By Ashley Winchester
In Darling, her new store in the West Village, former Broadway costume designer Ann French Emonts has combined elements of her two loves, fashion and shopping. Darling, at the corner of Horatio St. and Eighth Ave. at the edge of the Meatpacking District, is the latest addition to what has become a growing fashion boutique district.
“It’s becoming a fashion neighborhood more and more,” Emonts said, during a recent interview at her store. “We dread the ‘Sohoization’ of the neighborhood. It will ultimately kill the area… We got here just in time.
“The idea for Darling just came to me in a flash, like naming your baby,” she said. “My sister and I are die-hard shoppers. We would pull up something we liked and say, ‘Oh, isn’t this darling!’ Darling is both urban cosmopolitan and endearing. It’s exciting, fun and sophisticated.”
Darling opened in October in the former Swingshift temp agency storefront, and the small, narrow space has been transformed into a showcase for Emonts’ fashion fancy. The boutique has become known for its bold window displays including a Halloween tribute to ’60s supermodel Twiggy and a “Marilyn Monroe dress” ($178) displayed at the store’s opener.
“If people are looking for a dress and they don’t want to go Uptown to Bloomingdale’s, they can stay in the neighborhood and shop here,” Emonts said. “If suddenly you have a special date, you can come to Darling…. We provide comfortable, wearable clothes that are both practical and fun.”
Emonts prides herself in knowing her customers, and has succeeded in creating a store that reflects both a dedication to and understanding of shoppers’ needs. As part of the Meatpacking District Wednesday late-night shopping initiative, Darling caters to the working world by extending hours on Wednesdays to 11 p.m. and offers complimentary wine and champagne to customers as they browse.
“We don’t like to chase our customers around,” she said. “We provide a comfortable shopping atmosphere…. I believe in the phrase, ‘It’s not the age, it’s the attitude.’ Our customers are from their late teens to their ’60s and even early ’70s.”
A lot of her customers have been local so far. Emonts has lived in the neighborhood ever since doing her graduate studies at N.Y.U. Her children attended Little Red School House. She likes that her store is close to home.
“I can bring my dogs here,” she noted happily.
She also teaches fashion at St. Ann’s High School in Brooklyn, which she has done since leaving Broadway costume-designing.
Some of Emonts’ best-selling designs are her own line of fringed, asymmetrical skirts, which, she said, are hard to keep in stock. She has a sewing machine and dress shop in the basement where she does her own work.
“I love making them, it’s a sort of rekindling of my youth,” she said. “I used to make all of my clothes in high school. This is really getting back to the fabric of myself. It’s like cooking, I have boxes and boxes of fabric and I literally make it up as I go along. When I bring something I made into the store, it’s sort of like bringing up a dessert you made. It’s a delight, it’s energizing and it’s life affirming.”
In addition to Emonts’ creations, Darling carries a selection of both well-known designers and lesser-known local discoveries, including collections by Cynthia Steffe, Susana Monaco, Jill Michelle, Hot Sauce, True Meaning suits (jackets, $185; skirts, $98) and the organic Earth Speaks by Bi Li. Women’s sizes range from 2-12.
Darling’s recent winter additions include a selection of cashmere sweaters, jewel-toned shearling gloves in brights and faux fur legwarmers by Sher Chic. Darling also carries a line of lingerie and loungewear by Bonjour Petal and Mary Green; Napa Valley fragrances by Flora; and mother/daughter jewelry by Heather Tanton. Emonts expects to add a selection of vintage clothing in the near future. This summer, she plans to extend business into the small courtyard at the back of the boutique, where she hopes to open a coffee bar and offer yoga classes, taught by Beth Lyons, one of the store’s managers.
On Sat., Nov. 22, Darling hosted their third Trunk Show, previewing the Fray winter and spring collections by former Ann Klein designer Karen Brost. The Trunk Show was part of the Meatpacking District’s first Fashion Week, Nov. 17-23. Visitors indulged in a selection of champagne, wines and hors d’oeuvres while viewing the collection, modeled by Emonts’ daughter, Sarah, and her friends.
This holiday season, Darling will be open 24 hours on Christmas Eve, starting on Dec. 23 at midnight and continuing until 12:01 a.m. on Dec. 25, during which time everything in the store will be 24 percent off in celebration of the holidays and to cater to last-minute shoppers.
