Fashion Mecca, New York City

Whether or not you are a fan of the TV show "Sex in the City" and even if you have never visited the city, you probably know that New York is heaven for fashion lovers. Since I am interested in fashion, New York was the perfect destination for me during the spring break. I only wish I could have made the trip  during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week on February. 

First place I went shopping was in SoHo, which is located in Greenwich Village. The area is called "SoHo" because it is south of Houston St. The SoHo area was mostly old loft buildings with ground floor art galleries and restaurants, in addition to shops, making SoHo a center of modern art and one of the city’s most vibrant fashion centers. The neighborhood has a unique atmosphere from street to street, somehow perfectly balancing the contrasting aesthetics of the dated architecture and the displays of current luxury fashion. 

"Fashion is my biggest thing in my life and I always love to come to SoHo to see people sitting at coffee shops. For me, fashion is another way of expressing myself and pulls out my hidden attractiveness with clothes. So clothing is always important for me to consider when I'm out… I enjoy spending time to think about what to wear," said Julia Jang, my friend for more than 10 years, who works for a textile firm in Manhattan. SoHo is a necessary shopping stop because you can find fun, youthful, unique, and artistic fashion in many stores within a single neighborhood. Of course, it was tempting to blow whole my shopping budget here, but I had to save some for later. 

SoHo streets with old loft buildings. Photograph: Suhyun Kim Luft

(Top) Street where luxury designer shops in SOHO.
(Bottom) Street View of SoHo, where loft buildings stand side by side.
Photograph: Suhyun Kim Luft

Topshop located in 478 Broadway, New York, NY 10013
Photograph: Suhyun Kim Luft

One of my most eagerly anticipated stops ended up becoming the biggest disappointment of the trip. Topshop, which is located on Broadway in SoHo, was one of  my must-go places. I first discovered the brand  when I saw TV personality Bethenny Frankel, who starred in "The Real Housewives of New York City," wearing a white cocktail dress from Topshop on the show "Watch What Happens Live." Since clothing from this iconic British fashion chain wasn't available in Austin until recently, I had big expectations. But it wasn't nearly as great as I had expected. The store was too crowded, there was not much inventory in my size, and the quality of the clothing did not justify the high prices. Back in Austin, I did purchase one Topshop dress in Nordstrom at Barton Creek Mall. Although they don't carry the whole collection, it has other, better-quality clothes, and also offers discounts not available at Topshop SoHo.

A cute bow rain boots found in SoHo. Photograph: Suhyun Kim Luft

Rain boots do not get much play in Austin, but I have always had a thing for rain boots, and I now have a small collection of them. In New York I found a really cute pair of rubber rain boots with a rubber bow, in SoHo. As much as I wanted to own them, I also knew that I didn’t need any more. Luckily, since the New York weather was rainy during my stay, I could justify the purchase without guilt, but unluckily, they didn't have my size. After coming back from New York, I found them online. The rain boots that I had seen in SoHo turned out to be inspired by an original Vivienne Westwood design, which also came in a version with tassels instead of a bow. Technically, as part of a past collection, this item wouldn’t be featured in my blog, but aren’t they cute?

Uniqlo on Fifth Avenue, New York.
Photograph: 인스톨 SI (globalee) from Naver Blog

Another shopping district that is a must is Fifth Avenue. Fifth Avenue, home to some of New York’s most famous shops and cafés, is in the center of Manhattan. 

One store deserves special attention: the Uniqlo on Fifth Avenue. In the United States, Uniqlo currently has a physical presence only in San Francisco and New York. Uniqlo wasn't unfamiliar to me, however, since I often purchased clothes there in Korea, where the store has been established and popular for years. It was really refreshing to see a giant Uniqlo shop in New York.

To give a little background: Uniqlo is a Japanese design firm owned by Wonderwall Inc. The parent company, which specializes in design of commercial retail spaces such as restaurants, bars and fashion showrooms with a distinctly unique flavor, was founded in 2000 by Masamichi Katayama.   

Uniqlo on Fifth Avenue, New York.
Photograph: 인스톨 SI (globalee) from Naver Blog

Wonderwall Inc. previous projects.
Photograph: http://wonder-wall.com/#project/en

Uniqlo interior design on Fifth Avenue, New York.
Photograph: 인스톨 SI (globalee) from Naver Blog

Gene Kim (Student, 25) wearing Andy Warhol design Uniqlo t-shirt.
Photograph: Suhyun Kim Luft

The Uniqlo store on Fifth Avenue is the company’s biggest branch, and it is housed in a massive three-story building.

While I was there, I found a t-shirt collection featuring AndyWarhol designs.

I didn't want to bring clichéed tourist souvenirs for my friends, so these shirts made the perfect gifts, since my Austin friends are fans of Uniqlo. Upon receiving her gift, Gene Kim, a current transfer applicant to the University of Texas at Austin for fall 2013, said, “I wouldn't expect you to pick a banana picture over other awesome Andy Warhol designs, but at the same time I appreciate you bringing me a Uniqlo shirt that I couldn't buy in Austin. Also, I think I can wear this look on South Congress for sure. In my opinion, style is one way of representing individual personality. So I try not to give the wrong impression to others with the wrong look when I dress up. We can't say that style shows the whole personality, but it definitely helps give the right direction to others."

During my stay in New York, I met friends who live there and others visiting from other states. It was really good to catch up with my friends and the fashion trends, but also reminded me how much I miss living in a big city.

Hanging out with friends in New York.
Photograph: Suhyun Kim Luft 

Top left: View from tram (from Roosevelt Island to Manhattan).
Bottom: In front of James A. Farley Post Office in New York.
Photograph: Suhyun Kim Luft