Dennis Basso marked 40 years of his brand this year, and perfectly in time for the holiday season, he unwrapped a very special gift for the occasion: a new luxurious flagship in a prime Manhattan spot at 34 East 57th Street.
The store quietly opened its doors two months ago; Basso officially celebrated the new boutique on Wednesday, Dec. 6th with friends and family, including his husband Michael and Nicole Miller, Alina Cho, Martha Stewart, Caryn Zucker, and more.
Basso moved to the prestigious street after the lease for his Madison Avenue boutique was coming to an end and this opportunity was presented to him.
“A lot of the major brands are now in and around the 57th Street area,” Basso said. “Although I had a very beautiful townhouse-style store on 69th and Madison, this feels more like a small department store. It’s a totally different feeling, with a large window presence.”
The location has had some well-known tenants in the past, including Victoria’s Secret and, before, Andre Oliver men’s wear.
“We felt this was a great opportunity for us to completely redo a fabulous space and give it a luxurious contemporary feel,” Basso offered. “I feel very comfortable here, and we have much more visibility and foot traffic. It’s exciting.”
The move changed his perceptive. “I feel like I am really now playing with all the big boys,” he said. “I already felt that when I went to Madison Avenue with Oscar de la Renta across the street and right by Dolce & Gabbana. Here, I feel like the brand has gone to another lebvel. When I look out, there is Fendi across the street along with all the major watch purveyors. I take a look to the left and see Dior, Chanel, Tiffany, and further down, Bergdorf’s.”
The street has indeed gone through several iterations over the decades, and was once home to Bonwit Teller, Galeries Lafayette, Niketown – all in the same space – as well as Henri Bendel and Jil Sander.
“Years ago, it was THE street,” Basso recalled. “Somehow, along the way, it lost a little of that luster as people migrated uptown to Madison,” Basso said. “In the past five years, it’s had a huge resurgence.”
It’s a perfect setting for the designer’s fur, eveningwear, bridal, ready-to-wear, and accessories collections.
The new store is more conducive to walk-ins. Working with Kenneth Alpert, the visual theme is black-and-white from the marble floor to art deco touches, and a stunning staircase connecting the two floors. The overall effect, when viewed from the street, is a powerful to Basso’s elegant and glamorous designs – perfect for his notable clientele that has included Michelle Obama, Hillary Clinton, Nancy Reagan, Rihanna, Martha Stewart, Sofia Vergara, Gabrielle Union, Helen Mirren, Tyne Daly, Angela Bassett, Mary J. Blige, and Olivia Palermo.
Now that Basso is playing in even bigger leagues than ever, what’s next for DB?
“I have been in the luxury market for 40 years and with WVC for 30 years,” he said. “I am focused on the idea of adding a collection that’s somewhere between the luxury collection and QVC, with fabulous dresses somewhere between $200 and $250.“
And just like everything DB touches, this too is bound to be a great success.
