Expansion Mode

A favorite fashion retailer adds more space

April 12, 2006—Nineteen months ago, when New York retailers Eddy Chai and Paul Birardi opened Odin, their tiny East Village boutique, the duo already had dreams of expansion. "We just had no idea this would happen as soon as it did," Chai says of their 2,100-square-foot second store (more than twice the size of the original), which is set to open Friday in NoLIta. It sounds as if they’ll need all that space: According to Chai, sales of lines like Comme des Garçons, Y-3, and Trovata have tripled since they first opened their doors, and Odin is now the latter’s top independent retailer nationwide. Though the new shop retains the neo-rustic aesthetic of the original, it differentiates itself with several noteworthy exclusives, including casualwear from Engineered Garments's Nepenthes line, and Rogues Gallery travel bags made of vintage wool blankets (both pictured above), as well as jewelry from Philip Crangi and 2006 CFDA nominee Tom Binns. As with the original Odin, Messrs. Chai and Birardi will stock new merch on a rolling basis rather than seasonally. "We're pretty passionate about always having something new," says Chai. Good news for your wardrobe, if not your bank balance.
Odin, 328 East 11th St., NYC, (212) 475-0666; new location opens April 14 at 199 Lafayette St., (212) 966-0026