Paintbox Paints a Fresh Picture for Nails
Beauty editor Eleanor Langston couldn’t find a high-end nail service experience so she created it herself. Paintbox, will open at 17 Crosby Street between Grand and Howard Streets on May 3. She used her experiences as a former beauty editor at Cosmopolitan, Self and Fitness magazines — and architectural firm RAAD Studio — to create the 1,500-square-foot space. It is designed to look like an elegantly appointed club, complete with a bar space, custom-designed tables and banquettes in shades of midnight blue and blush with elements of marble, mirrored glass and copper. “The bar serves as a place to enjoy coffee, espresso, sparkling water, Champagne or wine while soaking off gel polish or receiving a quick polish change,” said Langston, who is Paintbox’s chief executive officer. The 18 manicure stations, each with an iPhone charging dock, are offered for more extensive services. To accommodate the businesswomen Langston sees as her customers, she’s also planning to be open until 9 p.m. seven days a week, and appointments can be booked online.
Langston is also shaking up the service experience in another way: The studio will offer seasonal collections “of thoughtfully edited nail designs and colors reminiscent of runway and editorial trends to discerning women seeking edgy elegance,” as Langston described it, and added that there will be spring-summer and fall-winter options. Langston’s also offering a fun digital touch post-manicure — a custom-built photo box for nails, which allows guests to capture their nails and share via the social media options programmed into the machine.
Net-a-porter Eyeing Activewear
According to market sources, Net-a-porter will later this year unveil a new department grouping together several dozen brands that cater to devotees of yoga, spin classes and running — or for women simply smitten with the sporty look and shopping for great sweatpants and racer-back tops. The e-tailer already stocks a sprinkling of hoodies, track pants, leggings and sports bras from labels including Adidas by Stella McCartney, Spanx, T by Alexander Wang and The Elder Statesman. Today’s sporty uniform increasingly doubles as leisure apparel, prompting an array of players to capitalize on a hot fashion and lifestyle trend. Specialist fitness brands such as Under Armour and SoulCycle are expanding their product offerings, while luxury brands such as Chanel and Dior have recently branched out into sneakers and the like.
Karl Lagerfeld to Show Chanel’s Cruise Collection in Dubai
Karl Lagerfeld loves a futuristic skyline as a backdrop for Chanel fashion shows. He staged the company’s Métiers d’Art pre-fall show after dark on a barge floating in Shanghai’s Huangpu River in 2009, and fall 2013 couture was paraded in a crumbling theater set in Paris’ Grand Palais with a mural on stage depicting a dazzling 21st-century city. On May 13, when he unveils Chanel’s cruise collection in Dubai, it will be on an island less than half a mile off the coast of the city. It is known officially as The Island, located off Jumeirah Beach Road. The event, which will be partly indoors, partly outdoors, is slated to start at 6 p.m., allowing guests to view a forest of skyscrapers at sunset.
Selicia A. Walker
Source: WWD
