Seven, Hold the Double 'O'

The Agent: ‘G’, Special Agent of Parsons F.M., Class ‘10

The City: New York, the fashion capital of the world, possessing many boutiques that showcase a plethora of designers.

The Mission: locate and infiltrate Seven, a boutique in Soho that features innovative and exciting fashions.

At exactly 1:12pm on Thursday, February 4, I embarked on my mission in search of innovation. I took the W train down to Prince St. Station, where I began my search on the streets on Soho. Taking a left turn, then another left, I walked down a small side street called Mercer. It was quaint, with high-end boutiques lining up and down each side. Looking ahead, I squinted at the store signs, but I could not see my target. Doubled back. Inconspicuously set, I finally spotted the charcoal sign with small white letters on the bottom, “Seven New York”. The windows were low and dark, and the boutique was located at basement level, hidden from passersby. Intrigued, I entered.

Descending the stairs, the lighting was dim, the interior charcoal gray with an industrial feel. Three shop assistants greeted me warmly, and I responded accordingly. Must stay incognito. I continued along the first row of garments hanging against the left wall, touching and feeling the fabric, inspecting the tags, looking interested. The music was at a medium low volume, playing a mix of modern alternative. I scanned the space for other customers; there were none. The staff was casually chatting loudly with each other.

Suddenly, one shop assistant approached me. “Do you need any help finding something?” he inquired.

Pulse quickened, hands clenched. “No thank you. I’m just looking around.” He smiled and walked on. Disaster averted.

Eleven minutes and thirty-eight seconds elapsed, I thanked the staff and left. Mission accomplished. The following is the full report:

The Brand

This is a high end, multi-label boutique, featuring Preen, Chris Habana, Bernard Willhelm, Haider Ackermann, Kenzo Minami, and other up-and-coming designers.

They sell men’s and women’s clothing and accessories, and consumer age ranging from 25-45 years.

The styles vary, although the consumer can feel a consistency. The color palette comprised dark shades, with several styles having pops of bright pinks and yellows. Among the women’s wear, prominent silhouettes were full and flowing tops, especially at the waist, and loose shoulders and sleeves. Much of the focus is on the middle of the body. The garments cinch at the waist, and relax on the arms and hips. There were also many butterfly and loose sleeves, matched with fitted, tight bottoms. Some tops had angular cuts and folds, resulting in interesting shapes and movements. A few pieces had stylized slashing.

Price ranges

Tops: $250-450

Bottoms: $300-500, a few reaching $900

Outerwear: $1,500-3,000

Shoes: $200-1,000

Materials

Most tops were made of ultra-soft cotton jersey, silk, linen, or viscose blend. Bottoms were cotton twill, rayon spandex blends, wool, and cotton polyester blends. Outerwear used cotton, wool, cashmere, and silk.

Note: The shop still had the winter line displayed, as the spring collection had not yet arrived. There was a 50% off sale on most items. Pictures follow.

Disclaimer: photos of garments sold at Seven are from the Seven New York website. The author does not claim ownership to these photos.