FiveStory Weaves a Sweet Fashion Tale

Today I had a the great pleasure of meeting Claire Distenfeld at her gorgeous week-old boutique, FiveStory, located on the Upper East Side. The backstory is that after leaving the art world, Claire spent three months strolling city streets and plotting her next move. It was on these strolls that she realized she was totally bored with New York’s retail landscape and wished it offered more conceptual, exciting retail “experiences,” ala Colette in Paris and Maxfield in LA. So she did what any ambitious Manhattanite would do – she created one herself. FiveStory offers a highly curated assortment of men’s and women’s apparel, accessories, jewelry and home items displayed in an airy, townhouse setting designed by Ryan Corbin. Jewelry and accessories labels like Dannijo, Lulu Frost and Reece Hudson flank the second floor’s brass-lined shelving, while Peter Pilotto, Preen and Carven round out the designer offerings. Downstairs, contemporary labels like Jenni Kayne mix with Mara Hoffman, and in the “shoe garden,” platforms by Aperlai are planted alongside Nike hi-tops and Del Toro slippers. But buyers beware, if you’re looking for that awesome shoe/bag/dress that so many girls are wearing, it’s probably not here. But you can always try Bergdorf Goodman down the street.