While fans of style icon Club Monaco may love the collections but bauk at the price of its offering of wardrobe staples, a cheaper alternative could be found in under-the-radar Aritzia, The Canadian retailer opened Flatiron location on Fifth Avenue in the fall of 2015, joining the existing stores in Soho and by Rockefeller Center in Midtown. Featuring a diverse mix of casual and dressy ageless styles, the retailer is known for its seasonal mix of dependable staples – think a recurring appearance of crepe pants with a ruched ankle in a range of rich earthy tones, or a sleeveless suede shift dress in taupe, camel and khaki. A go-to for its clever layering pieces, shoppers are drawn to its high-quality innovative designs, with the brand rounding out its selection with pieces from brands with a similar design mandate. Aritzia was born out of a 70-year old department store in Vancouver by the Hill family, with Brian Hill opening the first standalone boutique in 1984.
The 8,000-square-feet, two story Flatiron store was designed with focus on raw materials with an industrial aesthetic in mind, forming part of an effort to recreate the feeling of an airy, eclectic townhouse. Lush plants are juxtaposed against opulent accents such as a grand, spiraling marble staircase, which gives the illusion of being in an Upper West Side swanky townhouse. Vintage Danish furniture was selected to give the space a lived-in feel, while art books in the upstairs lounge provide a distraction for shopped-out male counterparts. Check out the store’s repertoire of original artwork – from psychedelic paintings by Andy Dixon and Sarah Gee Miller to Jennilee Marigomen’s haunting photography  – the attention-to-detail ensures a visit to Aritzia’s Fifth Avenue store doubles as a retail expedition and cultural fix.
