In the carefully curated salon, ribbed button-downs and lace-up dresses can be found alongside Shane Gabier’s checkered ceramics, sustainable hardwood stools, and more.
The Maiden Name Pop-Up Brings ’70s-Inspired Womenswear and One-of-a-Kind Objects to Ludlow Street
Shane Gabier’s checkered ceramics sit alongside pieces from Maiden Name’s Fall 2021 collection.
Photo: Courtesy of Maiden NameIf you, too, have been bemoaning the lack of exciting new shopping destinations in Manhattan, here’s something for you: 22 Ludlow Street, a new pop-up from the multidisciplinary label Maiden Name, whose signature dagger collar silk blouses have found loyal fans among the likes of Maggie Gyllenhaal and Miranda July. Though the Lower East Side space (and former home of Beverly’s) was originally intended to be open only during New York Fashion Week, founders Alix Freireich and David Lê, who have been friends since freshman orientation at Vassar, quickly decided to extend their lease until the end of the month. “Our Instagram handle is @maiden.name.store and everyone would ask, ‘But do you have a store?’” Lê recalls with a laugh. “I think we always knew our vision needed to be experienced in person.”
Since its 2019 launch, Maiden Name has stood apart thanks to its marriage of contemporary womenswear and one-of-a-kind objects. “The idea was to change how fashion, in particular, gets presented. To move away from this idea that it’s disposable and to highlight the amount of work that goes into it by changing the context it’s shown in,” explains Lê, who spearheads the exclusive artist collaborations. Freieich, a former designer at Ralph Lauren, is responsible for the ’70s-inspired apparel, which she describes as “super wearable but special.”
A Sardinian wool tapestry and Sophie Stone floral arrangement greet customers.
Photo: Courtesy of Maiden NameIn the carefully curated salon, ribbed button-downs with lettuce-edge cuffs and lace-up dresses accented by jadeite charms can be found alongside the Netherlands-based artisan Tim Teven’s steel vases and sustainable hardwood parota stools by architect and sculptor Francesco Galetto. “In a space, you can see the way things connect,” Lê continues, pointing towards a harlequin patchwork mini skirt and checkered ceramics by Creatures of the Wind’s Shane Gabier. Spring 2022’s hand-made knit vests, mint green mohair camis, and Scarface-esque halter frock are also on display—though not for sale, much to the chagrin of certain customers.
Maiden Name will close its doors on September 30, but Freireich and Lê are already fantasizing about opening something more long-term. “This is the first time we’ve really seen everything in the cohesive way that we envisioned. It all makes sense now,” Freireich says. “We would really like it to be permanent.” Judging by the number of passersby who have been eagerly knocking on the door, they’re not alone.
Easy-to-wear separates from the Spring 2022 collection are joined by a Stewart MacDougall chair and Romanian folk mask.
Photo: Courtesy of Maiden NameThis story originally appeared on: Vogue - Author:Zoe Ruffner
