Its Our Epicenter—Eckhaus Latta Opens a New Store on New Yorks Lower East Side

Because the new storefront had not previously been set up as a street-facing commercial property, it needed substantial work, including plumbing and electrical, in addition to the usual architectural flourishes. For that, they’ve tapped their network of creative friends, like their in-house fit model, Camilla Deterre, who served as project manager, and Latta’s childhood friend, Emma Price, their architect who also works on the interiors. Sophie Stone handles the flowers and the painted rope-and-cardboard art pieces that serve as rugs. “These are people we speak to and hang out with and work with on a daily basis,” said Latta. “They’re also designers, architects, trained, skilled professionals.”

“It’s cool to have just these expansions of how we work with our friends,” added Eckhaus.

“Sometimes there are six people talking about one rug and arguing, which is fun,” Latta continued. “And then other times it feels really clear. But I think there’s not a singular vision, and I think it’s very, as Mike has said, ‘Goldilocks,’ where it’s like we figure out the happy medium in a lot of different ways from a lot of different POVs, and we don’t need to consider it finished really, ever.”

Now there are rails suspended from the ceiling and an honest-to-goodness cash register in the front, with dressing rooms and more standing racks in the back half of the space, totaling 940 square feet. Behind that is the studio, an extra 700 square feet complete with a skylight. Unexpected colors—a brand signature—are expressed in the paint choices: pale yellow walls and creamy gray floors (Farrow & Ball’s “New White” and “Lamp Room Gray,” respectively). Furniture was sourced by their friend David Lê and given custom touches, like an ottoman with a brushed shearling topper sourced from Latta’s hometown of Santa Cruz.

Indeed, while they are racing toward the finish line—the store will open its doors tomorrow morning, after an opening party later tonight—the duo considers the space less of a fixed idea than an ongoing project.