It seems that all those marble prints in the fall collection were no passing fancy: The floors of Jil Sander's statement-making new Manhattan boutique are covered in several quarry-loads of smooth stone. The space on the corner of Howard and Crosby streets is the first in any country to represent the full vision of creative director Raf Simons, and it's probably no surprise that it's as spare and precise as the suits he has been making for the label the last three years—so spare, in fact, that there aren't even any sales racks on the ground floor. (The business of trying on the merch and forking over your hard-earned cash takes place on the second floor, with its wraparound-mirrored changing rooms.) Unlike the rather dowdier digs Jil Sander has been occupying uptown, this is a fitting home for a brand that's always had more of a downtown feel. Welcome to the neighborhood, Mr. Simons.
Jil Sander, 30 Howard St., New York, NY, (212) 925-2345, jilsander.com