Dejavu
Neighborhood: East Village
Type of Place: Designers
Women's Clothing
Description:
Someday...someday soon...we'll be able to put our sweaters and heavy slacks into storage till the fall. I think. I'm pretty sure. And when we do, the dress-wearers among us will be reaching for some cheery summer numbers; and Dejavu is here to provide them.
The shop has its roots in Queens. Computer guy Kai Yang found himself out of work after the tech bust earlier in the decade and decided to take his career in a brand new direction. He opened the original Dejavu in Flushing in 2003; the East Village location, which fits perfectly with its hipster neighbors, opened in 2008.
I was drawn in by glimpses of pretty florals and a chic, bright, uncluttered shop layout. I started out in the racks of Dejavu house-label offerings, some of which are designed by Yang himself. Not only were the clothes pretty, but they were on sale. I loved a white, blue, and grey short-sleeved plaid dress with a white bodice and cream-and-plaid ruffles—so fresh, and reduced from $128 to $48. A yellow cotton cap-sleeved dress with yellow-rose detail at the neck, also on sale for $48, would be perfect for a summer lawn party. A floaty pink, cream, and green floral chiffon dress with a ruffled hem and ruffled straps—one of the items that had caught my eye from the street—is reduced from $128 to $68. With leggings and sandals, it can go from the office to an after-work date; ditch the leggings and it's a party dress. Same for a silver, blue, and grey floral chiffon dress with puff sleeves and white lace trim at the bodice, also on sale for $68.
A saleswoman approached to inform me that Dejavu is the only shop in New York carrying popular French line Cop Copine and that I really should check out their items as well. I was happy to—but writing them up proved a bit tricky. I loved them, but their various design details are not always easy to describe. That said, here goes: I loved the puff-sleeved "Psycho" dress, in a black fabric with pink flowers over mauve a slip, with a black and grey swiss-dot ruffle and a black sash with purple and green ribbons ($238); the short-sleeved "Time" top in black, with gathers, a zip front, and a matching black camisole ($158); the sleeveless grey "Genesis" top with a polka-dot ribbon at the shoulder and deconstructed details ($158); and the "Chouchou" dress in metallic chocolate, with spaghetti straps, a grey swiss-dot ruffle, and a silver flower trailing silver, grey, and blue ribbons ($285). Phew!
To complete your outfits, hats start at $38 (which was the price for a great grey and brown polka-dot fedora with a grey ribbon); and the shoe selection is charming, too. (Metallic pink sandals with pink pearl-adorned flowers were $68, on sale, and looked fit for the girliest princess.) For every-day days, jeans are reasonably priced.
Another big selling point here: 2-day tailoring on what you already own is offered very affordably; a stream of tailoring customers mixed with the shoppers throughout my visit. So come here with your summer dreams and your too-long pants and address them both. Here's hoping, hoping, that you can leave the umbrella at home. - Pamela Grossman; June 21, 2009
Dejavu
309 E. 9th St
(1st & 2nd Aves)
New York, NY 10003
(646) 270-6998
Website
Map
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