Michael Kors is on the move.
On Wednesday, the designer opened a 2,800-square foot Collection store at 667 Madison Avenue at 61st Street, replacing his two-level, 5,500-square-foot location at 790 Madison Avenue at 67th Street.
The new Collection location, which had previously been a Smythson store, is located in the vicinity of such retailers as an under-construction Jimmy Choo (a sibling brand to Kors) next door, Valentino, Tod’s, and the former Barneys New York flagship. A two-level Michael Kors Lifestyle store had been situated in the two spaces next door, but that store closed in 2019.
The new Collection store marks the East Coast debut of Kors’ new store concept for his Collection boutiques.
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“New York City is my home, and I’m very excited to bring our new vision to a new location on Madison Avenue,” said Michael Kors. “The store’s interior has a welcoming feel, a sense of luxury and refinement that offers you a chance to step away from the speed of city life and take some time to discover something new.”
Kors’ business has seen some significant changes of late, most notably the collapse of its parent company Capri Holdings’ proposed merger with Tapestry Inc., and last week’s news of the naming of John Idol as CEO of the Kors brand. Idol takes over from Cedric Wilmotte, who had been CEO of Michael Kors since April 2023 and will leave the company after 16 years. Idol will continue in his role as chairman and CEO of Capri Holdings, which is in the midst of a major turnaround.
The new Collection space is designed to evoke a spare yet luxurious residential feel. There are 14-foot-high ceilings that have a sculptural quality, framing the 2,800 square feet of selling space. A large Modernist mobile, designed by Brooklyn-based artist Max Simon and measuring almost 10 feet in length, adds drama to the front room, while an oversize Noguchi lamp lends a warm glow to the shoe salon.
The store will also feature a curated selection of organic sculptures interspersed throughout the space.
The boutique uses a mix of materials and textures, ranging from wood, blackened steel and raw concrete to antique brass and oxidized maple, that creates a clean, neutral palette. Large sheets of marble in both white and black cover two of the boutique’s main walls, contrasting with the pale wood floor and lending the interior a sleek, dramatic richness. Luxe textiles add warmth and tactile dimension to the mix of marble, wood and metal.
Michael Kors Collection handbags, accessories and ready-to-wear are displayed on walnut shelves and blackened steel apparel bars, with a shoe salon and seating area located in the back of the store. The store facade is minimalist, with tall, rectangular windows that bathe the interior in natural light and a wide, open glass window entrance that offers maximum visibility from the street.
The store was designed by Kors’ in-house retail design team.
Kors closed its uptown Collection store on Tuesday, and had signage directing shoppers to the new location. There are no plans to use that space further.
In an interview, Kors explained that next year, the company will celebrate 25 years on Madison Avenue, and the brand has changed locations several times.
“Our first location was at the corner of Madison and 76th, across from the Carlyle. We then moved to another corner further downtown, on Madison and 67th. Our new location at 61st and Madison is perfect for both local shoppers and international clients alike. New York City is constantly on the move and on the go and the evolution of a street reflects that,” said Kors.
Kors has moved into a neighborhood once dominated by stores such as Barneys New York, the Calvin Klein flagship, and DKNY.
According to Kors, “The area around 61st Street has seen a tremendous number of new restaurants like Casa Cruz, along with new retail neighbors, and there are more clubs and restaurant to come. Plus, we wanted to give our clients the chance to see the collection on one floor rather than having to shop two floors, and to make all of our dressing rooms larger so that every client has a VIP experience.”
Asked what he anticipates will be the bestsellers, Kors said the new location will allow the brand to put a strong emphasis on their Michael Kors Collection handbags and shoes, “and I believe our Manhatta bag will appeal to both visitors and local clients.
“Of course, it’s December, so I expect we’ll see people buying cashmere to wear in the city and on vacation, as well as glamorous eveningwear and statement outerwear,” he added
When asked how he’d like the customer to feel when they’re shopping in the Collection store, he said, “Like they’re in a very chic friend’s home. We’ve designed the space with a lot of residential cues so that it becomes a place where you want to spend quality time discovering the collection and reveling in the natural light and expansive ceilings that give the space an airiness.”
Kors said there are no plans at this time to open more Collection stores. At present, Michael Kors Collection is carried in 14 locations. Six are in North America, five in Europe, one in the Middle East and two in Asia. Seven of these locations are Michael Kors Collection boutiques, and seven are hybrid stores that carry both Michael Kors Collection and Michael Michael Kors.
Establishing relationships with Collection clients is an important aspect of the boutique.
Kors said that all their Collection associates “work to cultivate and foster a luxury experience that exceeds the clients’ expectations, from house calls to superlative in-house tailoring. They continually find new ways to build brand loyalty and advocacy through positive word-of-mouth experiences. It is not just about selling luxury goods; it is about building lasting relationships.”
“We also will be working in close conjunction with many of the luxury hotels that are our neighbors in the new location,” added Kors.
