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The John Varvatos store on Woodward Avenue in downtown Detroit always seemed out-of-place, too pricey for its location. Merchandise appeared more suited for Birmingham or Troy's Somerset Collection.
Last March, it closed and John Varvatos Enterprises filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in Delaware in early May.
Now Greyson Clothiers, a high-end golf attire shop based in Westchester County north of New York City, takes its place. A better fit? Time will tell.
The $18 cost of face masks that say "313" is a clue to its price points, as are the local-theme items at right.
Crain's Detroit Business, a subscription site, reports:
Greyson is taking a little over 4,000 square feet in the Wright-Kay Building at 1500 Woodward Ave. formerly occupied by the high-end John Varvatos Enterprises Inc. clothing store, bumping the golf and other athletic apparel retailer up from the approximately 3,400 square feet it had in the First National Building.
Both buildings are owned by billionaire mortgage and real estate mogul Dan Gilbert, whose Bedrock LLC real estate management, development and leasing company announced the move on Wednesday.
"Welcoming another small business to Woodward Avenue is a very exciting moment for us," said Ivy Greaner, COO for Bedrock. "Unique brands like Greyson are what continues to make downtown Detroit a shopping destination and we cannot wait to watch their creative concept continue to grow."
Bedrock's new tenant is named for Greystone founder Charlie Schaefer's daughtrer. He's a past senior vice president of design at Ralph Lauren.
The sportwear clothier opened its first store here in May 2019, a month before the Rocket Mortgage Classic PGA golf tournament at the Detroit Golf Club, sponsored by another Gilbert company.
Detroit still is the only company-owned store. Merchandiose is sold online and at Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, Stitch Fix and smaller retailers, including Birmingham's Claymore Shop.
