Is Printempts the new Barneys? Some New Yorkers think so. New York’s retail scene has not been the same since Barney’s closure, but leave it to the French to save us with their penchant for all things fashion and beauty. The specialty store oozes elegance and provides a much-needed escape with two floors filled with chic French brands, culinary concepts and swanky Art Deco details.
Printempts officially opened on March 21, with a line around the block. This exciting new addition to the city just might be the coolest place to shop. As far as large department stores go, this rather small 55,000 square feet store prefers to be thought of as a spacious boutique, not a department store. This alone makes shopping here a unique experience, especially when you can shop your favorite designer brands and have a cocktail or lunch in the same building. For a quick pick me up try their main floor bakery, Café Jalu—named after Printemps’ founders Jules and Augustine Jaluzot. On the second floor you can find a gorgeous space called Salon Vert, a 25-seat raw bar. For fine dining, Printempts plans to open Maison Passerelle, which officially opens on April 17.
For people watching and a cocktail we highly recommend stopping by the Champagne Bar or The Red Room Bar. The Champagne Bar is located right before the archival room, a space that displays vintage pieces from designers like Jean Paul Gaultier. While this space looks more like a museum, this is the place to purchase tailored treasures for that special event in your life. We visited before the official opening and got the chance to speak with the employees who were more than willing to give us the details on every item. Heading downstairs, The Red Room Bar is already among our favorite stylish spots in the Financial District. Imagine having a cocktail right next to a very expensive shoe salon that is adorned by historic Art Deco details, it all sounds like a dream.
The iconic and landmarked “Red Room” has been transformed into a gorgeous shoe salon, with Hildreth Meière’s red and gold mosaic tiles that cover its walls and ceiling. The artist was a distinguished American Art Deco muralist and painter whose work can also be seen at other city locations, including on the side of the Radio City Music Hall. The store’s space was designed by architect and interior designer, Laura Gonzalez. The designer has managed to create a perfect flow of energy between each room, and made us feel like we were touring someone’s Parisian apartment. We could not help but sit on one of the stylish couches, and already plan on coming back to try on more shoes Hopefully Printempts plans on a shoe sale in the future, as the Barneys shoe sales were known to be legendary.
From Celine to Comme des Garçons, the store’s shopping approach is to not section off brands, which means Printempts owns everything without creating mini boutiques within the store and mixes and matches styles together. As beauty and wellness enthusiasts we found the store’s skincare “tunnel” quite impressive, and well-stocked with French pharmacy items like Guerlain, Bienaimé, Trudon, Cottan Paris, and Avène skincare. We will be back, as there will be a lot more to explore in the future.
Printempts, 1 Wall St (Entrance on Broadway between Wall St. and Exchange Pl) Financial District
