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Thursday, June 23rd, 2011

Oh Canada: Aritzia Lands In Soho NYC

For our neighbors up north who’ve lent such pop culture icons such as Pamela Anderson and Michael J. Fox, the U.S. is something of its much louder, attention-hogging brother. As such, it’s with a certain sort of pride when Canucks can lay claim to a creative enterprise that’s made significant inroads stateside.

Meet Aritzia: a trendy Vancouver BC-based chain that has been steadily gaining new territory in the states. With outposts already stationed in Seattle, Portland, Los Angeles and Chicago, it was only a matter of time before the 27-year old retailer headed further East. The company debuted a glossy industrial-chic Soho flagship in NYC last week. Coming in at 10,000 square feet, the store is no tentative affair. At the press preview, CEO Brian Hill welcomed a bevy of curious New York-based editors with champagne and Belgian waffles.

“To me, the Aritzia girl is feminine, cultured, intelligent, youthful and spirited,” says Hill. ”And I believe we’ll resonated with women in New York in the way we have in other markets.”

Opening with mostly Summer 2011 pieces – neutrals such as white, cream and khaki were in predominant play as were long-ish silhouettes in floor-length pleated skirts and one-piece jumpsuits – the store’s strong suit was in the house labels Wilfred and A Moveable Feast. With gentle prices in fairly luxe materials – a silk shirt dress rang in at $145, a cropped blazer at $165, while dressy shorts were under $100 – it’s a viable option for shoppers tired of bouncing between Topshop and Zara.

We were privy to an early Fall preview too; expect chunky knits, more neutrals in camel and black and a daub here and there of navy and eggplant. I’ll have to take a gander when the doors have been open a month or two. As is typical of NYC, there’s usually an upstart frenzy for the new and foreign, but so far so good.

And here are some pieces to look forward to for Fall 2011: