Buzzy fashion brand RtA opens first New York store

A West Coast brand has landed in the Big Apple.

RtA, the Los Angeles-based men’s and women’s luxury fashion brand, has opened a store in Manhattan’s SoHo neighborhood. It’s the the brand's first store in New York City, and third in total, following Los Angeles in 2016 and Las Vegas in 2020. 

“We are so excited to open our new store in one of the greatest fashion capitals in the world,” says David Rimokh, co-founder of RtA. “We have always found success in our greatest challenges; despite a global pandemic, RtA has always thrived in the face of adversity.” 

Designed by Dan Brunn Architecture (who also designed the first two stores), the 2,152-sq.-ft. space is located in a historic, landmarked building. 

“We wanted to keep the integrity of the original space, but contextualize them in a way that tied back to our brand and our first two stores,” said David Rimokh, co-founder of RtA.

To that end, original elements, including industrial wood beams, a rear skylight and a slanted plank wood floor that date back to the building’s original use as a fabric mill were left intact. 

 A large crevice in the original brick wall is highlighted in the style of Kintsugi, the Japanese art of repairing cracks with powdered gold.

“This was an incredibly important part of the design, and intrinsic to our DNA,” adds Eli Azran, creative director of RtA. “The Road to Awe has always been a journey of discovery, and about finding beauty in imperfection.”  

This idea of imperfection is further brought to life in the form of more than over 2,000 pounds of broken red Baccarat crystal, which were donated by the French luxury brand. Set in the middle of the store, mirrored and backlit, the crystal shards form a dramatic display.

Rimokh and Azran designed the store as a visual and sartorial journey, split on the left and right, from the front to the back.

Upon entering the store, a bright white space gradually fades to black, with each gradient along the way — there are nine in total — marked by separate vignettes, made to elicit a sense of privacy as a customer proceeds to the back of the space. A communal sitting room and fitting area, inspired by a Parisian salon and fashioned in a rich, red velet, is located in the rear.

Founded in 2013 as a womenswear brand, RtA expanded into menswear in 2017, and has garnered a cult following of celebrities, tastemakers and consumers alike since inception. The company is headquartered in Los Angeles, where it has its flagship store, and is distributed across key global markets. For more information, visit www.rtabrand.com.