Who Said Retail Is Dead? Here Are the Store Openings During NYFW

Who said retail is dead? New York Fashion Week (NYFW) is kicking off, and there are almost as many store opening cocktail parties to attend as there are runway shows. Some brands, like Magda Butrym, TWP and J. Press, are even doing both.

Contemporary label TWP opened a flagship on Madison Avenue on September 1, the same day 7 For All Mankind reopened its renovated SoHo store. Victoria Beckham opened her new SoHo store at 150 Mercer Street — her first in New York — two days later.

The triad was a preview of what’s to come during NYFW, when a flurry of brands will open new stores in the city, some accompanying a fashion show, some in lieu of one, while other brands simply look to tap into the flurry of activity, press, and people in town during one of New York fashion’s busiest weeks.

For Magda Butrym, the impending store opening on September 11 is about underscoring the American market as its primary focus for retail development, says CEO Jakub Czarnota. “Opening for September NYFW is timed to capture the attention of the fashion lovers who visit and turn their eyes to the city at this time,” he says.

“September [is also] ‘back to school’, when luxury consumers are back home from vacations, and the fourth quarter is also typically expected to be the strongest period of the year retail-wise.”

For Hermès, opening a store on September 19, it’s less about fashion week and more about the optimal timing of the fall season, says US president Diane Mahady. “The timing will allow the boutique to feature exciting seasonal fashion and accessories collections, as well as novelties that are unique to this location,” she says.

But for many founders, the pull of NYFW lies in the people it brings together. “Choosing to do this during fashion week felt particularly special, as our community from around the world is in town to share this moment with us,” says Marieke Meulendijks, founder and creative director of Róhe.

Rùadh founder Jac Cameron shares this logic. “Aligning the opening with NYFW felt like the perfect opportunity to introduce the space.

It allows us to open our doors at a moment when the fashion community is already gathering in New York, and to celebrate the launch with our community alongside the spring 2027 collection,” she says.

Tone Deaf Studios founder Mustafa Ahmed is operating with a similar logic. He remembers the brand’s first pop-up on the Lower East Side — Tone Deaf wasn’t on the official NYFW calendar, but that didn’t matter.

“What we discovered is that there is a whole other fashion week happening alongside the one seen by fashion insiders,” Ahmed says. “New York fills with independent brands and people who may not belong to the upper strata of the industry but still care deeply about design, community, identity, and the personal mythologies we create through clothes.” The brand has timed its pop-ups around NYFW ever since, and took the same approach for its first store opening.

For those not quite ready for that first store, there’s also a slew of pop-ups before, throughout and directly following the New York shows, from Paris-based Turn popping up at East Williamsburg concept store Tangerine, to Australian furniture brand Koala bringing with it a host of Aussie fashion brands including St. Agni, Sir, and Blanca Studio.

Though it’s a busy period, the pop-up logic is clear: it’s the right time to capitalize on the NYFW conversation without needing to invest in a runway show.

Here’s what’s opened — and is opening — this NYFW.

Pre-NYFW

7 For All Mankind — September 1

To kick off the month, 7 For All Mankind reopened its 394 West Broadway store, with the renovation led by design studio Perron Studios. The choice to do so ahead of NYFW aligns with the brand’s goal of establishing itself as a serious fashion player, after debuting on-schedule last season.

TWP — September 1

TWP is now a lot more accessible for the uptown girls. The brand opened on Madison Avenue, marking its second New York location (its original is on SoHo’s Howard Street). Bookending NYFW, the brand will celebrate its opening the day after the shows wrap.

Victoria Beckham — September 3

Victoria Beckham opened its first permanent American store in SoHo on September 3. The new Mercer Street space is the brand’s “flag in the sand”, Beckham told Vogue ahead of the opening.

This week

Moncler — September 10

At long last, Moncler is opening its long-awaited Fifth Avenue flagship, which will be the brand’s largest-ever global flagship. To celebrate, Moncler is staging a city-wide retrospective designed to showcase the brand’s New York story. It’s on view at Grand Central Terminal’s Vanderbilt Hall.

Rùadh — September 11

This fashion week, Ruadh’s appointments will no longer be exclusive to editors and buyers. Following the brand’s on-calendar NYFW slot, the brand is opening up its first permanent by-appointment showroom on SoHo’s Mercer Street, directly above Dries Van Noten and across from Khaite.

“One of my ambitions has always been to create a physical home for the brand, to give people a place to experience Rùadh beyond a screen,” Cameron says. “Launching the space by-appointment allows us to do that in a way that feels very true to who we are. It gives our team the opportunity to offer a white-glove approach to customer service and to rethink what a shopping appointment can be.”

Acne Studios — September 10

After a soft opening on August 10, Acne’s new Meatpacking store opens on September 10. The Grasvenoort Street space was designed by Acne’s creative director Jonny Johansson and Swedish architecture studio Halleroed, and features an Acne Paper library. The brand is making a NYFW splash with an opening party featuring performances from 070 Shake and Fcukers.

Róhe — September 11

It’s a busy week for Mercer Street, which was the location of choice for Dutch brand Róhe’s first US store. New York is a natural next step, says founder and CEO Maickel Weyers.

“The US has evolved into a key market, with customers showing a strong interest to invest across categories and build complete wardrobes. A permanent New York store allows us to build on that momentum, and creates a platform to deepen customer relationships, showcase the full collection, and support our continued growth,” he says.

The store, inspired by Amsterdam’s Huis de Vicq, was designed in-house with support from architectural firm HS2.

Tone Deaf Studios — September 12

Tone Deaf Studios is returning to the Lower East Side’s Orchard Street, where it’s popped up in NYFWs past. The opening, designed in collaboration with Maurizio Bianchi Mattioli, founding principal of Studio MBM, coincides with the brand’s FW26 collection, Flowers for Fall.

“The places I admire most feel like New York institutions,” Ahmed says. “They give back to their neighborhoods and create programming beyond commercial activity.

That is the direction I want Tone Deaf Studios to grow into.”

Magda Butrym — September 11

Fourth time’s a charm; Warsaw-based Magda Butrym is opening on Mercer, two days before its first New York show. “September fashion week in New York provides a fantastic opportunity to present not only the most special pieces from our collection, but also to show how Magda Butrym’s daily statement wear can become a staple of modern women’s wardrobe,” Czarnota says.

Opening soon

L/Uniform — September 17

Parisian accessories label L/Uniform is setting up shop in New York for the first time, with a forthcoming boutique on the Upper East Side. Founder Jeanne Signoles will be in town just two days after NYFW wraps to celebrate the opening before everyone heads off to Milan and Paris.

Hermès — September 19

After opening a temporary space in Williamsburg in 2022, Hermès is putting down permanent roots in the neighborhood with a new space on 130 Berry Street. “We’re thrilled to open the doors to our new Williamsburg boutique this month, and to become part of a neighborhood known for its individuality and vibrant creative culture, home to artists and artisans,” Mahady says.

J. Press — Late September

J. Press is gearing up for a homecoming of sorts, returning to its flagship space at the intersection of 44th and Madison. The timing worked out well, says creative director and president Jack Carlson. “Our runway show is right at the beginning of fashion week, and I thought it would be nice to bookend the week with the grand opening,” he says.