Colette to New York!

(NEW YORK) Colette is coming to the Big Apple--courtesy of Gap.

The San Francisco-based retailer has commissioned the renowned Paris boutique to create a one-month installation in its rotating Gap concept store adjacent to its Fifth Avenue flagship at 54th Street. Dubbed "Colette x Gap," the shop, Colette's first store in the U.S., will be open from September 6 through October 5.

Replicating Colette's Paris store concept, Colette x Gap will feature a combination of unique and sought-after colette products, otherwise unavailable in New York City, along with items created especially for Colette x Gap. These exclusive products, ranging from stationary to art, will be available to customers at a wide range of price points. "Colette's clever, unexpected editing and always exciting in-store presentations make a visit to the store an essential part of every trip to Paris," said Marka Hansen, president of Gap North America. "Our goal at Colette x Gap is to celebrate the best in fashion and culture, while surprising and engaging our customers, so the fit is perfect."

Sarah Lerfel, Colette's buyer and creative director, added, "It's a wonderful experience to collaborate with Gap for a temporary shop in uptown New York City, a cult environment for retail. We'll do our best to delight visitors. It's a challenge for us, happening simultaneously as we re-invent our unique Paris address."

Exclusive products that will be available at the temporary shop will include Colette's signature candles, room fragrance, musk oil, CDs and artist edition products. Limited edition Colette collaborations include partnerships with Oakley sunglasses, Starter jackets, Uslu Airlines nail polish, Le Labo fragrance Vanilla 44, Domestic vinyl stickers, Hello Kitty watch and Asics Tiger sneakers. Gap will also issue limited edition tees with prints by both Paris and New York-based artists.

Exclusive products by designers invited by Colette to transform Gap iconic items and materials include a trenchcoat painted by the artist André; French artisan Anne-Marie Herckes featuring miniature versions of Gap classics; denim jackets customized by Olympia Le Tan, Andrea Crews' mixed Tees; Repetto shoes, and the Alexis Mabille bow bag in classic heather grey jersey.

Colette x Gap is the latest collection to be housed in the Gap concept store. Over the past year, the space has showcased a variety of collaborations, including Gap initiatives with Mulberry, Pierre Hardy and the white shirt collections done in partnership with the Council of Fashion Designers of America. Many of these collaborations have also been sold at the Colette store. Now Gap looks forward to welcoming Colette, for one month only, with new products every week, just like in Paris.

This range of Colette x Gap products will simultaneously go on sale at Colette's newly refurbished Paris store, as part of its re-opening on August 25. Colette, which opened in March 1997, will close on July 7 for its first big renovation overseen by Japanese architect Masamichi Katayama of Wonderwall. While under construction, a Colette "superette," or small temporary shop, will be erected in front of 213 rue Saint-Honoré. The August 25 reopening will be heralded by an exhibition of Sølve Sundsbø's  photography and video shows. In addition, a new version of Colette's e-commerce Web site will also be unveiled this summer.
JIM SHI