NEW YORK — London swimwear boutique Heidi Klein opened its first international store here on the Upper East Side last week.
The 1,100-square-feet space at 1018 Lexington Avenue brings a slice of posh London to Yanks who “holiday.”
This makes the third store in four years for founders Heidi Gosman and Penny Klein, whose names marry to form that of the shop. The duo opened their first in London’s eclectic Notting Hill in April 2002, followed two years later by a second locale in Chelsea’s posh Sloane Square. In another two years, they hope to open a fourth in Miami or Los Angeles.
Klein, a former consultant, and Gosman, a former retail analyst, started the store in response to a void they found in the market for a place to buy beachwear outside the summer months. The Heidi Klein concept is to provide a one-stop shop for one’s beach vacation, whether it be in June or January. Both are British and have enlisted an American business partner, Suzanne Coppola, to manage the store and the U.S. expansion.
“We’ve found people tend to suspend commercial reality and spend more money when they go on holiday,” Klein said. “Everyone is always in quite a good mood when they come here because they are about to head off for holiday, so it’s a fun place to be.”
Swimsuits will be available year-round, regardless of Manhattan weather — or worse, London rain. There are also cover-ups and St. Barth’s-worthy accessories in abundance. With coconut candles and carefree music, the store breathes vacation.
“Buying swimwear can feel suicidal, and we wanted to turn the experience on its head,” Gosman said. “We want you to feel like the first day of your holiday starts here.”
The Heidi Klein line is by far the store’s biggest seller, making up a third of business. The swimwear brand launched in 2003, as the owners tailored a collection to their customers’ needs, and is exclusively carried in the three namesake boutiques. The collection will wholesale for the first time for spring 2007, which is being shown this month. Wholesale prices were not available.
The eponymous brand has two collections: the best-selling essential range and the skimpier yacht line. Essentials specializes in separates that flatter the body with hidden underwires and a range of sizes, up to a G cup. Essential tops retail for $195 and bottoms for $95, while the yacht sets go for around $235.
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“We’ve captured the ‘big boob’ market,” Klein said. “And because we’re talking about the U.K., we’re talking about real boobs, which need more support.”
The store carries high-end suits that retail for $200 to $300, from Eres to lesser-known European swimwear brands, like Maji from Spain and Emamo from Italy.
The shop also sells men’s and children’s products to complete the one-stop shopping experience. The store has carried children’s from the start, but added Villebrequin for men upon customer request. “It’s good when you’ve spent a lot of money to be able to walk in with a gift for your husband,” Gosman said. “It does ease the guilt.”