NEW YORK — It’s busy down in SoHo this time of year. Galleries are buzzing with the sounds of new shows being installed, NYU students are walking around with book-filled backpacks, and at the new Todd Oldham store, workers are busily rubbing grout out of the brightly colored broken tile desk at the center of the store.
The 2,200-square-foot store at 123 Wooster St., between Prince and Spring Streets, is the designer’s first, and is expected to reap about $2 million in sales, according to sources.
Tony Longoria, Oldham’s business partner, said the business has grown to the point that Oldham now has a signature collection and a better-price line, a home-furnishings line, a license for footwear, and he is introducing a fragrance this winter. The shop allows the designer to present his overall viewpoint “in one fell swoop.”
“This is the essence of what Todd does,” he said during a store preview. “It explains the materials he uses and his color inspiration. This is our image.”
The shop is decorated in vintage Oldham, with much of the decoration a result of Oldham’s forays to flea markets and second-hand stores.
The floors are covered with leaves torn from books and coated with shellac, in the style of decoupage, the Seventies craft fad. Mannequin forms are decoupaged with brown paper and the dressing rooms get the same treatment as the floors, except they are covered in pages from flower and bird books.
“Everyone who worked here had to graduate with honors from the Decoupage Institute of Technology,” said Longoria. “Some people graduated in 10 minutes.”
“And for those interested in advanced study, there was this,” Oldham added, pointing to crushed velvet braided rugs in the three dressing rooms.
The interior of the store was built by Oldham with a crew of helpers, including his father. The store is set to open Saturday, coinciding with the SoHo block party of open houses at galleries.
The display areas are made from tables and stools collected at flea markets and re-finished, then hammered together to form off-kilter sculpture. Soft jewel-tone crushed velvet throw rugs and peluche sweaters are displayed on these.
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Oldham’s new line of ceramics, created in conjunction with potter Jonathan Adler, is displayed just inside the store on shelves supported by hollowed-out billiard balls.
Paintings, some culled from flea markets, some painted by Oldham, are propped against the walls, and the hanging light fixtures are made from coiled copper wire wrapped around broken glass and crystals.
“We’re not entirely done decorating yet,” said Longoria. “We’re still figuring where we want to put things.”
Oldham’s wholesale business is between $10 million and $15 million. In Manhattan, the designer is carried at Henri Bendel, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bergdorf Goodman and Macy’s
Longoria said the company is exploring the idea of opening shops in Los Angeles, and possibly London, once this store is off the ground.
The store contains Oldham’s Times Seven better-price line, which retails under $200, as well as his signature collection line, men’s wear, loungewear, shoes, accessories and, in December, his new fragrance. The home furnishings are exclusive to the store, as are some of the custom pieces created for the collection, such as hand-dyed velvets.
In the collection, jackets generally sell from $300 to $500, but a mixed fabric jacket goes for $924. Pants retail around $300, a cropped argyle cardigan is $330 and a mustard pleated skirt is $363.
The loungewear line includes pajama sets in a variety of bright prints, at $192, and robes at $190. In the men’s wear line, shirts are about $280, and pants are from $200 to $360.
Once the store opens, Oldham said, he’ll be a no-show — although the company’s headquarters are across the street at 120 Wooster.
“I’ll come in every morning and futz with things, but otherwise, it’s in Susan’s [Doran-Dye, the store manager] hands.” There will be a staff of five in the store, he said. Store hours will be 11 to 7 Monday through Saturday and noon to 6 on Sunday.