Eyestylist Exclusive: Their first store to open outside Great Britain, UK eyewear brand Cubitts has created a tiny haven in the heart of SoHo on Mercer Street – they say the store has been designed “with the ornate precision of a jewellery box”
The new Cubitts flagship in New York is located at 103 Mercer, next to a rare 18th century brick house that’s played host to dressmaker, brothel, printmaker, hatter, and jeweller in its two centuries. Built before SoHo had acquired its artistic character, or even its name, this part of Mercer Street is a snapshot of another time, the UK eyewear creators say.
In the interior, features include a central S-shaped spectacle display inspired by Streamline Moderne and American industrial design. Areas of “glamorous darkness”, crisp lines, and soft lighting take cues from Edward Hopper paintings, while an underlying structured geometry borrows from neighbour Donald Judd. Overall, the interior displays a modernist theme with an utilitarian design. Rotary mirrors swivel on steel tables, an inbuilt display unit exhibits bespoke acetates, and an inbuilt desk with a custom tool rack provides a space for spectacle repairs. Above: the Cubitts store front on Mercer Street, NYC
Furnishing details include an ‘Opalino’ Vase designed by Tommaso Buzzi, 1930s Maison Desny silver vases, an LC8 stool by Charlotte Perriand, and a bespoke parchment table lamp by Tutto Bene. Tributes to the city continue into the bathroom, where walls papered with aluminium foil pay homage to Warhol’s Silver Factory. The overall aesthetic further develops the brand’s philosophy of designing each shop according to location and particular design references which link with the environment and history around the store. Find out more at www.cubitts.com