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Belstaff's Madison Move
NEW YORK
-- "We're serving high tea from three to seven, with Champagne, clotted cream, scones and jam."
That's Harry Slatkin, chief executive of Belstaff and the founder of home fragrance brand Slatkin & Co., extending his Anglo-style invitation for today's opening of Belstaff on the northwest corner of Madison Avenue and 68th Street. It's the first Belstaff store to open in the U.S. and a pivotal moment in the fast transformation of the British-based brand.
Founded in 1924, in Staffordshire in the English Midlands, Belstaff has been known for its outerwear and performance fabrics for motorcycle and motorcar enthusiasts, aviators and outdoorsy types. But under Slatkin's direction over the past year, Belstaff has been morphing into a full-fledged luxury lifestyle collection with multiple product categories, including women's and men's ready-to-wear, outerwear, handbags, shoes and accessories. It still sticks with elements true to the house heritage and has recently shown vintage men's racing jackets in hand-waxed leather and silk shirtdresses with epaulets that in a luxurious way imitate oil slicks and mud splatters common to bikers.
It's not that the world cries out for more luxury, though it's apparent from Slatkin's offbeat, driven approach, and the unusual and intricate store design on Madison Avenue, that the intent is to stand...