House warming: Want Les Essentiels opens its first global boutique in NY
The meticulously crafted world of Want Les Essentiels has come to life with the opening of its first global boutique. The Canadian accessories label which has become synonymous with well-made leather goods that are as functional as they are stylish, has claimed a piece of New York City’s West Village for their own.
Situated on a leafy corner (in Marc Jacobs' former Bleecker Street enclave), the elegant boutique opens up like any of the well-appointed homes in its vicinity. Floor-to-ceiling windows flank the first floor space, which is reminiscent of a living room with its loose arrangement of vintage furniture, minimal American art on the walls and bookshelves filled with Want Les Essentiels’ androgynous and versatile carryalls, backpacks and folios. In a second, walk-in wardrobe-like room, men’s and women’s clothing is displayed neatly alongside the Montreal-based label’s footwear assortment. And even further back lies a tearoom, where visitors can enjoy a cup of the German brand Paper & Tea’s brew.
Brothers and co-founders Byron and Dexter Peart chose to round out their boutique’s offering by mixing in some of their favourite things, namely clothing from Commes des Garcons Forever, Aspesi and 1205, fragrances from Byredo and objects by Hasami Porcelain and Carl Aubock. The idea itself might not be new, but framed within the townhouse space’s historic features, domed windows and sloping archways, Want Les Essentiels has created an experience that’s singularly its own.
INFORMATION
ADDRESS
301 West 4th Street
New York
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Pei-Ru Keh is a former US Editor at Wallpaper*. Born and raised in Singapore, she has been a New Yorker since 2013. Pei-Ru held various titles at Wallpaper* between 2007 and 2023. She reports on design, tech, art, architecture, fashion, beauty and lifestyle happenings in the United States, both in print and digitally. Pei-Ru took a key role in championing diversity and representation within Wallpaper's content pillars, actively seeking out stories that reflect a wide range of perspectives. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two children, and is currently learning how to drive.
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