Patron of the New

Al Abayan headed the creative direction of the Tribeca location of cult Tokyo boutique Number (N)ine for eight years, until the store shuttered in 2009. Now he and his partner, Lisa Pak, lend their sartorial expertise to this new luxury lifestyle shop, also located in Tribeca. It’s easy to miss the red-columned storefront due to the small signage and the dark tinted windows, but it’s worth looking for the converted warehouse space, with its gold-leaf-speckled raw-concrete floors, to discover Abayan’s handpicked wares. The international collection of unique guys’ and gals’ clothing, accessories, beauty products and housewares is from obscure designers like Siki Im, Nicolas Andreas Taralis and Denis Colomb. Abayan says his pieces have an aesthetic that’s “polished with a bit of roughness” and appeal to discriminating shoppers seeking something outside the box. Korean-American menswear designer Siki Im’s wrap kilts ($530) and silk bomber jackets ($1,050) neatly hang on thin brass-and-steel racks, while hand-carved wooden wedge lace-ups from Parisian label Établissement ($1,450) are situated by the entrance. Most goods carry hefty price tags, but there are some affordable pieces, such as Helveta Voltag hand-carved wooden rings ($70) in vibrant jewel tones, Cousu de Fil Blanc spicy coffee-scented soaps ($18) in hand-sewn packaging and quirky Zilla leather-trimmed sponge envelope clutches ($95).