After a string of iconic Fifth Avenue retail stores closing — including Lord & Taylor, Henri Bendel, and, most devastatingly, Barney’s — Van Cleef & Arpels, Tiffany & Co., and Fendi have spent the month reviving the famed stretch of Manhattan.
The streets of Fifth Avenue, vacant and deserted during the pandemic, are no longer so thanks to a surplus of sidewalk flowers … only some of which aren’t real. In partnership with Fifth Avenue Association, Van Cleef & Arpels debuted a large floral installation — think large-scale three-dimensional arches, benches, and live potted flowers in pastel shades of pink, yellow, and blue — from 50th Street to 59th Street. On select weekends throughout the month of May, Van Cleef & Arpels will liven the block with live performances and springtime activities to help keep the kiddos busy while the parents shop.
Across the street, the renovated Tiffany & Co. store, featuring the new Daniel Bouland café where the ceiling is covered in tiny blue boxes suspended in the air, is the only place you can browse engagement rings, see a Basquiat, and shop (okay, fine — also, browse) Elsa Peretti candlesticks all in one afternoon.
Down the street at Fendi, check out the digital screen display of Karl Lagerfeld’s sketches from the Fendi archives. The window displays are honoring Costume Institute’s Karl Lagerfeld–focused exhibition and the controversial designer’s 54-year tenure at Fendi. The façade of the 57th Street boutique will feature immersive digital installations of 15 archival looks taken from the brand’s ready-to-wear fur and couture collection, as well as an oversize suspended glass sphere. The exhibition itself spans three floors and will display across three different screens the selected archival looks, designed by Lagerfeld for Fendi from the ’60s to 2019.
And if you’re into freebies, Stuart Weitzman just might be the reason you walk down Fifth Avenue again. On May 14, Stuart Weitzman is offering hand-picked bouquets with purchase to commemorate the season of blooming and Mother’s Day. And for the mothers who love to splurge on all things beauty, on the same day, Dyson is offering a Dyson paddle brush and a bouquet of flowers with purchase. It’s not an air wrap, but it’s something. Plus Mango is offering free embroidery.
So next time you’re walking around midtown Manhattan — it happens! — check out the previously vacant stretch of Manhattan for some cute, Instagrammable vibes.