New Kid on the Block: Agatha Ruiz de la Prada

If Spanish designer Agatha Ruiz de la Prada hasn’t appeared in a Pedro Almodóvar film, she certainly should, at least if the big image on the all of her new boutique is any indication: She’s wearing a pink-and-red dress with extra-wide hips and bright pink-and-green shoes, and she’s in a pose not often seen outside of musical theater. And the new shop’s decor—day-glo mirrors, heart-patterned flooring—pairs perfectly with the clothing.

“We had a shop in Soho, on Wooster, for five years,” explains manager Linda Brun, who lives in Tribeca. “But we wanted to be somewhere more about architecture and design.” The remoteness of the new boutique’s location—the southwest corner of Greenwich and Watts, most recently the site of the 33 Vestry sales office—didn’t faze them. “It’s a destination,” says Brun. In Paris, the brand’s outpost is in the Sixth arrondisement; in Milan, it’s on Via Pietro Maroncelli. “We’re not in the most commercial areas.”

A collaboration with renowned designer Karim Rashid, the shop makes up for its small size with visual punch. Clothes hang from a rack bisecting the room and sit folded on a ledge slashed into a wall. While the Soho shop carried many products from the Agatha Ruiz de la Prada licenses—sunglasses, jewelery, stationery, and so on—the Tribeca one is more of a showcase, with only women’s and children’s clothing and shoes. And there’s not a neutral to be seen.

P.S. The “h” in Agatha is silent.

Agatha Ruiz de la Prada is at 466 Greenwich (at Watts), 212-598-4078; agatharuizdelaprada.com/store. Hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

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