Tahari Town
(NEW YORK) Elie Tahari's East Hampton shop may just be moving down the street, but it'll debut with a bang this weekend. Located at the landmark building One Main Street, anchoring the corner of Newtown Lane, the 5,000-square-foot flagship is the first store built and dedicated to represent all facets of the Elie Tahari lifestyle, offering the full range of women's and men's collections, as well as the women's accessories collection.
Designed by Piero Lissoni of Lissoni Associati in association with Glen Leitch of Highland Associates, the new store brings the total number of Elie Tahari retail units in the U.S. to five. The company also has stores in Boston, Las Vegas, Atlanta, and Manhattan's SoHo neighborhood. The label is also available in more than 600 doors worldwide, including Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, Bloomingdale's, Saks Fifth Avenue, Nordstrom, and Macy's West.
The boutique features an exclusive mid-century furniture collection curated by interior designer Amy Lau. Historically significant 20th century works were chosen to capture the natural tones and textures of nearby beaches, like Joseph-André Motte's braided cane tripod fauteuils from 1949. As for the substantial brick building, formerly the East Hampton Post Office, the centerpiece structurally is a 20' x 30' skylight that morphs into a glass prism descending into the store and casting natural light onto the collections. The feeling of weathered driftwood in the airy store was created by using 100-year-old oak smoked for six months to bring out its tannins and release a faded grey coloring on the interior floors and stairs. A VIP lounge has also been built into the space.
To keep in tandem with its upscale community, several boutique exclusives available solely at the East Hampton store will be offered to customers. For women's that includes the Hayden dress, a sequined dress with chiffon overlay, and Alexandra sheered mink coat in taupe. For accessories, Rory Tahari and Jill Heller have hand picked an exclusive assortment of estate jewelry that will be on display. An oversized Rory Shopper tote in calf-hair will also be sold, as will a Zoe medium crocodile handbag and cashmere throws. The Taharis will also offer a selection of their "Favorite Things" seasonally, including a Ted Muehling bird wing dish, a Michelle Doner Torso candle, and Rory Tahari's personal s'mores kit.
The store will be open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday.
Tahari and his wife, Rory Tahari, the brand's creative director who in January was named vice chairman of Elie Tahari Ltd., will host an invitation-only party at the store Saturday night on the eve of its official opening benefiting New Yorkers for Children (whose fall gala the brand will also sponsor), followed by an intimate dinner at their Sagaponack residence. "East Hampton has become the cultural, architectural, entertainment, and financial playground for the Northeast; it's the center of a very special universe," said Tahari. "The Hamptons have been part of my life for 25 years. It was my dream to create a boutique befitting this amazing community and the people who make it their summer home."
