BOUTIQUE OF THE WEEK: ZOE

Zoë DUMBO 68 Washington Street Brooklyn, NY 11201
718.237.4002

Ambling through the heart of DUMBO one Sunday afternoon, I accidentally happened upon Zoe for the first time while on a hunt for vintage treasures at the Brooklyn Flea. And what a happy accident...I found treasures alright, but not of the vintage variety. As I gazed around the 3,500 square foot space, I thought to myself "Natty, we're not in Kansas...er Brooklyn anymore."

Zoe's monochromatic concrete floors and walls combine with exposed pipes and metal details giving the loft-like feel you'd expect to see in DUMBO. What is not expected is the exceptional smorgasbord of clothing, shoes and accessories from an impressive variety of designers and brands. From couture to contemporary, Zoe's impeccably edited collection mixes fashion giants like Lanvin, Missoni, and Burberry (as well as Burberry Prorsom) with staples like Vince, Inhabit and Theory. But Zoe's fashion forward aesthetic caters to the savvy shopper, and beyond the big names also hosts harder to find labels like Isabel Marant, Vena Cava and Opening Ceremony.

Zoe's owner, Lisa Brock is an FIT graduate who navigates the big, bad world of fashion so that you don't have to. She carefully combs each season's collections for the highlights; pooling them into a medley of must-haves from cocktail dresses to cashmere scarves to trench coats. One carefully curated corner is dedicated to what can only be referred to as a "greatest hits" collection of footwear, where shoe-lovers will rejoice in the best of Sigerson Morrison, Marni and Jimmy Choo along with essentials like K Jaques sandals and Repetto ballet flats.

Rarely is one store able to offer such a wide variety of departments and labels without falling flat in one category or another. But Zoe gets it right, every time. Spacious, easy to shop racks seamlessly blend exaggerated shapes from Elizabeth and James with APC's quirky classics while Chloe totes and zippered leather satchels by Alexander Wang snake throughout the store, tempting shoppers from every ledge. A wall of perfectly distressed Current/Elliot denim and of-the-moment slouchy Clu t-shirts confirm the suspicion that you may never need to shop elsewhere to fill your closet.

Although its 110% worth the visit (they have a better selection and deeper discounts in-store) if you don't make it to DUMBO often - you can also shop online: http://shopzoeonline.com/

These goodies don't come cheap, but sales are generous and frequent AND they have a shopper rewards program! : http://shopzoeonline.com/shop/cart.php?target=main&page=membership

Zoe brings one-stop-shopping to a new level of accessible luxury. And the fact that this incredibly chic boutique's moniker is that of my eldest niece...well that just makes it a shoe-in (pun intended) for Boutique of the Week!

-Natty