R13 opens its first permanent store in NYC

Ready-to-wear brand R13 opened its first permanent store this week. Located at 34 Howard Street in the Soho neighborhood of New York City, the ten-year-old denim brand's store will offer its consumers a memorable shopping experience that tours visitors through the brand's history.

R13 founder and designer Chris Leba designed the new store. He took a minimalist approach, utilizing both exposed brick and concrete. The space also features an installation of five modular racks with LED screens to show flashing imagery. The store is intended to align with R13's DNA of an honest interpretation of American underground culture and art.

“I really wanted to create an experience for the shopper who is walking in from off the street,” Leba told Vogue. “Almost anywhere you go today, the shopping experience is pretty much the same, and we wanted this to be something else, something different.”