There has been more written about the poorly marketed ‘The Plaza Retail Collection’ these past few days than ever before. In addition to a celebration in honor of the Kenneth Jay Lane counter in the underground mall, it was announced that come Fall 2009, Douglas Hannant will have his first stand alone store (occupying the space formerly occupied by Manrico cashmere). Now comes the news that lingerie designer Marlies Dekkers will be closing her underground boutique.
The luxury Dutch lingerie brand is relatively unknown in the United States despite being a favorite of celebrities. Britney Spears is currently wearing a number of Marlies Dekkers panties and bras in her Circus Tour.
When I went to the designer’s Spring/Summer 2009 show in Paris, an endless array of celebrities and models were watching the show, such as Jessica Stam, Mischa Barton, Nelly, Kelly Rowland, and various ‘NSNYC members.
The 1,400 square foot Plaza space was the first stand-alone boutique in the United States that Marlies Dekkers opened. Given that it opened in November 2008, the stint was an exceedingly short one.
Myrthe van Haren, a communications director for the Dekkers firm, said that the boutique got no traffic, adding that “it was always dead because there was no marketing or signage to bring people in. There were all of these odd jewelry, accessories and chocolate stores. If Marc Jacobs had a store there, it would have made a difference. We are now looking to open a boutique in SoHo and the collection will be launched at Bergdorf Goodman on May 1.”
Images courtesy of the Fashion Spot forums.
