Piero Guidi Opens Soho Store

NEW YORK, Aug. 24, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- On September 8, renowned Italian handbag maker Piero Guidi will open its first retail location in the United States at 430 West Broadway in New York's Soho district. Currently sold at over 500 multi-brand stores throughout Italy and Europe, this marks Piero Guidi's first freestanding location in the North American market. The Soho store will be the company's fourth standalone store outside of Italy, following openings in China, Japan and Hong Kong.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110824/NY57130 )

Piero Guidi, founder and President, created his eponymous company in the early 1970s and has earned a large and devoted following in Italy with the collection's whimsical prints and high quality accessories and leather goods. Piero Guidi is especially known for its "Magic Circus" range, which features colorful designs and motifs depicting various circus scenes, as well as its "Lineabold" collection, a range of canvas handbags with a metal plaque that can be engraved with the owner's name. Piero Guidi is inspired by the simple joy one finds in beautiful things and each piece is created to bring about feelings of fantasy and happiness.

The 1800 square foot space was designed by Thomas McKay, who has created interiors for clients as diverse as Hugo Boss, Crunch Gyms, and USM Modular Furniture. McKay's design is strongly influenced by Urbino, Italy, the birthplace of the brand, especially the city's heritage of quality and craftsmanship. McKay's design for the store references Urbino's famed Studiolo workshop in the city's Palazzo Ducale, through the use of classic proportions that are at once cleanly modern and also evocative to Urbino's rich Renaissance history. Piero Guidi's emblem of two embracing angels, a symbol of positivity and exuberance, will figure prominently in the store's flooring.

Giacomo Guidi comments: "New York is such an important crossroads of culture, business, and design. We are thrilled to bring our creative vision to this dynamic and inspiring place."

For more information about Piero Guidi, please visit http://www.pieroguidi.com.

For more information about Thomas McKay, please visit http://www.mckay-architects.com.

SOURCE Piero Guidi