New York’s lively culture retains an attraction for many brands looking to launch in the US, with a number of stores this month opening their first stores here.

Luxury is one of the main themes this month, with fashion, jewellery and watch brands being among those launching new retail spaces.

Popular with Gen Z and digital first brands are also amongst those we’ve found this month, often emphasising sustainable credentials and playful elements in stores.

From a giant hippo to a jeweller collaborating with a pizza brand, here is the best new retail we’ve found in New York.

Image credit – Fwee

Fwee, SoHo

A new flagship brand to launch in New York this month is Korean beauty brand Fwee. This is the first US store for the brand, which is popular amongst Gen Z customers.

Customers visiting the store can purchase the popular Pudding and Jelly pot keychains, along with other products. Fwee has also launched a new lip and cheek combined product in matte. The store also contains a “Scoop zone” where customers can create their own keychains, with their preferred products.

The first two weeks of the store’s opening was celebrated with a range of limited edition gifts and free items, including 10% off all products, free keychain scoops with each purchase, a free NYC makeup bag, and free jumbo lip brushes to the first 100 customers each day.

Image credit – Kith

Kith, Manhattan

Fashion and lifestyle brand Kith has reopened its Manhattan flagship, having given it a luxury makeover.

Approaching the store, there is a new Kith Treats window, which offers a new treat – the Metropolitan Cronut – along with other popular items and its Build your Own Menu.

The new store features dark and light wood and marble, which lightens through each floor, along with new crest logo, brass fixtures and fittings, and a new staircase. Customers visiting the store will initially find the men’s collection from Kith, and on the next floor, ready-to-wear clothing and other accessories along with the new Summer 2025 range. Finally the top floor contains Kith’s shoe collection, including an exclusive new collaboration with New Balance.

Image credit – Wanderlust + Co

Wanderlust + Co, West Village

Asian jewellery brand Wanderlust + Co has opened its new store in New York City. The US market is a significant segment of the brand’s regular visitors to its online store.

The store stocks the brand’s collection of earrings, bracelets, necklaces and other products, which are designed to be both sustainable and sensitive to all skin types. Customers can also access a range of additional services, such as having pieces permanently welded, personalisation and engraving, photo printing for lockets, and a patch bar.

The store is also holding a collaboration with a pizza restaurant, Rubirosa, with limited edition pizza boxes and the opportunity to win a new NYC themed necklace. The necklace is a slice of pizza decorated with pink stones resembling pepperoni. Customers will have an opportunity to win one of these necklaces.

Image credit – Blancpain

Blancpain, Manhattan

A new boutique arrived in New York this month courtesy of watchmaker Blancpain.

The boutique aims to evoke the brand’s Swiss workshops, with wooden cabinets and bookcases juxtaposed with LED screens, showcasing Blancpain’s heritage in watchmaking. Customers can browse a large range of watches, including the Air Command, Fifty Fathoms and Villeret collections. VIP Customers can also request to view products in one of the brand’s two personal appointment rooms.

In addition, the brand held a celebration from 30 May to 1 June for shoppers to get more involved in watchmaking. Blancpain craftsmen from its Swiss workshop hosted masterclasses to demonstrate watch creation, with guests invited to try and assemble part of it. 

Image credit – Brain Dead

Brain Dead, Manhattan

Streetwear and art brand Brain Dead has opened its new flagship this month.

The store aims to appeal to the artist and fashion community, with an eclectic store design. The base of the store is industrial piping, stark painted white bricks, wooden floors, metal racks and concrete tables. The centre of the store contains a large sculpture of a hippo, which can also be used both for storage and display of products.

The brand is also hoping to introduce more community events, such as art installations and exhibitions, along with collaborations and exclusive designs.

Image credit – Jessica McCormack

Jessica McCormack, Madison Avenue

British jewellery designer Jessica McCormack has arrived in Madison Avenue with her first US store.

The store aims to resemble a fashionable home, encouraging the customer to relax and take their time. The historic building was restored by architects, who preserved the parquet flooring, eclectic designs and furniture chosen by McCormack. This included arches, wood panelling, photos and artwork, along with a mural painted by Kreh Mellick and Petra Palumbo tiles.