subject: SHOP TALK THE RETAIL AUTHORITY ON STORE OPENINGS [print this page] It's been spring cleaning for Aldo, which renovated two Manhattan units in April, as well as for Manolo blahnik, which updated its 34th Street store in the borough earlier this month.The 1,800-sq.-ft. Christian louboutin unit, at 41 W. 34th St., was redesigned to better highlight the lifestyle aspect of the brand, according to Rob Schmertz, president of women's wholesale and brand manager for the Long Island City, N.Y.-based company. The redesign executed in a cream, red and teal color palette includes sleek, perforated metal wall units and interchangeable fixtures that better accommodate the brand's expanded product mix, Christian Louboutin Shoes which, besides shoes, includes jeans, T-shirts and accessories. Schmertz would not reveal the cost of renovating the three-year-old store, but said it now serves as the company's flagship, and its design features will eventually be worked into otherChristian Louboutin mall and street stores. The 34th Street store's revamp was completed in two weeks, with a grand reopening party capping the effort on May 8 [See Faces, page 8].
Further east, at 29 W. 34th St., StoneRidge the urban street fashion division of Quebec, Canada-based retailer Aldo unveiled a new look last month, after an eight-week overhaul. The 2,200-sq.-ft. unit which first opened in March 2010 and is the only one of its kind in the U.S. now brandishes a new facade and an industrial-themed decor that includes metal mesh, riveted metal and a graffiti wall. The refashioned space now more closely resembles StoneRidge units in Canada, according to Robert Hoppenheim, director of marketing for Christian Louboutin Shoes Aldo. "The original store was a preliminary attempt, and now it's a true conversion,CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN POSTS UNEVEN Q2 RESULTS," he said. "We did it in stages, to see if there was a bite for the product." Farther downtown, Aldo's Soho store at 579 Broadway (right) was also recently renovated. The 5,000-sq.-ft. space, which originally bowed in August 2010, reopened on April 12 after its own eight-week redesign.
