AFACTORY NYC: Discovery-First Menswear Store

AFACTORY, a new menswear store in Manhattan's Chinatown, opened just 10 days ago. Founded by a team of three with backgrounds in fashion, the store on Eldridge Street stocks niche labels including ANCELLM, Barbell Object, INNAT, and Rice Nine Ten.

According to the store's founders, who answered questions for a Highsnobiety report as a collective, the entire concept is built around discovery. The belowground entrance and softly obscured glass are designed to recall Japanese architecture and gently hide the merchandise within, encouraging a sense of surprise for those who find it.

A Curated Selection

The store's philosophy places product above all else. The team describes their approach as introducing brands they believe in, focusing on those with great potential and a fresh perspective. Even for brands available elsewhere, AFACTORY makes specific selections to present them in a new light.

Selection is driven by a sense of compatibility between brands, akin to how friends might dress together. The team cited the way ANCELLM sits with INTĒRIM and The Duffer N Nephews as an example. Long-term relationships with the people behind the brands are also a critical factor, with the belief that brands helmed by 'cold' people are likely to fade.

The Founders' Vision

The three founders balance decision-making by focusing on cohesion and a clear identity for AFACTORY. They describe themselves as fashion nerds obsessed with clothes, ultimately trusting each other's judgment completely. The store's name reflects this collaborative process, imagining the space as an assembly line that combines different elements-brands and backgrounds-into one finished result.

"We were very happy with the way you found us," the AFACTORY team told Highsnobiety, "because you literally got our intention."

Location and Clientele

Deliberately avoiding the crowded Orchard Street area, the founders chose Eldridge Street for its local, family-and-friends atmosphere. They were surprised by the immediate foot traffic, noting that many visitors were not 'fashion' people but regular customers from the neighborhood or those visiting a nearby photo gallery.

Despite most clothing not being cheap, the team reported many customers purchasing items from brands they had never heard of before. This aligns with their goal to not solely cater to the fashion-insider crowd. For more on how new teams perform, see our stats page.

Building a Classic Store

The ultimate aim is to be a 'good, classic store' reminiscent of the legendary shops the founders visited in their youth. They seek to recreate the experience of hanging out, learning about new brands, and feeling genuine excitement-an antidote to clicks and AI recommendations. The store recently hosted some students who were thrilled to discover it, a moment that reminded the founders of their own student days. They envision the space as a potential community melting pot for people and knowledge within menswear, a type of spot they feel is currently missing, much like a cohesive squad.

Finishing on a concrete detail, the store's layout guides customers toward a roomy changing room and a soon-to-open backyard, emphasizing an unpretentious, old-school feel.