Tokidoki

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This venue is closed.

This candy-colored capsule store is the first U.S. outpost of Tokidoki, an apparel and accessories brand by Italian anime artist Simone Legno. Legno was discovered in Rome in 2005 by Hard Candy cosmetics founder Pooneh Mohajer-Arnold, who now funds the label. This 375-square-foot space stocks the full line, along with limited-edition collaborative items (Hello Kitty, Levi’s) and exclusive releases. The animated characters adorning handbags, T-shirts, hats, and skate decks are reminiscent of those at Kidrobot a few blocks away—cutesy animals, personified foodstuffs, and imaginary figures with a darker edge. A crown-topped lion with a hot-pink mane totes a gun in one hand, a cherubic milk carton shreds on a skateboard, and crossbones are topped with a bubbly heart. The front of the store is devoted to handbags, each covered with Tokidoki characters atop a leopard, pale-pink, or Louis Vuitton–esque print. (The cartoonish designs don’t equate to bargain prices—a messenger bag hovers around $250.) T-shirts for women and men are shelved in neon stacks, and glass cases built into the register bear jewelry studded with unicorns and devious chile peppers, Tokidoki mimbot flash drives, key chains, and elaborate watches. — Lauren Murrow