Figure Eight Reimagines the Retail Experience, Opens First Sustainable Luxury Multi-Brand Pop-up in SoHo

Today, Figure Eight, the first multi-brand experiential boutique curated with a 360-degree approach to sustainability, opens at 63 Greene Street in New York’s storied SoHo neighborhood. The thoughtfully curated pop-up will showcase a selection of sustainable and vegan brands across fashion, jewelry and beauty, available in store September-December 2021.

Figure Eight is conceived by Tina Bhojwani and Nicole Marra, two fashion executives with complementary skill sets and decades of combined experience leading international luxury brands. Bhojwani is the co-founder and CEO of vegan, sustainable women’s shoe company AERA New York and previously held key leadership roles at Donna Karan, Theory and Dolce & Gabbana. Marra is the founder and CEO of Fixer Advisory Group, a boutique consulting firm that builds customized teams to support and empower brands to thrive.  Over the past decade, Marra served as a senior leader at Gucci America in her role as General Counsel.

“The past 18 months have taught us the importance of physical connections and experiences. They’ve also reinforced the urgency to rethink traditional systems, including retail, and uncovered an opportunity to redefine the in-store experience for digitally native brands,” said Tina Bhojwani, co-founder, Figure Eight and co-founder and CEO of AERA New York. “We know that shifting the paradigm means collaborating, which was the impetus for Figure Eight. We’re proud to bring together an incredible group of conscious brands — many of which don’t have a brick-and-mortar presence — in a beautiful space sustainably designed to enable every member of the retail ecosystem to succeed together.”

The brands featured in Figure Eight include: 66°North, A Shirt Story, AERA, Alexandra K, Amur, Circumference, House of Fluff, House of Waris, Maison d'Etto, Mashu London, Mavra Toufidis, Minimalist NYC, Reform Lab, Rondel Jewelry, Safely, Qeep Up, and Yatay. Figure Eight will also host panel discussions, activations, and events with artists, chefs, environmental activists, authors, stylists, and influencers, with beverages provided by Kendall-Jackson’s certified sustainable wine.

Beyond the retail experience, every element of the Figure Eight shop has been considered when it comes to conscious design and sustainability. The elegant 4,350 square foot shop is designed by creative team Leanna Diller and Elizabeth Kiester in collaboration with Rebel Walls, Reform Design Lab, Molo, FLOR, and FDK Florals and includes repurposed copper clothing racks; chairs made using state of the art 3D printing technology; wallpaper that is FSC certified paper reinforced with nylon fibers, printed with low VOC, nontoxic inks and hung with a potato starch paste; and changing rooms made of recycled paper accordion walls. In addition, Figure Eight’s reusable packaging is provided by Gallant, a B Corp certified company that supplies organic, Fairtrade and traceable promotional and retail cotton products.

Figure Eight plans to offset 110% of their Scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions and water use for the duration of the store occupancy. SCS Global Services, an internationally recognized third-party certification body and verifier of AERA New York’s Carbon Negative footwear claim will verify retirement of carbon offsets for the space upon completion of the occupancy.

Stanley Mathuram, executive vice president of SCS Global Services states, “We are happy to support the opening of Figure Eight as an outward extension of the sustainability mission our client AERA New York pursues with their verified Carbon Negative shoes. From the beginning of their journey to create the AERA footwear line, sustainability and net positive environmental impact have always been their goal. AERA offsets 110% of the product carbon footprint and we are excited to see their footwear line and other sustainable merchandise available in this unique retail setting.”

Further to its retail mission, Figure Eight also explores the intersection of art and sustainability through an on-site exhibition featuring the works of Colombian artist Remedios and Cuban artist Leslie Sardinias. Remedios' multidimensional exhibition "Atardece en el Trópico,” featured in the front window displays and throughout the retail space, speaks to the collective memory of having connection to the earth. Leslie Sardinias' exhibition "Perfect Blue,” displayed in the back gallery of the space, inspires contemplation on themes of fragility within the marine universe of the Caribbean. The exhibition is curated by co-founder of 4 Art Partners Raquel Serebrenik.

“Together, these works create unique and impactful moments as the viewer explores the Figure Eight space. From the moment they enter, clients are immersed in a world full of vibrant reflections on nature,” added Nicole Marra, co-founder of Figure Eight.

Figure Eight is open Wednesday-Sunday, 12-7pm. For more information about the space, the brands, and upcoming events, visit https://figureeightstore.com or follow @figureeightstore on Instagram.