Dubbed one of the “newest, oldest neighborhoods,” with a rich past as the printing district, Hudson Square is taking historic manufacturing buildings and inviting the creative class to make themselves at home.
The area has spent the last several years building its reputation as a magnet of mammoth media and entertainment companies, including Publicis, Havas, Horizon Media and Baron & Baron. Google is moving into its new campus at the revitalized 550 Washington later this year, and Disney is slated to move into 7 Hudson Square early next year.
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When it comes to the fashion industry, a wave of recent leases could be the sign of a burgeoning new epicenter in Manhattan comprising a myriad of influential brands.
Just last month, premier jeweler David Yurman signed a 15-year deal to expand its headquarters to 150,000 square feet at 200 Hudson Street, where it has been located since 2002. Around the corner from David Yurman is the new Global Creative Headquarters for distinctive fashion retailer ESPRIT at 160 Varick. Originally headquartered in San Francisco and then in Ratingen, Germany, the brand known for its “California cool” aesthetic is returning home to North America and has landed in Hudson Square.
While many New Yorkers think of the ESPRIT from the 80s and 90s, the brand’s leaders see its new home in Hudson Square as a place to build upon the classic American style that it’s known for, while ushering the brand into a new era.
At the time of the announcement of its U.S. flagship launch, William Pak, chief executive officer of ESPRIT, said the company’s “intention is for the brand to resonate with a global audience. New York City is the cultural epicenter of the world, a diverse city full of incredible talent. From a creative and design perspective the next evolution of ESPRIT, like New York, will be sleek, aspirational and timeless.”
While the fashion brands in Hudson Square have different offerings and varied price points, they each have an authentic identity that resonates with a loyal consumer base, as well as a forward-thinking approach that allows them to stay relevant in an ever-changing marketplace. Down the street from ESPRIT is yet another trendsetter that remains one of the leading jewelry brands for Gen Z: Mejuri, which focuses on everyday fine jewelry. The brand, which has been located in Hudson Square since 2021, is currently doubling their footprint within the neighborhood and moving to 205 Hudson Street. Known for delivering quality, fine finishes on simple jewelry staples, Mejuri – like many of its neighboring tenants – offers products that are defined by a classic yet modern point of view.
Hudson Square’s vibrancy is not confined to the upper floors of office buildings. On the residential front, the neighborhood has undergone a quiet revitalization since a transformative 2013 rezoning, which led to a surge in development in the area. Hudson Square offers everything from high-end rental options – often close to work, for the local creatives and technopreneurs – to holistic wellness storefronts, buzzy bars and restaurants, an eclectic, thriving art scene, and walkable, pedestrianized streets, making the area an ideal place to live, work and play.
Residents and tenants originally flocked to the area for its proximity to the Hudson River, West Village, SoHo and Tribeca. But now, people are staying within the neighborhood to experience all aspects of the rich culture of the city, all within short walking distances of each other. To date, the neighborhood had successfully flown under the radar – that is, until last month, when StreetEasy named it a neighborhood to watch.
On Saturday, Hudson Square took center stage during New York Fashion Week when New York and Los Angeles based-label Eckhaus Latta debuted their much-anticipated Autumn/Winter 2024 collection on the 7th Floor of 75 Varick. Eckhaus Latta’s show remained one to watch, with designs featuring unconventional materials that blended functionality with elegance.
The thirty look AW24 collection juxtaposed against the intentionally sparse, industrial space of 75 Varick paralleled the neighborhood itself beyond the walls of the show.
“Anytime we do a show, every aspect informs the whole picture and has its own identity, and becomes another layer to the storytelling,” said Mike Eckhaus and Zoe Latta. “This season, we wanted a venue that spoke to shows we’ve done and places we’ve been, physically and as a brand, and also felt like a proposition for the future. Hudson Square felt like a place with newness and excitement, but had its own history in a way you can only find in New York.”
“We saw a lot of synergies between the Eckhaus Latta brand ethos and the characteristics that make Hudson Square unique,” said Neha Desai, Director at Hudson Square Properties. “Their designs so frequently nod to the past but also experiment with unexpected elements and forward-thinking style. The neighborhood has a similar unexpected quality, merging history with a sense of discovery that really surprises.”
The Eckhaus Latta show audience was the first to ever see a runway show inside the decidedly raw space, with daylight streaming into the room from the afternoon New York City skyline. A blank slate to better showcase the collection, 75 Varick embodied the intentionality of the pieces and foreshadowed what remains to be discovered in Hudson Square. Teeming with everything that distinguishes New York from other cities – food, nightlife and innovation – the neighborhood seems a natural fit as a new home for New York Fashion Week designers.
“I think people will be talking about that show for some time,” said Desai. “And hopefully it introduced visitors from all over the globe to their new favorite neighborhood.”
As word of Hudson Square’s refreshing new identity buzzes around the city and beyond, one thing has become clear: the former printing district has maintained its century-old legacy as the place of exchange for inspiration and ideas, while fostering a new, forward-thinking and unexpected culture that continues to surprise.