A.P.C. Mercer celebrates its 30th anniversary.

 

Just thirty years ago, A.P.C. opened its first American boutique in SoHo, in the heart of Manhattan. Jean Touitou, the brand's founder, knew the area well and, loved its atmosphere. "Like everyone else, I was magnetized by New York. I knew a bit about the way it worked, its codes, its coteries." A.P.C. settled at 131 Mercer Street, in a space once owned by the painter Julian Schnabel.

 

"This post-industrial/art gallery atmosphere caught my eye. There were no luxury boutiques in the neighborhood, so it was a bit laid back. Then everyone came. But of course, Mercer is more sincere than uptown, which is too expensive. Away from the temple merchants. There was Dean & DeLuca, a sort of Fauchon with an attitude. The gallery with The Broken Kilometer, Helmut Lang, The Mercer Hotel and its mythomaniacs in the lobby. A certain dirty-glam, you might say. And Julian Schnabel designed the wooden floor out of railway sleepers. It was as brutalist as it was refined, with huge mirrors. Some very cool people worked there, and New York put A.P.C. on the world map. As in every city in the world, there's a neighborhood where it all happens and in New York, it's always been SoHo. The boutique was remodeled by the Laurent Deroo studio in 2015 and the space has remained an impactful destination in SoHo."

 

Limited edition A.P.C. x HIGHSNOBIETY denim jacket and hoodie available at the Mercer St store only.