The Owen Boutique Will Someday Rise Again, According to Phillip Salem

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Despite closing his beloved boutique Owen back in July, owner Phillip Salem isn't planning on going online-only to run his business any time soon. "I think people like meeting me and actually the aesthetic of the clothes that I curated was very important to get where I am today," Salem, who championed then-unknown labels like Cushnie et Ochs  and Jonathan Simkhai (a CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund winner this year) told Fashionista recently. So as we speak, he's on the hunt for a new store.

The newly-minted handbag designer has been searching for a new location since leaving Gansevoort Street to make way for a controversial new development project and has his sights on a space downtown. While no time frame was specified to the publication, he hopes to open a new boutique in the near future.

But in the meantime he's focusing on those bags, especially the spring 2016 collection, to connect with his customers. "I've definitely established that client base so I don't want to lose that, but I hope that they'll buy the bags right now." Currently, he's working with a few e-commerce sites to offer in-person open houses. "It's a bit more exclusive and intimate and private, so you have to make an appointment."