Benvenuto, Armani Exchange.
The Italian retailer of Euro-style, club-ready clothing will open on the Fulton Mall next month — marking a major upscale arrival on a retail stretch rapidly transforming from the Main Street of black America into a consumer destination lined with suburban mall–style brands.
Armani president Harlan Bratcher said the Fulton Mall is an ideal spot for the fashion label’s second Brooklyn outpost.
“It is very exciting to be part of the resurgence of Downtown Brooklyn and the quickly expanding retail scene on Fulton Street,” said Bratcher. “Brooklyn is an energetic and vibrant place with fashion-minded young people.”
The Armani Exchange shop — which caters to a younger demographic with lower prices and more ready-to-wear styles — will open next month at the corner of Dekalb Avenue in the long-planned City Point project, launching before a proposed Century 21 department store sets up shop in the same development.
Fulton Mall shoppers say the new store reflects changing demographics in the neighborhood.
“There are a lot of tourists here now, and this is a European thing, so people will like that,” said Janet Osman. “It’s definitely turning into a new Brooklyn.”
Armani is the latest big retailer to come to the Fulton Mall, where sneaker stores, cellphone shops, and wig retailers are giving way to major national chains such as Aeropostale, and hip local brands such as Brooklyn Industries and Shake Shack.
