Cueva is a far cry from the soccer store Justin Felizzari has owned since he was a teenager in Bayshore on New York’s Long Island.
The menswear boutique tucked into a townhouse on Christopher Street in Greenwich Village has quietly made a name for itself with its assortment of little-known brands from around the world.
The store carries some 30 labels that Felizzari has unearthed in his world travels including Barena Venezia of Italy, Our Legacy from Stockholm, A Kind of Guise from Germany and 4SDesigns from El Salvador.
“It’s a unique assortment,” Felizzari admitted. “I do a lot of research and travel to Milan and Paris to find brands.” He also shops in his hometown of New York as he seeks differentiated offerings that will fit into his mix and keep it diverse.
Felizzari launched his store online in 2020 before jumping into the brick-and-mortar space the next year. “We were online only our first year and it was OK, but that’s a tough space to play in,” he said. But by having a physical location, he said, he believed he could better highlight the unique assortment.
Felizzari is no stranger to retail. He has operated the Casa Calcio store in Bayshore since he was 19. “It’s a different product but the principles are the same,” he said. “It’s built around a community.”
So while the community for Casa Calcio may be soccer enthusiasts, the group he has created around Cueva is more interested in trend-right fashion they don’t find on a lot of other guys.
He said that despite his success with the soccer store, his ultimate goal was always to get into fashion. That led him to create his own brand, Just Anthony New York, in 2016. “It was all made in Italy and I bootstrapped it, but it didn’t do well,” he said. “But I learned a lot and developed a respect for craftspeople.” The collection lasted two seasons before it was shuttered.
“I knew I’d be back,” he said with a smile, “just not in design.”
His experience with Cueva has been much more successful and the entrepreneur has developed a following among men who appreciate his mix of brands that also includes Andersson Bell, Metalwood Studio, Karu Research, N. Hoolywood, Wythe and Cmmn Swdn.
The assortment runs the gamut from work shirts, cardigan sweaters and sweatshirts to bomber, flight and leather jackets, duffle coats, blazers and trousers.
In addition to apparel, Cueva carries footwear and accessories from brands such as E.P.T. from Korea that offers $165 sneakers, as well as Hender Scheme lace-ups and 19-69 fragrance and candles from Stockholm.
Because the store is self-funded, Felizzari doesn’t advertise and depends on word-of-mouth to attract shoppers. “We’re independently funded so it’s very costly,” he said. “But we spend our energy on creating a good experience for the people who walk in.”
Looking to the future, Felizzari would like to eventually operate a few more doors in cities where he believes the concept will succeed. That includes Los Angeles, Chicago and Miami. But that’s down the line and for now, he’s just focused on growing his existing unit and further expanding his community.
