The inside track to NYC style

By Fiona Kerr

October 31, 2024

From fashion week to street style, the city that never sleeps is always ahead of the trends. Here’s where to tap into its latest looks, from homegrown brands and cult concept stores to the slickest menswear and rare vintage finds.

Labels to know

New York has spawned some of the biggest names in fashion – Calvin Klein, Donna Karan, Ralph Lauren – and today there are NYC-born brands to tap for every style, from Upper East Side gloss to East Village club kid. The Olsen sisters’ stealth-wealth The Row majors in gossamer-light cashmere tees and perfectly-cut forever coats – their Manhattan flagship fittingly housed in an Upper East Side townhouse (17 E 71st Street). Most of the must-have labels, however, are clustered downtown. In Soho, Khaite’s Brutalist store is dotted with designer Catherine Holstein’s polished silhouettes and structural bags (165 Mercer Street). Rachel Comey dresses the creative Brooklyn woman who wants to look equal parts boardroom-ready and individual (95 Crosby Street), while Aimé Leon Dore leans more street with New Balance collab trainers and gorpcore jackets (224 Mulberry Street). The Lower East Side’s Orchard Street has fast become the coolest shopping stretch in the city, with new-gen tailoring at Kallmeyer (83 Orchard Street) and girlish nostalgia at Sandy Liang (28 Orchard Street) between by-the-slice pizza joints and gallery spaces. Hit nearby Maryam Nassir Zadeh for one of her fashion editor-favourite dresses to wear to the next private view (123 Norfolk Street).

Curated closet

Only got a New York minute to shop? Track down one of the city’s hyper-edited concept stores, whose stylish shopkeepers take the legwork out of discovering the next big thing. 180 The Store in TriBeCa is the work of fashion PR Denise Williamson, stocked with laidback Parisian staples, Japanese denim and Danish beauty brands, as well as hosting a rotating line-up of pop-ups (180 Duane Street). At nearby La Garçonne, the look is minimalist, with an androgynous edge, a slick mix of Rick Owens, Acne and Jil Sander (465 Greenwich Street). Hip Lower East Side newcomer ESSX is the place to see what’s next, championing up-and-coming designers and harder-to-find labels such as Luar, Aris Tatalovich and Martine Rose (140 Essex Street). Café Forgot is even more experimental, part avant-garde showroom, part 1990s Clueless fever dream – complete with motorised clothes rail stocked with teeny-tiny brands, alongside artist-made accessories (29 Ludlow Street).

Vintage lovers

Manhattan is an island stuffed with vintage treasures, from consignment store finds to one-off designer pieces. Colourful Chinatown emporium James Veloria is queen of the scene, founded by husbands Collin James Weber and Brandon Veloria Giordano in 2017, it’s now a favourite of stylists and photographers on the hunt for something unique, from Versace to Vivienne Westwood (75 East Broadway). Treasures of NYC started life as Instagram vintage dealers, building a cult reputation for their on-point curation. For those after a little IRL action, they opened a store, Treasure Clubhouse, accessed via coveted appointment slots released each month (SoHo – address on appointment). Another Orchard Street stalwart, Desert Vintage takes a more muted, archival approach with taupe Halston 70s jumpsuits and delicate 1920s silk tunics (34 Orchard Street). Or if your idea of vintage runs more this side of the millennium, check out original Y2K fits at Procell (5 Delancey Street) and Aberizk (9 Spring Street).

Fix up, look sharp

In-the-know New Yorkers get suited and booted at Savile Row import Drake’s (327 Canal Street), but for off-duty looks start around the corner, browsing the Japanese selvedge at niche denim outfitter Blue in Green (8 Greene Street). At Colbo, come for the edit of under-the-radar labels with a loose, neutral vibe (Cawley, Kartik Research, Hed Mayner), stay for the vintage vinyl spinning on the turntable and drip coffees served out front (51 Orchard Street). Around the corner, Bode has become one of the buzziest names in menswear for its retro-modern designs made with reclaimed textiles – embroidered shirts inspired by tablecloths, trousers cropped just so to show a flash of ankle. Its wood-lined Lower East Side HQ has a similar mid-century nostalgia, plus there are spin-off one-of-a-kind and shoe shops next door on this Bode block (58 Hester Street).

The scoop

Caro Daur, German digital entrepreneur and fashion influencer on her New York shopping hit list

"My all-time favourite clothes destination is What Goes Around Comes Around (113 Wooster Street). I always find amazing vintage pieces there. I adore Eleuteri (780 Madison Avenue), which has incredible vintage jewellery and is definitely worth a visit. I love walking through the Roman and Williams Guild shop in Soho (53 Howard Street) and getting inspired. They offer everything for your home from furniture to lamps and accessories. And this might not be the typical answer, but I am completely obsessed with Whole Foods (10 Columbus Circle). The snack selection is to die for. I’m still patiently waiting for it to open in Germany. I was beyond excited when I found one right next to Mandarin Oriental, New York, where I stay. The hotel itself is gorgeous, but what truly stands out is the service. I also have to point out the amazing spa and gym. 10/10!"

About the Author

Fiona Kerr

Fiona Kerr is a London-based travel writer and former Condé Nast Traveller features director. Her work has appeared in The Guardian, The Telegraph, FT HTSI and the New York Times T Magazine.