Paris-Based Fashion Brand Brut to Open First U.S. Store on the Lower East Side

A Paris-based fashion brand is saying “au revoir” to the Seine and “bonjour” to the East River.

Brut, known for its collections of vintage clothing, has signed a 10-year lease to open its first U.S. outpost in 1,800 square feet at EKT Equities’ 37 Orchard Street, according to landlord broker Meridian Retail Leasing. Asking rent was $9,500 per month.

The brand started as a vintage shop in Paris’ 3rd arrondissement in 2012 but later branched out to produce its own duds. Brut’s new space between Canal and Hester streets will serve as its first physical store in the U.S. and its second location, Meridian said. 

The deal was also signed while the property was under contract to be acquired by EKT, which bought it from Jackson Mak for $6.3 million, with Meridian Capital Group’s Morgan Ben-Moshe and David Oheb representing the buyer, according to Meridian.

“Securing a top-tier international tenant before the acquisition closed allowed our client to step into ownership with real momentum,” Meridian’s James Famularo, who brokered the deal for the landlord along with Jacob Mayer, said in a statement.

Tungsten Property’s Hugh Byrne represented the tenant. Byrne and a spokesperson for Brut did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

“We value our partnership with Meridian’s retail leasing and debt advisory platforms and are actively seeking new acquisition opportunities across the borough,” a spokesperson for EKT said in a statement.

Current tenants of the retail portion of the five-story building include home goods store November 19 Shop and art gallery Orchard Windows Gallery.

It’s unclear if Brut will replace one of the tenants in its new space, but it will be located below 16 residential units at the property, where rents range between $2,100 and $2,600 per month for a three-bedroom apartment, according to StreetEasy.

Isabelle Durso can be reached at idurso@commercialobserver.com.