Club Monaco’s Fifth Avenue flagship store resembles the supersized closet of a lifestyle Instagram star responsible for posting daily pictures of her bed socks next to a cup of coffee and a MacBook computer. Think Vogue Living on steroids. Intended to create a cozy in-store experience for shoppers, the multi-pronged location includes a bookstore, operated by the Strand, the first Manhattan outpost of Williamsburg-based Toby’s Estate Coffee and an Art Deco fireplace to boot. The 20,000-square-foot store features a feminine aesthetic throughout, given a garden party vibe via blossom trees in full bloom and vanilla-scented candles, while comfortable white bucket chairs in the library provide the perfect place to curl up with a book while you mull over your pending shortlist. From style and fashion coffee-table books, cult classics and fashion glossies to oversized art tomes, the carefully curated selection echoes Club Monaco’s brand aesthetic to a tee. Known for its muted palette and classic silhouettes – think The Coveteur co-founder Stephanie Mark working on a brand campaign with Chanel in Paris – Club Monaco’s timeless clothing, shoes and accessories are featured throughout. Be sure to check out the store’s sale section near the fitting rooms for heavily-discounted end-of-season bargains.
Launched in 2013, the store formed part of the brand’s efforts to move beyond a traditional retailer into a broader lifestyle destination. And bridging fashion, art and culture presents an alluring proposition for stylish folk pottering down Fifth Avenue. Once inside the intoxicating walls of the chic retail concept and after you settle in front of the fire with Grace Coddington’s memoir and a flat white, chances are you’ll find it hard to leave. Club Monaco’s store on Bleeker Street presents a downsized version of the concept, complete with wooden floorboards to double down on the lifestyle in-store offering, giving customers the VIP treatment by transforming the store into a kind of faux designer showroom, where you can become a roving fashion editor, if only for 20 minutes.
