Australian youth retailer General Pants is coming to New York

By

Benjamin Fitzgerald

Published
Feb 21, 2017

After opening its first U.S. retail outlet in Los Angeles in April, Australian multibrand retailer General Pants Co. will open its first New York store on Soho's Howard Street next month. 

The 180 square metre space is designed much like the LA store. Dubbed 'The Local by General Pants Co.', the concept store boasts copper trim, semi-gloss black wood and gum timber finishes. The walls also carry art from local Australian artists commissioned for each store.

The New York store will also house the company's wholesale office and showrooms.

General Pants has developed a cult following in Australia for its range of denim and edgy streetwear for a younger market. General Pants Co.

CEO Craig King told local media that American and Australian street style is similar and thus, made the U.S. a clear choice in terms of heading abroad; a move also coerced by the limited nature of the local market.

“Australian youth fashion is heavily influenced by American culture these days. And in a reciprocal fashion, we’re designing fashion influenced by America and then selling it back to American," King told 

The retailer has always been focused on stocking Australian street brands, including Ksubi, Insight, Zanerobe, Standard, The People Vs., Rolla’s, Neuw, Epokhe, Valley Eyewear and Barney Cools. This will be General Pants' point of difference when competing against other edgy youth apparel rivals in the U.S. such as Urban Outfitters.

However, the next two years will be spent testing the retail before more stores roll out. 

“It’s definitely on our horizon, (but) the US is a big market, and it’s a fairly strained economy in America at the moment,” King told local media.

“We’re not going to be gung-ho and open 50 stores. We’ve got a toe in the water in LA and New York. Our job now is to read sales — read the tea leaves and discern whether it’s appropriate to open more stores.”