ClothingFashion ShareJessica Wong

Fashion Designers

Anna Wintour–approved designer Alexander Wang, who has amassed a cultlike following of voguish downtown types, opened his first storefront in the heart of Soho. The young designer and Parsons dropout, who launched his eponymous line in 2007, was propelled to fashion royalty in 2008 after scoring a Council of Fashion Designers of America award.

With chalky-white marble display pedestals, the luxurious and spacious boutique offers the wunderkind’s chic-but-casual spring line: men’s and women’s clothing ($270–$1,495), handbags ($350–$945), showstopping shoes ($395–$685) and the lower-priced T by Alexander Wang line ($74–$270). Shoppers can relax on a black fox-fur hammock and overstuffed leather couches or peruse the racks for iridescent women’s jackets ($625), leather buckle satchels ($825) and sheath dresses ($750).

Fashion Lines

The mothership for ladies-who-lunch (particularly those who love to lunch at the Kelly Wearstler–designed BG), this venerable institution—housed in the former Vanderbilt mansion—is the Neiman Marcus of New York (they’re part of the same company, so you can use your Neiman’s card here). Though they play host to extremely established and elegant lines like Carolina Herrera and Ralph Lauren, they up their edge factor with design stars such as Proenza Schouler and Doo.Ri.

The much-trafficked fifth floor is packed with more-affordable, on-trend iterations from See by Chloe, Catherine Malandrino and Anna Sui while the shoe department—a series of small, boutique-like rooms—features tried and true classics like Jimmy Choo and Manolo Blahnik along with upstarts such as Loeffler Randall. And like all good department stores, they have a plethora of upscale beauty products, including Slatkin candles, Laura Mercier lipglosses and Frederic Fekkai hairbrushes. The men’s store is across the street at 745 Fifth Ave.