Ale et Ange co-designers Osore Oyagha and Eloise Simonet first set up shop in March of last year, building a mock London apartment beneath a basement-level hatch on Orchard Street. This month, the pair moved aboveground, relocating to a small, record- and book-strewn shop on Rivington. Though the yellow-hued space is sunnier, the design aesthetic remains the same: contemporary casual menswear and womenswear made in New York in small batches. The pair hunt for fabrics throughout the city — from splashy floral silks to pastel cottons to dapper plaids — letting the quantity of each material dictate the number of items they make (usually between 2 and 50).
The store fosters an international slant, partly as result of the designers’ roots: Oyagha hails from West London; Simonet, from France. Posters from Cuba deck the walls, Iranian rugs cover the floor, and the selection of apothecary products and soaps is shipped from Portugal and Sweden. The clothing ranges from the colorful and casual — brightly patterned unisex tees and gauzy silk scarves — to dressier options, like men’s linen-silk-blend trousers and a contrasting array of handmade ties. Click ahead for a look at some of our favorite items in the store.
Ale et Ange, 40 Rivington St., nr. Forsyth St. (212-228-9865); daily (noon–8).
