Maybe you’ve walked past it on the corner of Canal and Varick Streets on the western edge of Soho: a small and unassuming plot of land with a fortress of makeshift walls. If you venture inside, you’re transported to the tropics in a luxurious outdoor restaurant called Gitano Garden of Love. But before it became a destination for New York’s fashion flock, Gitano was a small mezcal bar in Tulum in late 2013, a bit before the beach town became the “Williamsburg of Mexico.” Now, Gitano is expanding into a global lifestyle brand, meaning you can take a little bit of Tulum home with you right in New York City.
Yesterday, with the help of British GQ fashion director Luke Day, Gitano founder and CEO James Gardner opened Souk Gitano, “a multi-brand marketplace curated for world travelers.” The offerings fall into two categories: a selection of brands from Tulum, Mexico City, and Guadalajara, and a genderless and seasonless in-house collection designed by Mali Reyes, which includes breezy cotton and linen separates, slinky silk robes, leather handbags, T-shirts, and jewelry.
“Being a Tulum-born concept, it felt integral that Souk Gitano supports and showcases local artisans and Mexico design talent, many of whom feel like family to us,” Day said in a statement. Gardner added, “Gitano is a stage to see and be seen, and we have built a culture and community that is free, fun, flowing, bohemian, and glamorous!”
Eventually, they plan to go beyond apparel and accessories shopping by offering one-of-a-kind objects, books, rare records, and an art collection. The store currently lives inside the NYC Garden of Love location, but in the coming months, it will expand across all Gitano locations and online. Shop the pieces currently available online here, and see some of our favorites below.
