Spring may just be getting started in New York, but inside Tanya Taylor’s new Retail Lab shop, it feels as if it’s already in full bloom. The designer, who moved into the space earlier this month, comes equipped with a collection radiant with bright colors and playful yet elegant pattern schemes. The shop, within Cadillac House at 330 Hudson Street, was designed with the same wistful and inviting motif. In its center, a group of mannequins stand on brightly colored boxes filled with dyed sand (a tie-in to Taylor’s New York Fashion Week presentation which highlighted the same displays). The dressing room is equally vivid — and Instagrammable — with hot pink and purple swirling wallpaper. True to Retail Lab’s ethos, this is the first physical store location the designer has curated. Here, Taylor expands on what excites her most about this opportunity, how she harnesses inspiration, and what she hopes to accomplish in the future.

What’s the most exciting aspect of having a store location?

Creatively, it is exciting being able to build a brick-and-mortar world to tell the story of our Spring-Summer 17 collection. But most importantly, it’s having our first physical space to interact with our customers, learn more about what they are looking for and strengthen our brand recognition in a new neighborhood. We have a number of private events during our time in the space with organizations like Ernst & Young and Google, so we’re excited to introduce new women to the projects we are working on.

How did you incorporate the Tanya Taylor ethos and philosophy into the store concept and design?

Our brand is all about optimism, femininity and color. We believe in the art and playfulness of dressing up and love thinking of the store as a closet for our inspired customer. We wanted to recreate our Spring-Summer 17 presentation during NYFW in the store, so we built a modern sand installation as the focal point with pantone colored sandboxes surrounded by custom upholstered benches and a cheerful hibiscus pink printed change room.

What do you hope to accomplish during your Retail Lab residency? 

I hope that we learn more about our customer, what they want, and what they’re looking for in a retail experience. I am particularly interested in learning about what styles people gravitate towards and how customers appreciate our exclusive pieces.

Any big future goals?

We’re always looking ahead. One near term goal we’re excited about is that we are launching our first plus-size capsule in June after successfully collaborating with Aidy Bryant on a feature for Glamour Magazine. Our phones were ringing off the hook after the piece was published and we cannot wait to infuse femininity and color into the plus size market.

Any favorite item(s) right now?

The Delphine dress- I cannot take it off. I also love our enamel pins.

What inspired your most recent collection?

My trip to Cuba! The freedom of spirit that the people possess there was a jumping off point. It was the first inspiration trip I have taken where I brought paints with me and started building the prints while I was traveling. I think this brought a sense of spirit to the collection that’s different than before. Some of the items we are offering in the store from Lizzie Fortunato, Le Specs, and Eugenia Kim are also inspired by travel and have a complimentary joie de vivre.

What’s the one thing we should know about you and your clothes?

I design my clothes for a woman who believes in the power of femininity, embraces color and print, and challenges herself to be adventurous in her choices – both sartorially and in her everyday life. Myself and Ali on my team paint all the prints for the collection in our SoHo studio and try to make each piece inspired, personal, and distinctive.

Describe the Tanya Taylor woman in 3 words.

Ambitious, curious, and colorful.