Start spreading the news – we’re opening in New York!
11.2022
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In February 2023, Salvatori will open the doors of its first American showroom, bringing Made in Italy design to the heart of New York
American design lovers are about to get their very own Salvatori flagship store in New York
New York. Just the name conjures up emotions, memories, images and excitement. After all, it has formed the backdrop – and often played a starring role – to countless films, television series and even songs that strike a chord in the collective imagination the world over.
And now, it will be home to the first ever Salvatori showroom in the United States. The opening of the flagship store in the heart of Manhattan not only represents an important milestone in the company’s evolution, but is also a dream come true for CEO Gabriele Salvatori.
With that said, we wanted to hand the baton to him to talk about the journey that led to this moment.
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"I lived in New York for a number of years and just completely fell in love with its energy and variety, the constant movement and buzz. It simply has a different rhythm compared to any other city and it’s palpable in the streets, the incredible array of events, openings, shows and so on.
And, for a design lover, it’s like being a kid in a candy store, with inspiration and input everywhere you look. I still remember, for example, the evening in 2000 when I was sitting in a Japanese restaurant and became fascinated by the bamboo placemat in front of me and wondered if I could create the same effect in stone. The result was our Bamboo texture, which is still popular two decades on. You have to remember that in those days, I don’t think a Japanese restaurant existed in Italy, so for me, this is just one example of how New York can trigger ideas any moment, anywhere!
In the late Nineties and the first few years of this century, I used to get around New York with a heavy case with samples in it, getting on and off the subway and in and out of cabs as I made my way to appointments with big name architects and designers. I loved their work and it has always been clear to me that New York is one of the major design capitals of the world.
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I don’t know when I first seriously started thinking about one day opening a Salvatori showroom, but it has definitely been something that has been percolating away for well over a decade. If I’m honest, I should probably say that while expanding over the Atlantic is mainly for business reasons, there is also an emotional motivation. New York is like a second home for me. I get on a plane and go back as often as I can, so that I can feel that shot of energy that’s better than even the strongest Italian espresso, and every visit, the itch for my own showroom flares up again. And then, we have been involved in projects that I’m really proud of, for example 130 William, and I love working with American contractors, architects, designers, project managers, you name it. I just find the whole process exhilarating and extremely satisfying. The high-end American market really gets our products, our approach and the whole set of Made in Italy values we represent.
Over the years, we’ve really consolidated our network of American clients, but it was always going to be a major step to open in New York. And, if we were going to do it, I wanted to do it properly, in the right location, with the right building. In the meantime, the Salvatori brand was really gaining international traction and I felt confident enough to open in London in 2017. New York was the next logical step, but finding the right place wasn’t easy. Then, of course, the world stopped for a couple of years.
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But, that actually opened up possibilities on the real estate scene, and we found a fantastic 600-square metre site in SoHo. To be exact, 102 Wooster Street. I already love saying the address. As a brand, we stand for understated elegance and luxury and I have looked to the fashion sector for a number of years for inspiration and trends, so the fact that our showroom is surrounded by stores such as Chanel and Valentino makes me believe it was just meant to be!
So, we had our perfect site, and the next thing was to find the right partner to help transform it into a Salvatori experience. That was really a no-brainer, as I’m lucky enough to have worked with George Yabu and Glenn Pushelberg on a number of projects, including the Anima and Punto collections they designed for Salvatori. They’re not only brilliant designers but enormous fun to spend time with. I can put my hand on my heart and say that they’ve done an incredible job with the space and completely captured our ethos of understated luxury, Italian flair and timeless but contemporary design. I have a feeling that it will become a design destination for New Yorkers and visitors alike.
It will probably come as no surprise to anyone that I have personally followed the entire project from Day One. I’m passionate about design and architecture anyway, but when you add in the fact that it’s my baby and we’re in my beloved New York, what can you expect?!
And so, we now have an opening date which is 23 February 2023. I’m looking forward to adding New York to our list of flagships. Milan, London, Tel Aviv, New York. Four very different cities, but the same Salvatori experience in each.
But even more, I can’t wait to welcome members of the architect and design community, friends and any design aficionados to celebrate the realisation of a dream come true with me and my team."