Designer Nili Lotan Just Opened Her First Menswear Store in N.Y.C.
Nili Lotan’s new Tribeca men’s store is a love letter to the most important man in her life: her husband, singer songwriter David Broza. It’s a touching dedication to their relationship and the home they have curated for themselves in their Tribeca neighborhood. Lotan says she never had plans to create menswear, but her decision to do so is still a full circle moment: as a woman with an eye for androgynous tailored clothing, she initially created her womenswear line to meet her own style needs. Now, she’s catering directly to men (though men have been known to stop into her women’s store over the years).
The men’s line is collection of refined but elevated basics, from perfectly weathered denim to plush shearling outerwear, all in Lotan’s signature muted color palette. And now, fans of the brand can shop in person at the dedicated outpost which opened last night, directly across from Lotan’s Tribeca women’s store. The lively opening cocktail, which was so well-attended that it spilled out onto the sidewalk (to live music from Broza), set the tone for the immersive shopping experience that Lotan sought to create. Inside, clients will also be able to do everything from peruse Lotan’s personal record collection to have an afternoon espresso, all while soaking in iconic photography by Tribeca legend Allan Tannebaum in a chic space inspired by Marcel Breuer (complete with tubular chrome garment racks).
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Robb Report spoke with Lotan ahead of her men’s store opening about her favorite in-store items, how she snagged the dream location, and how she’s incorporating Broza’s philanthropic work into this incredibly special store.
How did you know it was time to expand into menswear?
I never had the intention to do menswear. As a matter of fact, when I started my women’s collection 20 years ago my intention was to dress and empower women and to give them the tools to build a wardrobe and express themselves through it. About a year and a half ago I had dinner with Alison Lohenis, the president of Mr. Porter and Net-a-Porter, and she said it was a missed opportunity if I didn’t launch a men’s collection. So I went back and in no time put together a small base wardrobe for a man, from my perspective.
I look at this two ways: an opportunity to grow my business but also to present something that is not on the market right now. And now we’re ready to launch a solo men’s shop, which I never imagined doing. But I’m very excited.
So much of your women’s line is fairly androgynous—how did that translate to designing for menswear?
All my life I’ve been a tomboy, I’ve been drawn to boys clothing – clean, down to the point, sexy in its own way. I used to work with Ralph Lauren and I was involved in their men’s collection as well. What was important for me was that the men’s collection is a men’s collection, not just the women’s clothing in different sizing. The thought process for menswear is separate from the thought process for womenswear but I draw my inspiration from a very similar sensibility. I’m inspired by the sixties and seventies – the music, the art. The man I chose to put front and center in designing this collection is Bob Dylan but it’s not so much about his music, though obviously I love his music. But there’s something about him that’s very manly yet poetic, and soft and creative. And that obviously took me right to my husband who is in the same profession as a singer and songwriter.
When I opened the shop, I wanted to dedicate it to my husband, the same way when I designed for women I was answering my own needs. So I wanted to tie the men’s collection to my husband’s life and aesthetic and passion. So the store is very special and different from any of my other stores. The fabrics are similar, the same color sensibility is there but it’s different. Two different mood boards – but, they complement each other.
I understand the space in Tribeca is very special to you.
From the start, I wanted it to be a separate store, not just a section in the women’s store. So about a year ago, a Japanese restaurant across the street from my first store [was closing] and I wanted to see if it would be available. But then another restaurant moved in. Fast forward to May or so, I’m at the doctor’s office and one of my sales team calls and says the restaurant folded overnight and there’s a broker in the space now. So I ran as fast as I could and looked at the broker and said “Hi, my name is Nili Lotan and the store across the street is mine and this store is mine.” He looked at me like, “who the hell are you?” But that’s karma.
I love that it’s across the street from the women’s store. And it completes the picture of my entire story. Tribeca has been my home for 20 years: my apartment is here, my studio, my store. It’s a natural thing for the store to be in this place. And it’s cool because people can float between the men’s and women’s stores. And in a way, this is kind of giving back to the Tribeca community which has been such a wonderful place for me to live and to raise my daughter as a single mother for years and then with David. There’s something so humble about Tribeca, it has this understated sophistication.
Let’s talk a little bit about the design aesthetic and details that make the men’s store so special.
I wanted the men’s experience to be unique so I decided to create a space that is inspired by a couple of things. Number one is David and our love. And there is a philanthropic side to thatú David runs a non-profit foundation called One Million Guitars and it gives guitars to children in neighborhoods and schools that cannot afford music education. So in the store I thought it would be wonderful if we could actually sell the guitars. They’re reasonably priced, and when you buy one, you automatically buy another guitar for a kid (the money goes into making another guitar).
There’s also a tiny area dedicated to espresso with two stools and a bar where people can hang out and meet David or me or a friend. I’m also using the store as a gallery for Allan Tannenbaum who is an amazing photographer based in Tribeca. Back in the 70’s he took photos of iconic musicians like Bob Marley, the Rolling Stones, John Lennon. So it will be displayed and people can buy his work there. I have a collection of vinyl that David and I curated that we listen to and books that we read. So it’s like walking into David’s and my world and experience it—and also shopping, obviously.
What are the must-have pieces in store for men who visit?
It’s not easy because obviously I like everything that is in the collection but from the reaction that I’ve had from both men and women I will say our cotton pants and denim are the go to. I mastered a process that gives the pants a washed and worn-in feel. For the men, I like the carpenter pants which we also have in denim. And everything is made from Italian fabrics, Japanese fabrics, here in New York or in LA.
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