on black face watch. All of these items elegant and desirable, yet trendsetting in their own rights. Sounds a bit like Soho, eh?
“Soho is very young, very dynamic, very stylish, very design-conscious. These are all the characteristics that are in line with out brand; it’s very fitting. We spent one year searching for the right location and so we are happy that we find this spot,” said Dr. Gessler. “It’s our biggest store in the world, so far,” he added.
As for what makes this store unique to any other Porsche Design store? For one, it has a map of Soho engraved into the wall. I dig. It has exposed brick walls and metal columns, “very much Soho-like,” Dr. Gessler pointed out. And it is ready to receive the young and trendy clientele that its swank West Broadway location just about guarantees.
“We have a more from the fashion collection here; we have much more female products and we have a very small SoHo-collection,” said Dr. Gessler who went on to explain that the overall setup of the store is far more conducive to shopping the line, what with an open floor plan and spacious display for each piece. As if it weren’t haute enough–there is also a mini-museum in the back of the store displaying the brand’s most iconic products (all of which you will recognize if you have any knowledge of fashion history at all). Moreover, there is a VIP shopping room with boundless opportunity to shop from collections pulled just for you, comfortable accommodations and even a kitchen, making the area suitable for hosting a small gathering of your very own.
It feels like we’ve been saying this to all of our favorite designers lately: Welcome to the neighborhood, Porsche Design.
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