(Photo: Jeremy Liebman)

The men’s suit of the moment is snug with skinny lapels, and Cloak’s are snugger and skinnier than most. Designer Alexandre Plokhov’s designs this year draw on the sixties-British-invasion-rocker look—Gene Vincent, Eddie Cochran, early Mick—to build a smoky aesthetic that mainly consists of black-and-gray canvas, tweed, and distressed leather. It’s a look that’s brought Cool Britannia guys and fussy hipsters to Opening Ceremony on Howard Street for his designs, and now Plokhov is opening his first stand-alone boutique. It’s the kind of place fans of the Jack Spade store will love: a men’s library filled with weekend bags resting beside books shoppers can actually borrow, a Chippendale dining table with neatly folded knits, and artifacts. Crinkly, sharply cut jackets (about $1,325) and short herringbone coats ($995) line the walls. Push one of the bookcases, and a secret fitting room will be revealed. There’s also a new line of rocker-savvy footwear, as well as a custom label called Cloak Bespoke that Plokhov says “becomes to a man what a couture gown is to a woman.” Looks range from daytime flannel to evening tuxedo (from $1,100 for three button-down shirts to $3,500 for a custom suit).

Cloak
10 Greene St., nr. Canal St. (212-625-2828); opens September 15.

Related:

• Archive: “Features”
• Articles by Aja Mangum
• Table of Contents: Sep 12, 2005 issue of New York | Subscribe!