As Williamsburg’s retail corridors continue to attract global and luxury brands, Grand Street has emerged as something of a safe—or, at least, safer—pocket for small businesses (perhaps bolstered in part by the presence of a business-improvement district).
Vintage and independently-owned clothing stores in particular carved out a foothold in the area. Maimoun, a clothing boutique with an emphasis on emerging brands, opened a store in Williamsburg late last year (111 Grand St.)
While it’s the store’s first permanent brick-and-mortar location, Maimoun has functioned as an online shop and community for nearly a decade. Mina Alyeshmerni, a first-generation American Persian, started Maimoun as a way to give young designers a creative home. She also took inspiration from her parents, who left Iran after the 1979 revolution. They frequently hosted salons for artists and intellectuals. This family emphasis on gatherings eventually lent its name to the store — Maimoun comes from Meh-moune, meaning to “hold a gathering or to host.”
Alyeshmerni always hoped to find a physical space for the store (Maimoun used to have a pop-up in Los Angeles), and when the antiques store Sharktooth closed down, an opportunity opened up.
“The pieces we carry are so tactile, detail-oriented, and painstakingly labored over by some of our vendors who make each one by one—it really calls for a physicality that I knew online kind of glosses over,” she told Greenpointers.
The store has already collaborated with local artists and designers, but Alyeshmerni hopes to keep the trend going, as well as host more events.
“I hope one day for the store to expand into other spaces within the area, bringing to light other categories…a grouping of spaces dedicated to sharing young talent, a home for them to be found,” she said. “New York was once the leading city for independents and fashion and we are just starting to see it come back, but I’m betting on it getting even stronger in the years to come.”
Images courtesy of @filmmarkle