Nili Lotan to Open First Men’s Stand-alone Store

Nili Lotan is going to have to bake a lot more cookies.

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The designer, who famously brings her own homemade treats for customers who visit her TriBeCa women’s store, is opening her first men’s stand-alone store across the street on Thursday. And she’s going to have her cookies there too.

The Tel Aviv-born Lotan, who had designed menswear at Ralph Lauren early in her career, had dabbled in menswear a couple of times since launching her Nili Lotan womenswear collection in 2003. But it wasn’t until the summer of 2022 when she jumped headlong into men’s , offering a full collection of some 150 pieces.

And now, she’s ready to give men’s its own home with a dedicated space just steps from her women’s store at 188 Duane Street that has been open since 2006.

“When I start a new category, I test it and see how it fits into my world,” Lotan explained. She said she’d had dinner with an executive from Net-a-porter who told her that what she was creating in women’s simply didn’t exist in men’s and there was a need. Lotan gave it some thought and decided to take the plunge.

She started with casual pants and denim and offered the collection to Mr Porter, Ssense, Bergdorf Goodman and other retailers. “It’s doing extremely well so I knew I had to take it seriously now.”

In the beginning, she just put a rack of menswear in her women’s store, but she soon realized it deserved its own home. “I wanted my first store to be in TriBeCa,” she said, “which is where my studio, store and apartment is. And I wanted it to be in the vicinity of my women’s store at 188 Duane Street.”

As luck would have it, a Japanese restaurant at 183 Duane was folding and Lotan snapped up the space.

“I’ve been fixing it since May,” she said. “I want to make it a special place, beyond just shopping.” Her goal is to build a creative destination and experience for residents and visitors alike.

The store is designed to be an homage to her husband David Broza, a well-known musician and guitarist, and a physical manifestation of the life they share. There will be references to ’60s and ’70s rock and the store will include curated vinyl records of artists she and her husband love and books on the art, music and architecture near and dear to their hearts. There will also be an espresso bar.

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“It brings people deeper into my aesthetic,” she said.

It’s no surprise then that her men’s collection is inspired by the spirit and sensibility of Bob Dylan and other ‘60s musicians, or “classic cool styles with rock ‘n’ roll nonchalance and an element of refinement.” She describes it as an extension of her women’s collection, designed for a man. “They’re essential luxury pieces that the boyfriend of my client needs.”

Upon entering the store, the collection is hung on Lotan’s signature garment racks inspired by Marcel Breuer’s tubular steel chair. There are hand-picked antiques and artwork including photography by Allen Tenenbaum and Dudi Hasson and portraits of Lotan and Broza. Midcentury wood bookshelves hold the couple’s favorite art, music or design books, and the midcentury furniture is intended to encourage conversation and connection. There’s also a vintage record player and headset where visitors can listen to some of their favorite artists including the Rolling Stones, Johnny Cash, Carole King, Bob Marley and others.

There’s also a space outside where shoppers can enjoy some favorite food and drink from the neighborhood such as coffee from Frenchette and other local treats.

The store is also intended to benefit One Million Guitars, a nonprofit supported by the couple that brings musical instruments and education to children around the world.

“We hope to offer to our customers and the wholesale community something very unique and special,” she said.

Lotan said although this will mark her seventh store — there are units on Madison Avenue and in East Hampton in New York; Greenwich, Conn.; Palm Beach, Fla., and Los Angeles — she has no intention of adding men’s to the other boutiques. Instead, she will look for spaces in close proximity to her existing stores so that men’s can continue to have its own home. “I like them in conjunction,” she said. The next one would most likely be in L.A., she said, although there are no immediate plans to expand into other locations.

Lotan said men’s still represents a small part of her overall business, but “it has huge potential.” She believes it can eventually account for some 25 to 30 percent of sales.

But for now, the focus is on opening. On Thursday, Lotan will host a party on Duane Street with food, drink and music — Broza will be performing and will also serve as DJ. And of course, there will be those Lotan treats. “I’m going to be working all weekend making cookies,” she said with a laugh.

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