Min-K

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Min-K owner Minji Kim is one of those people who can pile on a look that, if worn by anyone else, might look like a schizophrenic fashion misstep (think tweed bloomers over ribbed sweater leggings, or a yellow and magenta baby doll dress under a cropped, double-breasted military jacket). But her 1999-born East Village shop—nevermind the dash; it's pronounced "mink," like a fusion of her name—encourages just that kind of layering spontaneity. In a corridor of a space, the shop’s two display racks are magnified from underneath by planks of illuminated mirrors, while elsewhere, Kim has channeled her Parsons-bred painting forte into a colorful, vintage-inspired palette. The designer couples her own feminine, flirty pieces (gauzy, twenties-inspired dresses in bold prints, mod-colored sheaths, fluttery crepe blouses, and wool capes) with South Korean imports that she handpicks from her homeland with an eye for balancing the soft with more structured shapes; the latter include high-waisted menswear-inspired trousers and crisp trenchcoat dresses that have caught Bjork's eye. To top off the look, a style-by-layer-phile would probably suggest one of the shop's oversized croc totes; a pair of futuristic, two-tone, mint green suede, over-the-knee boots; and a Tomoko Igarashi-designed freshwater pearl necklace with a golden skull pendant. — Molly Noonan