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The Seaport District (née South Street Seaport) is making good on its promise to get cool, with additions like Brother Vellies, William Okpo, a celebrity-curated book pop-up, and a branch of Smorgasburg all arriving over the past several months. Plus, prominently featured on Fulton Street's cobblestoned plaza is Seaport Studios, the Howard Hughes and WWD-backed designer studio that debuted last month with pieces from Baja East.
Today marks the debut of their next wave of need-to-know brands, featuring both local and under-the-radar labels to fit in that weird late-summer shopping time where you're not quite ready to buy the chunky knits that a lot of stores are beginning to stock for fall. That's why you'll find Lemlem (founded by model Liya Kedebe) and its pale, lightweight fabrics prominently featured alongside swimsuits from the Hamptons-based Solid & Striped. That's also why Timo Weiland has both spring and fall 2015 collections on the racks for both men and women, which would pair perfectly with reflective Mykita sunglasses and the French-based Feiyue sneakers nearby. There's also Rains outerwear for late summer storms and Yogasmoga workout gear for those remaining outdoor classes.
The gallery upstairs features dozens of footwear sketches, which reminds us of the museum moment that sneakers are having right now. On the other side of the lofty second floor is where you'll find remnants of the first designer lab, including those Baja East pieces.
Featuring a mix of pieces meant to draw in both local Fidi families (kids will definitely gravitate towards the toys from Areawear), those who came in the last time around and were put off by the cost of some items should know that the curators went for a lower price point this time around. Scroll through the gallery about to get an inside look at Seaport Studios, and be sure to check it out for yourself—and grab a coffee beverage from Casa Caffeina from the bar downstairs while you're at it.