A Shop On the Move

Sometimes a change of scenery makes all the difference. And that was certainly the case for the avant-garde fashion boutique Seven, which recently moved from the hip but low-budget Lower East Side to the decidedly glossier SoHo. “We’ve had the most extraordinary December,” the store’s proprietor, Joseph Quartana, said.The shop has been open just since December 15, but Seven’s sales have already tripled in comparison to the same sales period in the previous location.”By virtue of being in SoHo, we get a lot more walk-ins,” Mr. Quartana said.And with the increasing traffic comes a different kind of clientele. “We’ve had people come in off the street who have never heard of the store, nor our designers, but end up spending thousands of dollars,” Mr. Quartana said. “You better believe that the concierge at the Mercer Hotel is my new best friend!”Seven first opened its doors in 2000 on the Bohemian shopping strip of Orchard Street. It was the first Manhattan shop to feature labels such as As Four, Boudicca, Preen, and Bernhard Wilhelm, and it quickly became a favorite with eclectic (and often broke) fashion lovers.Seven’s architecture was just as ambitious as its merchandise. Co-owner John Demas, who grew up with Mr Quartana and their third partner, Steve Sang, in North Caldwell, N.J., created an almost brutally modern shop.With its curved concrete entrance, the shop looked like a “modernist monster” among the rickety railroad tenement buildings, according to Mr. Quartana.It wasn’t destined to last, however. The building was torn down last spring, as a monumental housing development engulfed half the block. Messrs. Quartana and Demas saw this as an opportunity to introduce the second, more adult, phase of Seven. The new shop’s interior design reflects the new surroundings. “I felt like we had entered a more mature phase of Seven, and I wanted the design to incorporate that,” Mr. Demas said.To that end, he created a sleek and minimal space centered around two large, glossy black cubes – a sales counter and a display podium – set against white walls. The neighborhood itself was also a source of inspiration. “We wanted to pay homage to SoHo’s art past, which is why the mannequin bank looks a bit like an installation art in a gallery,” Mr. Demas said.But there are also some surprisingly mystical ideas behind the design. The women’s area is entered clockwise, while men have to go counterclockwise to reach their department.”It represents women as a creative and nurturing force, while men stand for destruction and aggression,” Mr. Quartana said.“Nothing in here is arbitrary,” he added, pointing to the custom-designed metal clothes racks. “The clothes are the center of everything. They are hung so every single item is exposed and all the light sources in the room are projected on them.”The fact that the clothes take center stage is something Mr. Demas is proud of. “The old space was more beautiful when it was empty, but the new space definitely looks better with clothes in it,” he said.The merchandise also has received a subtle makeover. Although the store remains loyal to its fashion forward clientele, there are more accessible labels – Aquascutum, Sweetface, and Acne Jeans – in the mix. “As long as we have a solid foundation, we can experiment,” Mr. Quartana said.His buying philosophy is guided by design integrity and his own instincts rather than majority approval. “But I do exchange notes with stylist and editor friends and listen to my customers,” he said .Indeed, what makes Seven so well-loved among both designers and customers is the absence of cooler-than-thou attitude. The staff’s sweet demeanor and obvious intelligence make even the least sartorially savvy shopper feel comfortable, and Mr. Quartana has even been known to create networks with competing stores to organize joint charity events. His expansion is good news for fashion fans who crave style and substance.Seven, 10 Mercer St., at Howard Street, 646-654-0155.

A Shop On the Move

A Shop On the Move

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