The walking tour

NEW YORK CITY: a tour of the most fashionable city in the world

MADISON AVEN New York City is known to have everything to suit your retail pleasure; from thrift stores to the most high-end fashion stores, NYC has everything you need. Also known as the gloabl shopping capital, this city is known to have a major infliuence on international trends as it is the main hub for the fashion industry, whilst hosting several fairs and events such as New York Fashion Week (NYFW). There is a certain liveliness, or creative energy as you would call it, that completely engulfs you when you are in the city. And such a feeling cannot be found anywhere else, which is why many people choose to come here.

NUE A north - south avenue in the borough of Manhattan, NY 10005 If you’re interested in fashion, you’ll find Madison Avenue to be the perfect place for you! This 6 - mile avenue in the midtown and upper east side houses more than 150 upscale boutiques (mostly concentrated between 57th and 88th street) including Chanel, Hermès, and Tom Ford, among others. These boutiques succeed in selling an elegant and luxurious atmosphere which is fully exhibited through their window dis- plays. Even if you don’t buy anything, the beauty of the varying themes in each store are enough to keep you there. In conclusion, this street is the place to be for anyone with a desire to wear off-the-runway looks.

Michael Kors is a New York-born and bred Fashion Designer and the chief creative officer of his namesake brand. The Michael Kors store on 790 Mad- ison Ave sells a modern glamour, yet luxurious ato- mosphere, with ready-to-wear garments, accessories, watches, jewellary, and footwear for both men and women. This brand, with its headquarters in New York, was established in 1981, with their first fashion show in 1984, and has since been known for its uncanny ability to create timeless chic garments. Kors has also received CFDA’s Geoffrey Beene Life- time Achievement Award, becoming its youngest-ever recipient. Having started out as a small business in their basement, the company has progressively grown and overcome hurdles to become the multibillion-dollar worldwide brand it is today.

J. Mendel is a high-end and sophisticated fashion boutique that offers haute couture from evening gowns to custom furs, and so on. The luxurious deco- rations of J Mendel, including the slavish staircase in the store, the huge chan- deliers, and the array of handbags and furs on the side, places customers in the most luxurious experience they can imagine. This fifth generation French atelier offers a two-story store on 787 Madison Ave that started out as a family run boutique in Russia that specialized in fur. J. Mendel’s offers expertly draped evening gowns to the women of New York. In 2004, Gilles Mendel showcased his first ready-to-wear collection in Bry- ant park as a part of New York Fashion Week. He has also designed costumes with a 1940’s feel for the New York City ballet premiere of ‘Call me Ben.’

Founded by Lee Alexander McQueen in 1992, the House of Alexander Mcqueen is known for its signature modern british couture. His namesake brand plays with the juxtaposition between the masculine and feminine with their first-showing in the autumn- - winter of 1993. The label is known for it’s exquisite craftsmanship along and constant experimentation. Alexander McQueen’s flagship boutique on 747 Madison Ave feautures the men’s and women’s clothing lines, foot- wear, bags, and small accessories, all under one decadent roof. The most interesting part of the store is the various carvings and wall panels that decorate it. These plaster panel handcarved mouldings were based off of McQueen’s fa- mous Armadillo Shoe and they also incorporate floral elements in the wall panels. These ornamental plaster flourishes are a sig- nature in all of McQueen’s stores around the world. The door handles of the store are also carved in wax and cast in bronze.

Alice and Olivia, founded by Stacey Bendet and named after her mother, is a contemporary fashion brand based in New York City. This celebrity favourite brand was founded in 2002 with a mission to create the perfect pair of pants for women. This brand designs clothing that juxta- poses whimsical and flirty with the sexy and sophis- ticated. The brand’s style incorporates whimsical patterns, ornamental fabrics, bright colours, and colorful prints mixed with a little bit of a 70’s feel to it. The Alice + Olivia collection is targeted towards women who want “high-fashion couture-quality” clothes that are affordable. As soon as you enter their flagship store, you feel like you are placed in exactly what Stacey Bendet envisioned when she thought of her brand. The store is organized by color palette and fabric which makes it convenient for the consumer to pick out the perfect outfit.

Eleventy is an Italian Luxury brand that was founded in Milan by Marco Baldas- sari and Paolo Zuntini with the idea of promoting “the concept of smart luxury” which incorporates a modern casual style of clothing. In 2016, this made-in-Italy label established their headquarters in New York which is right across their flag- ship store on 769 Madison Avenue. This 5000 square feet store is spread across two floors: on the lower floor they have a showroomm whereas the ground floor consists of a boutique over- looking the street with three large windows that display their men’s and women’s collection in an environment that is characterized by its essentially modern style that accurately conveys Eleventy’s concept of smart luxury, i.e. beautifully con- structed garments, luxurious fabrics, and attention to detail.



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