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©2025, Eric Petschek Two Japanese girls are in the Museum of Modern Art’s newly renovated design shop in SoHo, trying to decide between canvas and corduroy NY Yankees baseball caps. They flit from one shelf to the other, occasionally stopping to assess their reflection in a mirror that’s technically part of a display of Izipizi reading glasses (which they clearly will not need for several decades). Canvas wins. As they move on to other areas of the store, which reopened in September after a four-month long facelift, two French twenty-something “mecs” swoop in. They’re sporting on-trend-for-their-age Trader Joe’s tote bags (probably purchased at the TJs a few blocks away), Maison Margiela sneakers and are laser focused. Canvas wins again. MoMA Design Store Nearby, on an island display unit set with interesting gadgets, a man of the Izipizi target demographic is bent over a Teenage Engineering portable synthesizer intent, it seems, on channeling his inner Jam Master Jay. He lingers there for a good ten minutes. His efforts are largely ignored. Portable synthesizer by Teenage Engineering © 2022 MoMA Design Store Downstairs, a beleaguered dad lounged on a Jean Prouvé Fauteuil de Salon chair, petting a dog that belonged to a couple from the neighborhood who popped in to buy a quick gift. The store’s lower level has a seating area set with Prouve chairs. MoMA Design Store These varied scenarios are, to the team behind MoMA retail, a big win, demonstrating that they’ve successfully courted new generations without losing the previous and very dedicated ones. This particular shop debuted 24 years ago, in a building perched on the corner of Spring and Crosby streets that dates to 1884. It hadn’t been renovated since it opened. “The neighborhood changed so much, retail changed so much, and our customer changed so much,” observed Jesse Goldstine, MoMA’s chief retail officer, during a walk-through of the space. “People don’t necessarily know what the MoMA brand is or what the MoMA design store is, they might just wander in while shopping in the area. This location is a great place to do outreach to the world, and tell our story.” ©2025, Eric Petschek Those who shopped the store in its previous iteration may be a bit taken aback at the changes, courtesy of Peterson Rich Office, a New York City based architecture and design firm. Most notably, the 6,600 square-foot bi-level space has been entirely opened up in terms of sight line. Someone sitting on a bench in front of Balthazar (an iconic New York restaurant that’s across the street) can see into the windows of the store and all the way through to the back wall. ©2025, Eric Petschek That wall currently features a colorful mural by Nina Chanel Abney, an artist with work in MoMA’s collection; the mural will change every couple of years. The once-awkward corner entrance is gone - shoppers now enter via a door positioned in its original 1880s location on Spring Street. The lighting is bright a la the Apple store and, similarly, much of the product is merchandised on lower fixtures, allowing shoppers to more easily interact with the offerings. ©2025, Eric Petschek “Before it was dense, with a lot of product in your face. The clutter was almost overwhelming,” admitted Emmanuel Plat, director of merchandising, retail, of the previous design. “We wanted to strip it down a little bit and be more reverential to the products, celebrating them by giving them more breathing room.” Overall SKUs were cut by 30%, but the shop still feels full, offering the expected iconic and contemporary design products as well as personal accessories (bags, jewelry, watches), tech and a section devoted to pet products and another for kids. Most of the home goods, from brands including Hay and Heller, have been moved downstairs. There are significantly less books. A section dedicated to the brand Hay is located on the lower level of the shop. MoMA Design STore But there are a good amount of exclusive products and more than a few surprises. Exclusives (which may also be available online) include Horace, technically a French skincare brand for men, but with unisex appeal, really nice scents and very friendly price points (from $15). Also a selection of designs from Only NY for MoMA Community of New York (a wall clock, tee shirt, mugs and other items) featuring Micah Belamarich’s Community of New York illustrations. MoMA Design Store Only NY for MoMA Community of New York Wall Clock MoMA Design Store Surprises include Yrjö Kukkapuro’s Experiment Lounge Chair, which for several weeks has held a place of honor in the shop’s Spring street window. It originally debuted in 1982, was discontinued in the 1990s, and reintroduced by Swedish brand Hem last year. MoMA Design Store But perhaps the biggest surprise is...M&Ms. It turns out these age-old sweet treats are part of the museum’s collection, both for their iconic design and little-known history (read about it here). The store sells a MoMA branded version in exclusive packaging, a playful nod to everyday objects the shop elevates. MoMA Design Store, 81 Spring Street, (646) 613-1367. M&Ms exclusive to the store, with the MoMA logo on one side, and their iconic “m” on the other. MoMA Design Store Editorial StandardsReprints & Permissions
