Seven New York is one of the coolest, best-curated boutiques in the city. It doesn't sell clothes, it sells fashion, and only fashion — pieces by designers like Rick Owens, Gareth Pugh, and David Koma — which is a rare and difficult thing to do successfully. The store has seen its foot traffic plummet tragically from about 40 customers a day to about ten since scaffolding and barricades erected for a neighboring building's renovations obstructed the store almost entirely. Store founder Steve Sang told the Times that, with sales more than halved from prerecession numbers, the store would not survive another six months if things don't improve. Sang, who spoke to the paper with tears in his eyes, said he had to raise $7,000 from friends to pay a bill owed to Raf Simons. Unable to afford new merchandise, he hopes the money will help him obtain a new shipment from the label; many labels have stopped shipping to Seven, while a few were willing to send things over without a deposit.

The scaffolding is there for renovations being made to the home and studio of artist Donald Judd, who died in 1994. The Judd Foundation is trying to restore the space over three years and reopen it to the public. A board member for the foundation told the Times they have no control over the breadth of the scaffolding, which is determined by the city. “They are trying to make the site safe for traffic,” Judd Foundation board member Robert C. Beyer said. He is aware of the situation at Seven:

“I feel terrible for them,” Mr. Beyer said, referring to Seven. “I love SoHo, and I love fashion. We don’t wish anyone harm.”

Obviously, everyone who loves fashion and can afford Seven should spend their weekend spending money there to help bail them out, but if that's not enough to save the store, it might actually do really well on the Bedford/North Sixth Street area of Williamsburg, where the foot traffic is insane and the kids have the money. Soho stopped being cool a while ago.

A Rehabilitation That May Prove Fatal [NYT]