On screen, shopping in New York is presented as a national sport — thanks to Sex and the City, when Carrie Bradshaw was often seen balancing multiple Manolo Blahnik shopping bags on her arms, and in Gossip Girl, where Bergdorf Goodman was basically Blair Waldorf’s second home.
Tourists will always flock to Fifth Avenue with a croissant in hand to recreate their own Breakfast at Tiffany’s moment, but as always we want to help you explore the city like a local. New York is a melting pot of vintage shops, boutiques and heritage luxury shops, and to help you navigate all the city has to offer and return home with a unique momento (or two), we asked a number of fashion editors to share with us the shops they always visit and recommend to friends.
Keep reading for your New York shopping guide from those whose job it is to be in the know.
BERGDORF GOODMAN
‘It’s a tourist destination, sure, but you can’t get more Classic New York than the designer-packed floors at Bergdorf Goodman,’ says freelance fashion editor and self confessed Gossip Girl historian Tyler McCall. ‘I love perusing the beauty department to discover new brands, and the shoe floor is my idea of heaven. Combine a shopping trip with a lunch or a late afternoon tea at BG Restaurant, and you’ve got my platonic ideal of a New York afternoon.’
T.A.
‘Telsha Anderson’s T.A. is my favourite for its selection of emerging designers and IYKYK industry favourites like Barragán, Christopher John Rogers, and Luar,’ says freelance fashion editor and writer Aemilia Madden. ‘It‘s the kind of in-person shopping experience that I love – one that involves discovering something unexpected every time you visit.’
BOOKS ARE MAGIC
‘The original location of Books Are Magic on Smith Street is located in one of Brooklyn’s most charming neighbourhoods, and they just opened up a new shop in buzzy Brooklyn Heights, so you can’t go wrong with either spot.’ says McCall. ‘You’ll find your new favourite reads at either store, especially if you go with their staff’s expert picks – I haven’t been led astray by them yet. And even if you aren’t in the market for a new book (or don’t want to give up the precious luggage space), their merch is top tier. Kendall Roy himself has been spotted in some!’
AIMÉ LEON DORE
‘Aimé Leon Dore recently reopened its NYC flagship after a remodel with interior designer Sarita Posada,’ says Kristen Nichols, associate director of special projects at Who What Wear, who has recently moved to New York from Los Angeles. ‘The ALD store houses Teddy Santis’s cult baseball caps, T-shirts and sneakers in a space that feels more like an old members’ club than a retail store – the updated boutique is darker and moodier, designed with velvet curtains, wood-panelled walls, a vinyl collection and a 1960 Porsche 356 parked inside. Don’t forget to stop at Café Leon Dore next door for fresh pastries and coffee.’
MICHELE VARIAN
‘Michele Varian is a favourite of mine for its mix of unique homeware and cool indie jewellery,’ Madden says of her other go-to shop in New York. ‘The space feels like a treasure trove with something in every corner to discover. It’s a great spot for picking out thoughtful gifts too.’
DOVER STREET MARKET
‘My favourite shop is Dover Street Market,’ says New York-based writer Kristen Bateman. ‘I love looking at all the wild and editorial pieces there from Simone Rocha and Noir Kei Ninomiya. It’s a lot of fantasy shopping. I mostly only shop there during sale season, but it is very inspiring.’
BEACON’S CLOSET
When it comes to vintage shopping, Bateman recommends Beacon’s Closet on 13th Street in Manhattan. ‘It’s a secondhand shop with lots of treasures including true vintage, some random vintage designer pieces and just really good, weird, unexpected stuff that you never knew you needed.’ Exactly the sort of things you want to take home in your suitcase.
PORTA
‘I discovered Porta while on a walk in Brooklyn and loved the home goods store’s eclectic mix of European-inspired items,’ says Madden, who has written for Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar and WWD. ‘At the time I was in the midst of watching The White Lotus and it felt like the plates and napkins could have come straight from a shop in Sicily. For such a small place, there’s lots to lust over.’ Sadly it doesn’t currently do international shipping, so a trip to New York will have to do.
LICHEN NYC
‘Home goods stores are where New York excels – there are tons of shops in every corner of the city, and everyone tends to have their favourites,’ Brown says of New York’s interiors scene. ‘Away from the business of Manhattan, Lichen NYC is where I go for unique objects and furniture that no one else will have. It’s a small brand founded by two friends, and their selection includes a mixture of original pieces as well as design classics. Everything is functional but also extremely design-forward, and I love to just look around their store (which doubles as a showroom) to see what’s new.’
BERNARD JAMES
‘Fine jewellery with meaning has become increasingly important to me, so I’ve made it a point to buy and support independent jewellery designers,’ says freelance fashion editor Indya Brown. ‘Bernard James is one of my favourites right now and he recently opened a store in Greenpoint. I love that it feels warm and intimate – a different experience than the stuffiness of a fine jeweller on Fifth avenue. The store really gives you a glimpse into his world – cool and innovative, yet timeless in a modern way.’
If all that spending has made you snoozy, here’s our full collection of New York City hotels
Emma Spedding is acting executive fashion news and features editor at British Vogue, and has written for the likes of Who What Wear, Grazia, and The Telegraph.