10 Baller Boutiques That Are Redefining Miami’s Design District
Hermès was a pop-up in the Design District before permanently settling down. (Photo: Robin Hill)
By Joshua David Stein
For years, it seemed, luxury had one address in Miami — posh Bal Harbour, a few miles north of Downtown. But today, all eyes are on the city’s Design District, where pioneering real estate developer Craig Robins and his company, Dacra, have transformed 10 formerly forlorn square blocks into a world-class retail and residential development. “Miami needed a creative laboratory,” Robins says, “so I built it.”
Here are the boutiques behind the district’s comeback:
(Courtesy: Ornare)
With the flood of Brazilian money into Miami, it makes sense that Ornare — one of that country’s highest-end furniture designers — would appear in the Design District.
Here, Ornare’s collections of shelves, kitchens, and wardrobes (including a new collaboration with Brazilian architects Ruy Ohtake, Guto Indio da Costa and Patricia Anastassiadis) are on fetching display. 4040 NE Second Ave.
Related: Everything You Need to Know About Art Basel in Miami
Perhaps recognizing luxury shopping as ideal bro-time, this fourth-generation Italian shoe line opened its first boutique in the Design District two years ago. The store carries plenty more besides bench-made brogues (though there are those too, in spades). Its famed leather goods — belts, wallets, attaché cases — are also on offer, along with a clothing line from Berluti artistic director Alessandro Sartori. 161 NE 40th St.
When this Miami boutique opened in December 2012, it commemorated the event with a short film by Bruce Weber starring a Ukrainian danseur and a 12-year-old violin prodigy. That blend of fashion and art, a signature of the Design District, continues today in the store, which carries the entire range of Kris Van Assche’s suave men’s collection, including suits, eyewear, and sneakers. 161 NE 40th St.
(Courtesy: Apt. 606)
Step inside this minimalist, newly redesigned menswear store and prepare to be astonished by the massive array of indie, small-scale fashion lines. The expansive room — scented by Diptyque candles and adorned with clothes by Christopher Kane, Public School, Juun.J and Tim Coppens — pushes the boundaries of what it means to be a stylish man. 89 NE 40th St.
Maison Francis Kurkdjian Pluriel Feminin perfume, $195, at En Avance.
Karen Quinones’ avant-garde fashion boutique, En Avance, has been clothing chic Miamians for 21 years.
The shop spent its first decade on Lincoln Road but moved nine years ago to the Design District, a canary in the aesthetic mine.
Quinones’ minimalist boutique is full of exclusive treasures from little-known designers: kimonos from Marie France Van Damme, cashmeres from Goyo and Florence Flameng, and ball gowns from Odeeh. For Art Basel this year, Quinones will offer a vaguely pornographic armchair (a collaboration between Milanese design company Fornasetti and designer Nigel Coates) dubbed “Baciamano Fronte e Retro.” 53 NE 40th St.
Related: Street Art Smackdown: Wynwood Walls in Miami vs. Beco do Batman in São Paulo
Hermès was an early defector from the Shops at Bal Harbour, first inhabiting a Design District pop-up before moving permanently last February. Lured by a 10,000-square-foot building and roof garden, the Paris house presents all 14 of its product lines — from saddles to silk scarves — at this new outpost. 175 NE 40th St.
Calfskin bag, $4,500 at Billionaire Italian Couture.
This brash luxury brand was founded in 2005 by the colorful Italian businessman and playboy Flavio Briatore. As one might expect, the offerings aren’t shy: vibrant alligator-skin bomber jackets, bright purple anaconda loafers and cowboy hats. Housed in a renovated post office, the two-year-old store also features impeccably tailored men’s suits, with all the swagger but none of the strut. 4000 NE Second Ave.
A model walks the runway during a Louis Vuitton show. (Photo: Dominique Charriau/WireImage)
The launch of this Louis Vuitton store in 2012, behind a massive graffitied facade by the legendary street artist Retna, put the Miami shopping world on notice.
Since its splashy debut, the store has hosted numerous art exhibits and happenings, all while doing brisk trade in its luggage and ready-to-wear lines. 170 NE 40th St.
The infamously abstruse French fashion house brings an air of high-brow couture to the Design District with its third store in the U.S. The shop offers a vast spread of Martin Margiela, including fragrances, shoes, fine jewelry and eyewear, as well as gowns, sweaters, and frocks. 3930 NE Second Ave.
Related: Gentlemen: Get Thee to This Man’s Miami Tailor
Stephen Webster earrings, price upon request at Alchemist.
The Design District’s central Palm Court will house one of the highest concentrations of fine jewelry in the nation.
Joining Harry Winston, Van Cleef & Arpels and Bulgari is a new jewelry-focused store from Alchemist, opening in December.
Designed by local architect Rene Gonzalez, the boutique specializes in cult designers like Lynn Ban, Luis Morais and Abraxas Rex. 140 NE 39th St.
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