BRITISH MEN’S BRAND RICHARD JAMES OPENS FIRST U.S. STORE

British contemporary tailoring and menswear brand Richard James has opened its first-ever store in the U.S.

Located at the corner of Park Avenue and 57th Street in New York City, the opening marks Richard James’ first step towards its international expansion following the sale of a majority stake to Charles S. Cohen in March 2017.

The 2,260 square-foot interior was designed by Andy Martin Architecture, which also designed the brand’s original flagship London store on famed Savile Row. Martin identified four main brand characteristics in Richard James’ recent collections, from which visual and performative references were drawn: reflection, transience, chroma and illusion.

The store is divided into two main areas, ready-to-wear and bespoke. The areas are separated by a translucent screen treated with a dichroic film that varies in color, luminosity and reflectiveness. This free-standing screen becomes the central feature of the new space, operating both as a vibrant backdrop to the displays in ready-to-wear, and a circulation distributor, concealing the private bespoke area.

The element that blends the two together is a stretched ceiling, which conceals an adjustable ambient light system, providing a changeable personality. This becomes a canvas for future art driven installations.

“This is a natural progression for us as well as a very exciting one,” said Sean Dixon, co-founder and managing director of Richard James. “Richard James has always appealed to men of a certain attitude more than any defined demographic and we’ve had a very strong following in New York ever since we opened our first store on Savile Row. We just feel that we’re at home here.”