The upscale fashion brand that sells retro dresses, shoes and accessories is closing its outpost in the Avalon Bowery Place complex at East First Street.
The store is expected to wrap it up next Monday... or possibly a few days after that, according to an email to customers that an EVG reader forwarded to us.
The Las Vegas-based chain (it launched at the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino) with a dozen locations in the United States (and one in Toronto) started its life on the Bowery in late 2012 as Bettie Page Clothing. (A lawsuit took care of the licensing rights.)
This marks the third high-end store in several blocks here on the Bowery to close... Patricia Fields recently announced that she is closing her Bowery storefront, telling the Times that at age 74, she is "no longer interested in devoting the time necessary to operating this place." In addition, Environment Furniture is shutting down its retail space two blocks to the north on the Bowery.
I don't think the Bowery will become the next Soho but the next Las Vegas strip filled with hotels, bars / clubs, noise, tourists and pretend A-listers. If you look at locations that can support high end retail they tend to be situated in high income "residential" neighborhoods, the Bowery is not even close to being that. I see this avenue becoming a place for low quality (tourists friendly) chains and nothing else.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't have called this shop high-end, as nothing in there was very expensive. However, it was always dark and lifeless. How can you make Bettie Paige-like clothing seem so dull? They managed, while Patricia Fields across the street is/was the epitome of fun style. I dread what ever uninspiring business comes next.
ReplyDeleteVery sad. All the girls that work in there are super sweet and they love my dog!!!!
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