Best Madison Avenue Boutiques
Published 01/08/2018
Madison Avenue, New York City’s uptown fashion stronghold, brims with high-end shops. More than 150 luxury designer boutiques make the mile-and-a-half stretch between 57th and 86th Streets the ultimate shopping destination for anyone with the desire to wear off-the-runway looks. Read on for a selection of its prime shopping spots.
1
Alexander McQueen
1
747 Madison Ave.
Despite Alexander McQueen's death in 2010, his namesake label, now helmed by creative director Sarah Burton, continues to produce avant-garde runway shows, edgy garments and a skull-embellished line of scarves. The new flagship store, conceptualized by Burton, echoes the label's extravagant feel with baroque moldings, a black marble floor and a white, gray and blush color scheme throughout. Shop for everything from shoes and accessories to ready-to-wear and runway collections.
2
Bottega Veneta Maison
2
740 Madison Avenue
Bottega Veneta’s enormous flagship is, true to its “Maison” name, spread across three landmark 19th-century townhouses. On the first four floors you’ll find the brand’s signature leather pieces, ready-to-wear, shoes, jewelry and accessories. Expect exclusive City-inspired accessories that you won’t find at the label’s other locations. The fifth floor—known as “The Apartment”—is dedicated to Bottega Veneta’s home and furniture collection.
3
Celine
3
650 Madison Ave.
Designed by creative director Hedi Slimane, NYC’s Celine flagship incorporates natural materials like lava stone and black granite against an industrial sculptural interior. The outpost includes furniture designed by Slimane himself and site-specific artworks from Jose Dávila and Elaine Cameron. This is the world’s largest Celine store—so you’ll have no problem finding men’s and women’s ready-to-wear and accessories, along with tons of bags.
4
Diptyque
4
971 Madison Avenue
Dipytque makes Madison Avenue smell a lot more beautiful. The French company is known for its elegant perfumes and candles, which are its most popular products. Best-selling candles include Baies (fresh flowers) and Feu de Bois (a woodsy scent). Prices range from around $30 to $300 and above.
5
Dolce & Gabbana
5
827 Madison Avenue
Known for overstated clothing that pays homage to Italian life, Dolce & Gabbana’s two-story emporium is as ornate as you would imagine. Like its brand, the shop is inspired by the ostentatious side of Italy—with red carpeting, gold mirrors and vintage baroque chairs. The store carries women's apparel, as well as shoes and accessories in its lace-and-leopard aesthetic.
6
Gabriela Hearst
6
985 Madison Avenue
Housed inside the Carlyle Hotel, this Madison Avenue flagship is brimming with Hearst’s namesake clothing line of contemporary classics, knitwear and structured silhouettes. Originally from Uruguay—where Hearst’s family are sixth-generation sheep farmers—the designer is known for producing garments of impeccable quality using only the finest merino wool. The store itself features marble-and-wood tiled floors, wool-and-silk walls and a white cashmere couch.
7
Hermès
7
706 Madison Ave.
Madison Avenue has more than its fair share of luxurious stores, but even still, Hermès stands apart. The upscale French boutique, housed inside a landmark art deco building, evokes a feminine feel with its plush ivory carpeting and walls full of pleasing pastel scarves. The store carries a range of women's apparel (men's is across the street), but it's the accessories selection that really takes the gâteau. An entire floor is dedicated to the brand's limited-edition items, including enamel cuffs and bracelets, fragrances, gloves and, of course, silk scarves. The crème de la crème is the array of classic Birkin bags, which remain among the industry's most coveted, if no longer nearly impossible to acquire.
8
Lanvin
8
849 Madison Ave.
Founded by Jeanne Lanvin in 1889, this retailer has the distinction of being the longest-operating fashion house in France. The boutique is stocked with fine furs, shoes, bags, jewelry and clothing from the women's ready-to-wear and couture collections. But it's not all about the ladies at Lanvin: the label's luxe menswear line has its own flagship nearby, which features the full men's line including shoes, sportswear items and made-to-measure suits.
9
Missoni
9
676 Madison Ave.
Fans of the glamorous Italian designer line and its colorful prints can shop the brand at its only NYC location. Find a complete selection of women’s and men’s clothing, including tops, pants, dresses, tunics, sweaters, cardigans, swimwear and accessories, as well as towels, linens and other home goods—even teddy bears patterned in the brand’s trademark zigzag stripes.
10
Ralph Lauren Men’s
10
867 Madison Ave
With four stores on a single block of Madison Avenue, Ralph Lauren is more or less king of the retail game here. Each is quite impressive (women’s, boys and girls), but the men’s flagship—located inside Gertrude Rhinelander Waldo’s former mansion, which had fallen into disrepair—stands out. Lauren remodeled and restored the place, which exudes American luxury with its elaborate oil paintings, carved wood columns, vaulted ceilings and ornate moldings. You’ll find everything from Lauren’s signature polo shirts to his tailored formalwear.
11
Tom Ford
11
672 Madison Ave.
After the designer left Gucci in 2004, he launched a menswear line that became a watchword for luxury and garnered a great deal of celebrity fanfare. His William Sofield–designed concept shop, which opened in 2007, has been a major draw on Madison Avenue. The two-level boutique carries full lines of men's and women's wear, accessories, his esteemed cosmetics line, a perfume bar and, of course, Ford's signature suits in an assemblage of colors and prints. Amenities include butlers and one VIP salon for made-to-measure outfitting.