MOST READ TRAVEL
Design continues to be the cornerstone of the neighborhood, which is home to some 60 showrooms from heavyweight brands such as Minotti, Boffi, and Luxury Living to French line Liaigre, but an influx of luxury shops and trendy restaurants housed in starchitect-designed buildings has turned the creative hub into a destination worth traveling for.
Tom Ford
The designer’s sixth U.S. store, outfitted in macassar ebony, black granite, and polished chrome, occupies a building designed by the architectural firm Aranda\Lasch. It has all of Ford’s lines for women and men, as well as made-to-measure services, a women’s perfumery, and an eyewear salon. The attentive service—not always a given in help-yourself Miami—is second to none. 103 NE 39th St.; tomford.com.
En Avance
Karen Quinones’s multibrand store, where the stock ranges from fragrance to fine jewelry, was the first boutique to open in the district. Now in its 25th year, the company remains a lodestar for those looking for hard-to-find labels such as Sacai, emerging names like clothing designer Sofie D’Hoore and cult perfumery Maison Francis Kurkdjian, and collectibles from Fornasetti. 53 NE 40th St.; enavance.com.
Céline
If further proof were needed that the city is shedding its hedonistic, more-is-more past, Céline is opening a permanent boutique this month. The store will be located in the Jade building designed by Swiss architect Valerio Olgiati. Expect plenty of the label’s famously spare aesthetic, including the Big Bag in soft calfskin from its Fall 2017 collection. 154 NE 41st St., Suite 116; celine.com.
Roberta’s Pizza
Roberta’s, the famed Brooklyn pizzeria, recently started peddling its carby delights from the district’s Jungle Plaza. They include favorites such as the Bee Sting (tomato sauce, mozzarella, soppressata, chilies, and a touch of honey) as well as other seasonal wood-fired pizzas. The plan is for the pop-up to stay open only through April—that is, if the crowds ever die down. 3801 NE 1st Ave.; robertaspizza.com.
Fendi
The color-blocked fluorescent exterior by architect and frequent Fendi collaborator Johanna Grawunder is Instagram-ready. On offer inside is the full breadth of the Fendi retail universe, including women’s, men’s, handbags, shoes, and accessories. Oh, and fur—it’s still Miami. 150 NE 40th St.; fendi.com.
Daniella Kronfle
This under-the-radar jewelry boutique offers handcrafted designs, often featuring opaque gemstones in unlikely combinations that speak to Kronfle’s Latin roots and European training. 4141 NE 2nd Ave.; daniellakronfle.com.
Isabel Marant
This new Brutalist boutique is the perfect counterpoint to French designer Isabel Marant’s ethereal, effortlessly cool clothes. The intimate store stocks her runway line along with the lower-priced Étoile collection. 175 NE 40th St.; isabelmarant.com.
Robuchon
Joël Robuchon has four places opening starting this spring: La Boutique, an all-day café and bakery; Le Sushi, upstairs, for sushi, sashimi, and drinks; Le Bar, a more casual bar and bistro; and L’Atelier, the latest branch of the storied restaurant he opened in Paris in 2003. 151 NE 41st St.; joel-robuchon.com.
