The culture of New York is an attractive draw to brands looking to find customers interested in high end fashion and niche fragrances, with stores launching this month fitting that trend.

Brands are finding iconic New York landmarks to showcase their own archives and history, as well as infusing spaces with their own culture, especially for those not originally from the city.

Stores continue to embrace the gallery trend, where each product is seen as an art piece or exhibit in its own right, and also explore new technology. We also found retailers this month testing small-format stores and omnichannel distribution, finding new ways to make customer’s experience more efficient and seamless.

Get ready for some inspiration with this month’s best new retail stores in New York.

Brooks Brothers, Manhattan

Iconic American brand Brooks Brothers, known for designing suits for almost every US president, has launched a new flagship in Manhattan.

The design team chose a historical building for the store’s new location, preserving many of the original features, including chandeliers and columns. The brand leans into the age of the space with a display of archival items from Brooks Brothers’ history, including personal items of the founder Henry Sands Brooks. Additionally, the store contains a vintage mirror from the same period and a replica of the inauguration coat designed by the brand for Abraham Lincoln.

Visitors to the store will be able to shop for exclusive items only available at this location, as well as the new range of menswear and womenswear from designer Michael Bastian. 

Image credit – Nordstrom

Nordstrom Local, Williamsburg

A new store opening in New York this month comes courtesy of luxury brand Nordstrom.

The store is part of the Local concept which creates a smaller format space for a streamlined and convenient customer offering. The store can be used as a collection point for items ordered via the brand’s online stores.

Visitors to the store are also able to access a range of other services, including clothing alterations, returns and complimentary gift wrapping. Additionally, there are facilities for customers to donate their clothing for the charity Housing Works, who support the community. Nordstrom Local also accepts used beauty packaging as part of its BEAUTYCYCLE campaign.

ASOS pop-up, SoHo

British fashion brand ASOS launched a pop-up, ASOS IRL, in New York.

The pop-up, the first the brand has done in the US, was open from 20 to 22 June. More pop-ups are planned across the US, depending on the success of this launch.

The space provided a selection of ASOS SS25 items, including a range of limited edition products and the new high end ASOS line, Arrange. Womenswear, menswear and accessories were available at a range of prices from $10-300. Customers were also able to scan QR codes for access to a wider range of products on the ASOS website, as well as participate in giveaways and other brand activations.

Image credit – BAO BAO Issey Miyake

BAO BAO ISSEY MIYAKE, SoHo

Japanese accessories label Bao Bao Issey Miyake launched its new store in the US, its first solo space outside of Asia.

The store is infused with traditional Japanese design elements, including lighting design inspired by a traditional stone pit that would act as a space to gather. Minimalism is embodied throughout the store, with bare unfinished walls and a stark metal table. These contrast with the brand’s bright bags and accessories.

The bags are uniquely designed to be transformed into different shapes. The store has launched a special range exclusively for this location and to honour New York. The Lucent Love collection features a range of red bags that can be folded to resemble a love heart.

Dossier, NoLita

Fragrance brand Dossier has launched its first permanent store and flagship in New York.

The store is famous for its popularity on TikTok and providing dupes of famous fragrances. It has opened its store in a street popular for its range of fragrance retailers, establishing itself as a legitimate competitor.

The store will carry a number of the brand’s lines, including the fragrance dupes line, Impressions and the brand’s original range Dossier Originals. Customers will be able to browse fragrances through a number of scent categories, such as spicy, musky and floral. There will also be a special Dossier Drop Day to showcase the latest releases.

The store also makes use of a new technology called Paperscent, which can dispense cards with different scents, keeping the fragrance on the paper without it combining with other perfumes such as in a typical spray area. It both allows the brand to track the popularity of different fragrances, as well as enabling customers to get a better sense of the fragrance.

Image credit – Frédéric Malle

Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle, Manhattan

Perfume brand Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle launched its new Manhattan flagship this month.

The brand hopes to make this the main flagship space for its future events and activations, aimed at both new and old customers alike. The design of the store incorporates red brand colours and includes special areas for customers to discover new scents. These areas feature a range of cylinders to create a “scent chamber” for customers to smell different fragrances, including those available at other Frédéric Malle locations.

Customers will be able to find popular ranges such as Portrait of a Lady, along with a range of new collaborations with fragrance designer Suzy Le Helley. The brand was one of the first to include the names of perfumers on the bottles, rather than hiding them behind a brand name.