Proenza Schouler

Last night, Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez of Proenza Schouler fêted the opening of their first boutique on Madison Avenue—the moment their devotées have been anticipating since the label launched roughly a decade ago. (Look for W‘s exclusive profile on the designers in the upcoming October issue.) On the eve of fashion week, only the designers behind such a cult–favorite brand could lure a decidedly downtown crowd— including Kate Bosworth and Hanne Gaby Odiele—to make a trip to the Upper East Side. “When we were looking for stores, we first we wanted to do something downtown,” said McCollough. ” All of a sudden, we liked the idea of doing something uptown – somewhere a little more unexpected.”

Conceived by architect David Adjaye, the boutique may be best described as urban minimalism meets the Southwest; the smooth concrete of the interior is accented with earthy elements, like wooden planks and potted cacti. “We didn’t want it to fee like these super polished stores that you’re used to seeing up here, so we started exploring with these raw, rougher materials,” said McCollough. “We liked that contrast between being uptown and something a little rougher, mixed with these clothes that are sometimes really polished, but are really ‘streety’ in their attitude”

Meanwhile, Shala Monroque, who was eyeing a display of deerskin clutches, summed it up perfectly:”It’s so cozy, it kind of makes you want to stay in the store—which is a good thing for a store!”

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Photos: Sherly Rabbani & Josephine Solimene