A Mysterious Locale: Surface to Air’s New Store

“Accept the mystery,” Surface to Air has been telling shoppers since 2000, when the international collective began working in fashion, art direction and film. They use this expression—the tagline for the Coen Brothers’ film A Serious Man (2009)—to describe their constantly shifting members, and their dark look. “Everyone was always asking us to describe who we were,” explains founder and CEO Jérémie Rozan. Today, S2A boasts some 40 members.

Having collaborated with Louis Vuitton and Uniqlo, and musicians like Chromeo and Justice—and with stores in Paris and São Paulo—their multidisciplinary work has made S2A an internationally revered agency. Tonight, S2A open its first US flagship on Mercer Street in New York, where their entire sportswear-inspired clothing line will be available. “It’s actually a little late coming,”says Rozan, who explains that S2A was conceived in New York in the ’90s, while some of its members were attending NYU.

The boutique, designed by architect Federico Masotto, reflects the S2A aesthetic, which in this incarnation seems to exist where the future meets the past in a room partly catering to the Egyptian armchair traveler, yet also appearing sleek and polished, made from materials like marble, concrete, wood, and slate. For opening night, we can expect the premier of the short film Mr. Rager, highlighting their recent collaboration with Kid Cudi, as well as the announcement of future projects with Kim Gordon and a shoe launch with the Misshapes’ Leigh Lezark. And what else? We’ll just have to wait and “accept the mystery.”

SURFACE TO AIR NYC IS LOCATED AT 27 MERCER STREET.