For years I have gone to NYC for fashion—as a fashion writer, a buyer, an observer, a shopper and a museum goer. I can count always on having fun fashion experiences in the Big Apple.
A trip last June was no exception. Let me share.
Printemps
First, I visited Printemps, an outpost of the famous Paris Fashion department store that originally opened in the City of Light in the 1800’s.
In 2025, Printemps opened an dramatically opulent shopping emporium at One Wall Street that’s worth visiting just to see the interiors, the bars, the glamorous goods and the cafe. Think of it as a mini trip to Paris.
From my reading I learned that it is struggling financially so if you want to see it, you’d better go soon. They aren’t alone. In general, traditional luxury retailers aren’t thriving.
The store reminded me of grand dames of the past—Saks in its hey day, Barneys, Bonwit Teller. Stores where you felt you needed to dress up and talk in low tones when you shopped.
The Wall Street Printemps feels like a museum.
I particularly enjoyed the white tunnel of cosmetics and the elegant shoe department. There were two bars. Evidently one needs a drink to shop. The prices might drive you there.
I couldn’t resist playing with the multiple exposure setting on my iPhone app, AvgCamPro for interesting results.
Costume Art
Costume Art, a major exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, drew a surprising number of people when I visited at opening time on a Sunday morning. Typically this time period isn’t very busy at big museums.
Clearly a popular show, the exhibition combines garments from the Museum’s costume collection with works of art from the permanent collection. If you like fashion and art and the connection between them, you will love it.
I did.
The large show exists in a newly renovated space in the museum, having moved from the basement to the a 12,000 square foot space off the main floor off the lobby. It replaces the museum shop. It’s now one of the first things you see when you enter the museum.
The show combines 200 garments with 200 pieces of art borrowed from the Museums extensive collection. Some of the combinations were pretty obvious like a Kusama piece with a polka dot raincoat. Others were more adventuresome.
The theory is that understanding one form of art with a form of fashion, helps us to understand both.
I was quite amused that the faces of the mannequins were covered with mirrors, making you feel sometime you are wearing the garment on display.
This exhibition is open until Jan.10, 2027.
SAKS FIFTH AVENUE
My last fashion stop of the day was Saks Fifth Avenue, a premier fashion emporium in a prominent place on Fifth Avenue.
I wasn’t there to shop though. I stopped in there to take pictures, trying to create interesting images of the Rem Koolhaas designed the color changing escalators.
The main floor of this once terribly chic and now sometimes feeling a bit stodgy was redone to compete with the entrance of Nordstroms and Neiman Marcus to the New York Market. I have no idea if it was successful in hanging on to customers, but I am fascinated with opportunities for multiple exposures, reflections and combinations of colors on its main floor.
