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Matt Bernson Is Closing His Tribeca Store
Matt Bernson is closing the store at 20 Harrison that he opened in 2012 (as well as the one in Westport, Conn.). Here’s the full statement, but in case you don’t make it to the end, note the “closing sale of “30% off all SS17 product through May 15″:
Matt Bernson has made the decision to join the list of brands and retailers who’ve chosen to shut down brick-and-mortar retail shops in order to put more focus and dollars behind its expanding ecommerce channel as well as support their amazing retailers who buy at wholesale and carry the collections year after year. Matt Bernson will be closing both its Tribeca and Westport locations during the month of May 2017.
The designer launched his first collection of handmade sandals 10 years ago in his Tribeca studio. Since then, Matt Bernson has expanded its product offerings to include sandals, heels, flats, sneakers, boots and booties, as well as an array of small leather goods and jewelry. Over the past decade, the brand has opened two retail stores, collaborated with a variety of brands and models on various collections, had successes in both department stores and online retailers, and gained a loyal fan base of high profile celebrities including Gisele Bündchen, Ashley Greene, Naomi Watts, Jessica Alba, Taylor Swift and many others. Matt Bernson will continue to operate and design from a studio located in Tribeca.
The strategic decision to move away from brick and mortar retail was emboldened by the strength and growth of mattbernson.com and key flourishing retail partnerships. The brand can now further increase wholesale opportunities and keep up with the increasing and quickly shifting demands of digital shopping habits. This was the most vital element in the decision making process. The full Matt Bernson collection will continue to be available on its site, with select styles sold at Shopbop, Anthropologie and many other top retailers across the country.
We wanted to say thank you for your support over the years, and offer Tribeca Citizen the story on the company’s next steps to provide your readers and industry professionals with more insight on the current state of the retail industry from the point of view of an independently-owned, New York brand.
Matt Bernson’s Tribeca location will be running a closing sale of 30% off all SS17 product through May 15.
Below: Styles from this season now available online.
6 Comments
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Sad to hear that the store is going OOB. Went to his sample sale once and he was very friendly. Also ran into the designer and his wife and kid in the Ikea in Elizabeth NJ a couple of years ago. Very down to earth dude. His shoe designs are great but just wish the quality is better so it doesn’t fall apart so soon… problem with all things made in China. *sigh*
I’m all for honesty but I’d like this site to also support local businesses, so if the criticism isn’t germane to the topic, it’s better left unshared. (There’s always Yelp.) And I deleted your comment about Humble Fish because I thought it inappropriate for a post welcoming a business to the neighborhood.
My apologies, Erik. I didn’t mean any harm. Will not do that again.
This is a huge loss for the neighborhood. When Matt Bernson opened up, it was the my local shopping tipping point. Where in this city can you source a full outfit, including shoes, from local business?
this is a tremendous loss to the neighborhood. matt is such a down to earth, kind business owner who has a genuine interest in the community. he will be missed…best of luck to you and your family, matt.
Very sad to hear this news – Matt Bernson’s beautiful shop has been a treasure in the neighborhood and his commitment to ensure his shoe makers earn sustainable wages is laudable. We will continue to support online and we will miss your windows!