LUXURY LIFESTYLE BRAND RTA OPENS FIRST NYC STORE
Los Angeles-based luxury lifestyle brand RtA has opened its first New York City store, located at 5 Mercer Street in SoHo. The 2,152 square foot store has been designed by Dan Bunn Architecture, who also created the company’s Los Angeles and Las Vegas stores.
“We wanted to keep the integrity of the original space, but contextualize it in a way that tied back to our brand and our first two stores,” says David Rimokh, founder of RTA. “To that end, original elements like industrial wood beams, a rear skylight, and a slanted plank wood floor – left intact from the building’s original use as a fabric mill – remain the same.”
In addition, a large crevice in the original brick wall is highlighted in the style of Kintsugi, the Japanese art of repairing cracks with powdered gold. “This was an incredibly important part of the design,” said creative director Eli Azran.
In addition, over 2,000 pounds of broken red Baccarat crystal, donated by the French luxury brand, were utilized in an exclusive art installation that can be found in the middle of the store.
“Both brands embody passion, innovation, and quality,” added Jim Shreve, Baccarat president and CEO. “The manner in which RtA is using our crystal demonstrates creativity through a new lens and provides a fresh perspective. We are thrilled to share this creativity with the RtA customer.”
A finalist for the prestigious CFDA Vogue Fashion Fund finalist, RtA has garnered a cult following of celebrities, tastemakers, and consumers alike since its inception in 2013. The company debuted its first menswear collection in 2017.
‘ Do you have this in black?’ Hopefully the photography is bad. That is the most non inviting retail space I think I’ve ever seen in my 50 years of being in high end retail on Rodeo Drive and Upper Madison.