When Jack Spade’s Greene Street flagship opened in 1999, the men’s line consisted only of bags and a few other small accessories. So naturally, since the brand expanded to offer apparel three years ago, some renovation was in order.
“The original space was very beloved, so we were conscious not to drastically change that atmosphere,” says Cuan Hanly, vice president/GM at Jack Spade. Hanly wanted to add a sense of discovery while retaining the shop’s intimate setting. “Rather than opening walls and maximizing the footprint of the store, we created corridors so that people have to navigate through.” And of course, creating a showcase for the clothing was a key priority. Hanly’s top picks for fall include the line’s utilitarian Camp jacket and the smart Davis briefcase from Jack Spade’s Mill leather collection.
There’s also a new mezzanine floor featuring a lending library filled with reference books, fiction and autobiographies. ”The team travels around the country and we collect books that we like, then we tear out pages and create little vignettes and stories,” Hanly notes.
The clothes are displayed with a dose of the store’s signature whimsy. “It’s not just about the product,” Hanly says. “We want to connect and engage the customer on different levels, with books and found objects.” Said objects include model seamen, CB radio callsign cards, 1970s calculators and other vintage technology. And the aural backdrop is predictably eclectic, spanning a variety of genres -- but Neil Young, Tom Waits, Talking Heads and the Velvet Underground have been on the playlist as of late.
“A sense of humor is a big part of our brand,” says Hanly. “It’s the juxtaposition of props and products that people don’t really expect to see sitting beside each other.”