Kiwi
Neighborhood: Park Slope
Type of Place: Women's Clothing
Description:
On a recent rainy evening in Park Slope, we stumbled onto Kiwi, a
vibrant women's clothing shop that proved a perfect antidote to any
outdoor gloom.
Co-owned by designer Christine Alcalay and her business partner
Marlene Siegel, Kiwi (which was Alcalay's childhood nickname)
features stock split into two camps: what Siegel describes as "pretty
clothes that we love" from various up-and-coming designers; and
made-to-order garments designed by Alcalay. The latter are mostly
1940s inspired dresses, coats, and suits, beautifully crafted and in
gorgeous colors and prints. Lucky shoppers may occasionally find
samples of the made-to-order pieces available off the rack.
A graduate of Parsons School of Design and a former intern with
Christian Lacroix, Alcalay is something of a wonderkid—at 25 yers old,
she already has the store and her design line, not to mention a
21-month-old baby. You can check out her work at Kiwi or at the
upcoming Gen Art Shopping Spree (June 21, 6-10), a showcase for
young designers; see www.genart.org for more details.
Benefiting from Alkalay's design skills and Siegel's experience in
retail,
Kiwi is filled with lovely and lighthearted clothing. Beyond Alcalay's
work, we found a lot to admire, including a sleeveless white blouse
with tiny colored polkadots by Corey Lynn Calter ($149), Rebecca
Beeson terry zip-ups in bright orange or green ($109), and a cheery
floral blouse by Bluedot ($89). Most pieces fall into the $100-$185
range, except for Alkalay's custom work, which starts at around $300.
Whether you're shopping for a summer occasion (we've attended 3
weddings in the last 3 weekends!) or simply looking for a
fashion-inspired pick-me-up, you're likely to do well here.
- Pamela Grossman; June 7, 2005
Kiwi
78 7th Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11217
718-622-5551
Website
Map
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