Nasty Pig opens new showroom in New York City after six-year absence

One of the best-known queer clothing brands is Nasty Pig. It was founded in 1994 by David Lauterstein and Frederick Kearney and now has a loyal, worldwide following. Most people buy its designs online or via third-party stockists after it was forced to close its long-running Chelsea showroom in New York City in 2020.

However, that all changed last Friday with the opening of a new showroom at 112 West 27th Street, 6th Floor, just down the block from FIT [Fashion Institute of Technology].

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The new space adjoins the brand’s design studios, bringing together, for the first time, the design and retail space.

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Following the Chelsea store’s closure, Nasty Pig would organize occasional pop-ups at its studios. However, as this required transforming the studio, such events only took place three times a year.

“After we closed our store in 2020, our customers missed that Nasty Pig face-to-face experience so much. I’d hear it from them all the time,” Lauterstein said in a press statement. “Three pop-ups a year wasn’t enough for our customers, and it certainly wasn’t enough for me. We have fans all over the country and around the world, and if they weren’t in New York during those pop-ups, they lost their only chance to try on our clothing and feel our energy.”

Reflecting on their new space, Lauterstein says, “This is kind of the ultimate version of our original vision. I always wanted a space that had retail and design under one roof. I used to jokingly call it my clothing salon, or my atelier, and this space feels exactly like that.”

“Something special”

He was thrilled at the reaction to their opening weekend.

“I really feel like we pulled off something special,” he said afterward. “Seeing all our customers come through the door really lit me up with joy.”

The showroom will hold Nasty Pig’s entire current line, and provide shoppers with the opportunity to try things on… in the not-quite-fully opaque changing cubicles.

“It can be so hard to shop online,” Lauterstein says. “This is a space where people can come in and find their fits, and if they don’t live in New York, know what works for them and see those same silhouettes when they shop us online.”

The space will also hold events and collaborations, beginning in December with an event with SKINGRAFT designer Johnny Cota.

For now, the showroom will only open occasionally, but far more often than three times a year. The next public shopping day is scheduled for Friday, November 13, from noon to 7 p.m. Nasty Pig will soon offer shopping by appointment on studio days, with more open dates to be announced. Follow @nastypig.showroom on Instagram for updates.

Nasty Pig Showroom, 112 West 27th Street, 6th Floor, New York, NY 10001.

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