I’ve always wondered why the West Village, with its abundance of precious bakeries, flower shops, and hyper-fashionable foot traffic, does not have more in the way of the designer-run boutiques you find east of Lafayette Street. Stepping into the void is the tiny eleven-month-old Annelore, with whitewashed walls and two tidy racks hanging with silk party dresses (from $310), twill pantsuits (from $280), and printed T-shirts ($246). The designer is Juliana Cho (who, in the great tradition of designers with boutiques in this city, is the perfect model for her own designs). Cho quit her job designing for Catherine Malandrino a few years ago to start work on the shop with her husband, Craig Koketsu. And the store’s already become something of a celebrity magnet (Gretchen Mol, Julianne Moore, and Stella Tenant have all been spotted). Then there’s the added pleasure of walking, after a fashion splurge at Annelore, past the windows of the Marc Jacobs trilogy of stores on Bleecker Street, and seeing a bunch of girls ogling clothes that are equally hip, but far less original. Annelore, 636 Hudson Street (212-255-5574).

Related:

• Archive: “Shop Talk”
• Articles by Amy Larocca
• Table of Contents: Aug 11, 2003 issue of New York | Subscribe!