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Forever 21's Big Footprint in Times Square
NEW YORK
The four-level, 91,257-square-foot flagship that Forever 21 will open in Times Square Friday represents the scope of the retailer's $100 million-plus ambitions in Manhattan.
That's the sales projection for the store in the first year, said founder and chief executive officer Don Chang.
The Times Square store will be more productive because we'll have a lotof traffic and more time, he said, referencing the fact that the store at 1540 Broadway will be open from 8 a.m. to 2 a.m. It also will have 151 fitting rooms, 32 cash registers and 500 employees.
New York City icons are celebrated throughout the flagship, either faithfully executed or reinterpreted. A genuine yellow taxi cab on the third lower level has been tagged by a graffiti artist. Mannequins sit on the hood and roof surrounded by Forever 21 signs spelled out in Broadway lights. Different mannequins can be found throughout the store. Some are faceless, some headless and some are remarkably realistic with delicate features and softly colored hair.
On the first lower level, accessories are sold from white carts with pink stripes with mannequins dressed as street vendors hovering nearby. Love 21, a contemporary collection, is displayed in an environment meant to evoke a New York apartment with shelving, windows with peach drapes and a dozen different lamp shades hanging throughout. Scaffolding a ubiquitous New York sight is used as a design element in the store, and yellow police caution tape is used judiciously. We even brought in a real graffiti artist to add a little artistic grit throughout the store, said Esther Chang, visual manager and the 23-year-old daughter of Forever 21 founder Don.
Turns on fashion and visual displays will be fast. The merchandise will change daily, said Don. The Times Square store will go through merchandise...