Shoe Designer Bathing Ape comes to Manhattan, leases 91 Greene St

Shoe Designer Bathing Ape comes to Manhattan, leases 91 Greene St

The leasing team of Faith Hope Consolo, vice chairman, and Joseph A. Aquino, managing director of Garrick-Aug Worldwide, Ltd., exclusively represented the landlord in leasing 91 Greene St. to an obscure, yet ultra hip urban retailer A Bathing Ape. The Soho location will serve as the U.S. flagship for the street wear retailer, also known as BAPE (pronounced baypee), and will include a cafe.

The 10-year lease is for 3,036 s/f, including two levels and mezzanine space. Apparel retailer Tehen previously occupied the site.

According to Ms. Consolo, “BAPE’s retail concept is perfectly suited for this hyper-trendy Soho neighborhood. The company, whose name is a clever riff that pokes fun at complacency among Japanese youths, was launched 11 years ago by designer, producer, musician and disc jockey Nigo, a self-professed ‘Planet of the Apes’ fanatic. His designs incorporate simian imagery, hip-hop culture and camouflage motifs and are deliberately sold in limited quantities to preserve exclusivity. BAPE clothing and accessories have reached feverish popularity among the young and hip. Customers in Japan have even been known to wait in line just to get into the store to shop! This New York flagship will allow the retailer, which already has stores in Japan, Hong Kong and London, to expand its brand within the U.S.”

The lifestyle retail boutique, which will feature an array of apparel and accessories, is slated to open this summer.

“This incredible signature location features a modern, all-glass facade and nearly 20 feet of street frontage,” said Mr. Aquino.

“However, the area’s non-stop pedestrian traffic and proximity to some of the most well known retailers in the world are what truly makes 91 Greene St. a standout retail address.”

Situated on the same block as Louis Vuitton, Armani Casa, Anne Fontaine and La Perla, 91 Greene St. is also located near other marquis retailers, including Salvatore Ferragamo, Helmut Lang and Apple Computer.

Christopher Owles, managing director of Sinvin Realty, represented the tenant in the transaction.

Shoes Galore – Shoe trade shows

Shoes Galore – Shoe trade shows

Shoes are as old as man himself. Shoe trade shows? Maybe a couple centuries back. But the people’s love for footwear has made shoe trade shows a vital tool in the shoe industry. The wife of a former Philippine president holds the top spot in the Guinness Book of World Records for the most number of pairs of shoes (more than 3,000 pairs!). If she wore different pairs of shoes everyday, it would take her a little more than eight years to be able to wear the last pair! But in so far, the attendees of shoe trade shows as well as the billions of revenues earned in this industry manifest the importance of such events to introduce new styles and trends of footwear.

In the United States, the World Shoes Association (WSA) is the largest footwear trade market in North America with one million square feet of shoes and 26,000 attendees. The association holds shoe trade shows twice yearly at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center, Sands Expo and Venetian Hotel. Next year’s exhibit will be in Las Vegas Convention Center and The Venetian on July 30 – 2nd August 2007.

Shoe manufacturers from around the globe exhibit the latest styles in footwear as well as accessories, handbags, and foot care products. Consumers are certainly going to have an exhilarating experience of going after the latest trends of footwear from men’s, ladies, children’s, athletics, to handbags, accessories, shoe care, jobbers, computer technology, publications, footwear industry associations, International Pavilions and designer collections.

December is also going to be exciting for shoe trade shows as the New York Shoe Expo will hold its exhibit at the world-renowned Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York from December 5-7, 2006. The expo is the biggest show on footwear in the eastern coast. Consumers will certainly be having so much fun as the expo features more than 600 fashion footwear brands that will be exhibited in international pavilions, open booths, and FFANY showrooms meant for its members. The exhibitor categories of this affair include ladies’ footwear, men’s footwear, and children’s footwear, handbags and accessories, the latest technology in the footwear industry, footwear publications and footwear associations.

Other shoe trade shows are also doing exhibits in other parts of the world like in China, Germany, the Netherlands, the UK, etc., and each fair draws out the latest styles in each country representing their own culture and traditions.

As the annual growth of the global population increases, so will the people who are going to buy shoes. Definitely, the shoe industry is one industry that would never lose its grip in the market.