Madhappy, the contemporary brand known for its logo hoodies, tie-dyed T-shirts, collaborations and community spirit, has arrived in Manhattan’s NoLIta neighborhood.
On Saturday, Madhappy opens a two-level, 1,800-square-foot flagship, at 207 Mulberry Street, a sign of the brand’s growing interest in operating permanent stores versus what’s been several years of primarily operating temporary units considered long-term pop-ups.
Since Madhappy launched eight years ago, “We’ve done our fair share of seasonal stores — 20 or so pop-ups,” said Madhappy’s cofounder Noah Raf, in an interview. They’ve surfaced in Williamsburg and SoHo, New York; Miami, Aspen, Chicago and other locations.
But going forward, Raf said: “We’ve got about eight permanent stores in the pipeline. The next two will be in Tokyo this winter and Malibu, California in the spring of 2026.”
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He characterized the NoLIta store as a “flagship” based on Madhappy’s “robust” investment in creating the store, events and activities that will take place there, and its café.
Madhappy’s only other flagship is on Melrose Avenue and Robinson Street in West Hollywood, Los Angeles. “In West Hollywood, we’ve been seeing 15,000 people per month. The café is contributing a large portion of the foot traffic,” Raf said.
Asked what percentage of the guests comes for the café versus the merchandise, Raf said: “It’s hard to monitor exactly the split, but I would estimate about 60 percent for the café. We have a lot of daily customers,” for the coffee, though many of them end up browsing the merchandise, too. “We’re hoping for a similar reaction in NoLIta.”
Madhappy also has a store in East Hampton, N.Y., that’s not considered a flagship because there’s no café and there is just a three-year lease, though Raf said he intends to renew it or seek another spot in the town.
Raf feels that NoLIta, with its mix of retail and food and beverage establishments is a good fit for Madhappy and its fashion boutique/café concept. He also said the Madhappy pop-up in SoHo, which is right next to NoLIta, was successful.
Besides the café, which occupies about a quarter of the space, the shop is distinguished by its 50 feet of frontage and big, wide windows. “We like people to be able to see through to the inside of the space as they walk by outside,” said Raf. “We don’t do any traditional window display.”
T-shirts and hoodies are what Madhappy sells mostly, and mostly to 18- to 25-year-old women. That demographic represents about 70 percent of Madhappy’s customer base.
“Anything in jersey and fleece is the core business,” Raf said.
Garment-dyed T-shirts, unique washes, knitwear, outerwear and footwear from third parties round out the collection. The majority of the product in made in Los Angeles. The assortment range “has definitely grown year-over-year,” said Raf.
The NoLIta store was designed in conjunction with the L.A.-based creative studio PlayLab Inc., building upon the visual language of the L.A. store with its signature blue dyed concrete, brushed aluminum, ceramic tile and douglas fir.
The café, called the Pantry, has a menu with offerings from local and international culinary partners, including Hotel Drugs, a café from Japan providing espresso and tea; Sofreh, a Brooklyn-based restaurant/café from chef Nasim Alikhani providing Persian baked goods and pastries, and Tom’s Juice, the New York-based cold-pressed juice company from New Zealander Tom Wright.
Just for the opening, Madhappy has created a limited-edition line of merchandise themed around New York institutions such as the New York Yankees and the New York Mets, and Lucali Pizza.
Collaborating is a big part of the brand DNA. In May, Madhappy teamed up with Gigi Hadid‘s Guest in Residence on a limited collection of women’s apparel. And last summer, the Gap collaborated with Madhappy on a limited-edition collection of women’s, men’s and kids’ apparel that took inspiration from the Gap archive.
Collabs and merchandise aside, “What makes the brand distinctive is the ethos,” Raf said. “We are communicating a very positive message in trying to raise awareness about mental health. One of our partners in the business, Mason Spector did have personal struggles growing up. He inspired us to take this journey and champion mental health awareness.”
Madhappy hosts events each month, typically centered on panel discussions tackling mental health topics, with psychologists, artists, or others from different fields. Madhappy also has a magazine called “Local Optimist” highlighting people and their stories, with a focus on mental health, wellness and art, as well as a foundation raising funds for research and organizations involved in mental health issues.
“We are trying to show young women it’s OK to talk about these things which are difficult to talk about,” Raf said.
