Daily Front Row

2007 November 6

Rock and Roll Retail

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(NEW YORK) Former music mecca CBGB, the center for rock and punk music for much of the last three decades, where the likes of Blondie, Talking Heads, The Ramones, and Green Day all performed, is being reborn as a fashion haven. John Varvatos has announced that the company's latest boutique will be at 315 Bowery, the site of the former underground club, which closed in 2006. The new store is due to open in Spring 2008. 

The 3,300-square-foot location marks the second retail venture for Varvatos in New York--his first store is located at 122 Spring Street in the heart of SoHo. Varvatos, who has long been known for infusing his collections with a rock and roll edge, and whose ad campaigns have featured the likes of Slash, Ryan Adams, Alice Cooper, and Iggy Pop, remarked, “This store is going to be totally unique, different from our other boutiques. We’re going to make it a great way to look back at this remarkable history but also forward to what’s happening in music today.” Among the many ideas being considered for the new store are a special merchandise mix geared to a rock and roll customer, a stage as part of the in-store design, an in-store performance series featuring up-and-coming musical artists, and a new John Varvatos collection designed specifically for 315 Bowery, from which a portion of the proceeds will benefit an artist development fund.  “I think it’s great…now all the old CBGB punks will become the best dressed CBGB punks in the world,” Alice Cooper remarked of the new enterprise.

We can't wait to rock and roll.