My Favorite Store in New York (and Its Archive Outlet Down the Block)
Ven Space and Ven Archive in Carroll Gardens: what they carry, why they’re worth the trip, and the five pieces I brought home, three at half off.
Ven Space is my favorite store in New York, and the Brooklyn retail experience that never disappoints. The bonus: its archive outlet, Ven Archive, is a couple blocks down. This trip: two Auralee pieces, a Still By Hand tee, a new-season Still By Hand Deep Tuck in brown, and a Lemaire leather jacket Jason snagged. Three of the five were half off.
Two stops, a couple of blocks apart
Ven Space is the retail mecca of Carroll Gardens. It’s a small, one-person-point-of-view shop: founder Christopher Green spent 15 years at Need Supply and Totokaelo, and the racks read like it. Think Auralee, Lemaire, Still By Hand, The Row, Jil Sander, Comoli and Our Legacy, all in one room you can actually try on.
Ven Archive is a couple of blocks down. That’s where I found Rier and a few more of my favorite brands.
Why it’s worth the trip:
- Try before you commit. I tried the Lemaire Reporter’s Jacket on back in May, months before Jason brought it home.
- Things you won’t find online. The leather Reporter’s Jacket was a Ven Space exclusive.
- The markdowns are real. Three of the five pieces here were 50% off.
- One walk, two stores. New season at Ven Space, then down the block to Ven Archive.
Look 1: Auralee Tropical Wool Shirt
Full price. Worn loose and untucked with my Cale jeans in the classic fit, which I picked up at Ven Space back in May.
Look 2: Auralee Wool Silk Cardigan
Half off. I wear it buttoned all the way up, like a shirt, with my Still By Hand Deep Tuck pants in denim.
Shop the Wool Silk CardiganShop the Deep Tuck denim at Mohawk
Look 3: Still By Hand striped tee
Also 50% off. Same Deep Tuck denim, so the whole look is Still By Hand.
Shop Still By Hand at MohawkShop the Deep Tuck denim at Mohawk
Look 4: Lemaire Reporter’s Jacket
Jason snagged this one at 50% off. But guess what? We’re the same size. Funny enough, I’d tried this exact jacket on back in May, the day I picked up my Cale jeans. Here it’s over the striped tee and the Deep Tuck denim.
The leather was a Ven Space exclusive. The same jacket comes in suede, and that one you can still get.
Shop the Reporter’s Jacket in suede
Look 5: Still By Hand Deep Tuck in brown
New season and full price. Same Deep Tuck cut as my denim pair, this time in brown.
Can’t get to Brooklyn?
Give Ven Space a call and ask for Axel. He’s who I like to shop with.
Or shop online: Mohawk General Store in LA carries Auralee, Cale and Lemaire. I pulled all three into one collection.
Shop Auralee, Cale + Lemaire at MohawkShop all Auralee at Mohawk
The shop guide: four stops for Japanese designers in NYC
Ven Space is my favorite, but it isn’t my only stop. When I make a day of it, this is the route: two Manhattan stores when they open, then the F train to Brooklyn for Ven Space and Ven Archive.
Go Wednesday to Saturday. Ven Space is by appointment on Mondays and Tuesdays. Hours change, so check before you go.
1. La Garçonne Men · 504 Greenwich St, Hudson Square
La Garçonne’s new men’s store, down the street from its women’s flagship. The Japanese lineup is deep: Yohji Yamamoto Pour Homme, Y’s for Men, Comme des Garçons Homme, Junya Watanabe Man and Homme Plissé Issey Miyake, plus Lemaire, The Row and Rier (the same Rier I found at Ven Archive). Tuesday to Saturday 11 to 7, Sunday 12 to 6, per their site.
Shop La Garçonne Men new arrivalsShop Lemaire at La Garçonne
2. C’H’C’M’ · 2 Bond St, NoHo
A NoHo staple since 2010 (it started online in 2008). Go for the Japanese makers: Auralee, Hender Scheme, Teatora, OSHiN and Yoko Sakamoto, next to Margaret Howell, Evan Kinori and their own in-house line. It’s a block from the Broadway-Lafayette F, so it’s the natural last stop before Brooklyn. Shop C’H’C’M’ online.
3. Ven Space · 369 Court St, Carroll Gardens
Take the F to Carroll St. Wednesday to Sunday 12 to 6, Monday and Tuesday by appointment. Ask for Axel. Look for their in-house line, Ven 11231, made with Japanese fabrics. See the space on Instagram.
4. Ven Archive · a couple blocks down
The markdown stop. Rier and more of my favorites, at archive prices. See what’s in on Instagram.
Some links are affiliate: I may earn a commission. C’H’C’M’ and Ven Space links are not.
