Boston Common - Niche Media - A side of Boston that's anything but common.
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John Varvatos plans an extra dose of elegance for his Boston store. TASTEMAKER Power Ballad JOHN VARVATOS LAUNCHES A NEW BOUTIQUE AT COPLEY PLACE THAT REFLECTS THE ROCK 'N' ROLL AESTHETIC OF HIS CLOTHES AND THE CITY'S MUSIC SCENE. BY LAURIE BROOKINS 92 PHOTOGRAPHY BY SETH OLENICK H e's opened high-profile stores in Miami, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles, but if John Varvatos had any sway over the retail gods, Boston might have preceded them all. "It's been on our front burner, very much on our radar, for five or six years," notes the New York– based menswear designer. "It's really the right time for us, for the brand, but the availability of the right space had a lot to do with it. When a great space at Copley Place opened up, we grabbed it." This month Varvatos opens the doors on this latest shop. With its brick walls and rocker influences, he says, it will be a fitting framework for his men's collections, which he believes work well for Boston and its mix of sophisticated, stylish guys you might find working downtown or pursuing their graduate degrees. "I think there's been kind of a void of great men'sonly brands in the city—another reason we've wanted to be here," he says. "It's always very important to us to understand the guy we're dressing in a BOSTONCOMMON-MAGAZINE.COM 092-093_BC_SS_StyleSetter_Fall13.indd 92 8/2/13 2:49 PM