Huntsman opens first NYC store

The longstanding Sevile Row retailer Huntsman has finally opened their first store outside of London, and it is located at 130 W. 47th Street in Manhattan. The appointment-only salon is located in a multi-use building, and customers can set up one-on-one appointments as well as order custom made bespoke garments.

Huntsman has been hosting trunk shows in New York every three to four months, so it only makes sense that they finally got a brick-and-mortar location there.

The new salon is modeled after a London home and features Huntsman's housecheck for wall paper and shower curtain in the bathroom. The space is located on the seventh floor of the building in a very intimate setting. The selection of such a small space was intentional because they don't want a lot of foot traffic. It is in no way intended to be a traditional retail space.

Therefore, most of the business is expected to come from referrals. It's a very old guard style to preserving the elitism of high-fashion, but given their success on Sevile Row, it works for them.

“It will be a lot of word of mouth and referrals. It’s intended to be a precious, unique club. This is for a man who doesn’t want to wait until his next business trip to London or three months for the next trunk show,” senior cutter Michael Anderson said to WWD.

Huntsman finally arrives in New York City

While Huntsman does a very minute bit of work in women's wear, the overwhelming majority of their work is in men's wear.

The clients expected to be drawn to this new store are the British gentlemen who now reside in New York City. Other affluent men in New York City, such as lawyers and businessmen, are in their target market as well. The U.S. market currently accounts for 40 percent of the company's business, so they definitely have a customer base here already.

Huntsman's claim to fame is their tailored suit with one button in a slim British cut. Customers have an option of between 4000 and 5000 fabrics, and can even have the design team design their own tweed. The turnaround time for one of these garments is between 10 and 16 weeks.

Every eight weeks or so, cutters from the U.K. will visit the shop to measure new bespoke customers, but those who already have their patterns on file can shop at their leisure. All the suits and sportcoats will be made in London, with the starting price point for a suit beginning at 5000 dollars.

The company's biggest competition will come from brands like Brioni, Kiton, and Loro Piana. While the market for high-end bespoke garments is tighter than one might think, Huntsman has the privilege of being the only British brand in the mix.