It’s no secret that I’m in love with Place Nationale, one of the teams showcased as part of Anthropologie’s Made in Kind collaborative. The one-of-a kind pieces have been tough to get a hold of. Both their online capsules sold out almost immediately (with some items ending up on eBay for above retail sadly) and small store shipments flew off the shelves just as quickly.
So I was very excited to get word that the Upper East Side Anthropologie here in New York City is hosting a Place Nationale pop-up shop! It’s filled with more Place Nationale items than I’ve ever seen in one place. Thanks to the wonderful visual team and store employees I was invited to head up to the store to take photos of the pop-up shop and try on some items.
Want to see more full-sized photos? Check out my flickr slideshow from the pop-up shop.
I don’t get up to this Anthropologie brick & mortar location very much; it’s pretty far from my apartment way downtown and I’ve got four other Anthropologies closer to me. This unique offering of Place Nationale product in one place was just the incentive I needed. Right as I walked in the door a sign about the pop-up greeted me, with everything just a quick left turn away.
For those not familiar with Place Nationale, the British brand takes vintage items and reworks them into new pieces. So a top might be the front of one piece reworked with the front from another piece combined into one new piece. In other cases a rework might be a combination of three or four different original pieces. The reworked pieces are mostly from handmade originals. They’re very delicate and will require special care to keep them in good shape.
I have seen pieces similar to this at flea markets in the city but in my mind the Place Nationale pieces are heads above the rest. The way the original items are reworked into new pieces is stellar and the works they choose are eye candy for sure.
I liked how the visual team and personal stylists showed the Place Nationale pieces with coordinating items. It helped me to mentally put together outfits for the items. There were more than 50 items to choose from when I arrived last week (shortly after the store opened for the day on the first day of the pop-up). The store’s SAs had been trying on pieces all morning and a few showed me which ones they had their eye on.
The pieces themselves ranged from ponchos to dresses to tops and fringed vests. The reworked aesthetic fits right into Anthropologie’s ethos. Some of the pieces were a little out there but most of them fit right into an Anthro store.
These beautiful items are not inexpensive. Prices ranged from just under $200 to nearly $300 for some of the more intricate works. Because of the one-of-a-kind nature of these pieces the Upper East Side Anthropologie is not doing charge/sends for these items. It’s in-store only.
When I first looked at the items I was afraid nothing would fit me — the works look like they run small. I was told the pieces are formed to fit a size 6/8. So after examining and poking through everything, I selected a few pieces to try on. A huge thanks to UES’s Personal Shopper Harriet for snapping these photos below. She’s a rockstar!!
The first piece I tried on was a $278 dress that had been reworked into a top. The original piece was a boxy black top with gold embossed details. Place Nationale added a polka-dot lace top with tank straps and a fringed bottom, and cinched an empire waist to transform the formerly boxy piece into a top.
I immediately envisioned wearing the piece over a slip dress. The navy Stand-in Slip ($68, currently sold out online but available in-stores) fit the bill perfectly. I think this would be a terrific look for some upcoming NYFW events I’ve lined up.
I’m also wearing: Anthropologie’s Uniform Bits Necklace ($38) in grey, J.Crew’s Mona Leather Pumps in bronzed clay ($198), Club Monaco’s Baby Bonnie Bracelet ($36) x 2.
Harriet had another idea for the fringed top…
…so I changed the underlayers from a slip to jeans and a cami. I happened to be wearing a white cami to the store and it worked pretty well under the polka-dot lace, showing off the pretty pattern. Though it may be hard to see in these photos the fringe is not only along the bottom hem of the piece but also up along the sides.
I’m also wearing: Anthropologie’s Uniform Bits Necklace ($38) in grey double-wrapped around my neck, Level 99’s Level 99 Lilly Skinny ($98, review here and OOTD here), J.Crew’s Mona Leather Pumps in bronzed clay ($198), Club Monaco’s Baby Bonnie Bracelet ($36) x 2.
Next up I tried on a four-piece combo that had been reworked into the top. This top was $218. In the left shot I’m wearing the top as intended, frontwards. But I liked the slightly shorter, more open back better so I turned the top around for the last two shots. There is a string waist tie that I left undone. I liked the casual vibe of this piece and the versatility in having the option to wear it frontwards or backwards.
I’m also wearing: Level 99’s Level 99 Lilly Skinny ($98, review here and OOTD here), J.Crew’s Mona Leather Pumps in bronzed clay ($198), Club Monaco’s Baby Bonnie Bracelet ($36) x 2.
And finally, a pretty dress had caught my eye. This had a slightly shorter skirt in front with a petal skirt in back. Harriet did a great job of capturing both sides of the dress in this fitting room mirror shot! Once again I used the trick of wearing it over a slip dress, this time the nude Stand-in Slip ($68, currently sold out online but available in-stores). Like the first top this dress could easily go over pants or leggings. I love the three different types of crochet work and the square pattern along the front hemline.
The shot below gives a better idea of the length and pattern differences…
Again, I’m really impressed by how well all the pieces combine into one reworked item. This dress has four different items that all work impeccably together. Throw a long cardigan over this and I’m ready for the day.
I’m also wearing: Anthropologie’s Uniform Bits Necklace ($38) in grey, J.Crew’s Mona Leather Pumps in bronzed clay ($198), Club Monaco’s Baby Bonnie Bracelet ($36) x 2.
If you are in New York City I highly recommend swinging by the Place Nationale pop-up shop! It was so much fun to see these items up close in-person and I adored getting to try some of the pieces on. The shop is open while supplies last. I hope that other Anthropologie locations get the same treat with future deliveries, and that more Made in Kind designers make their way into stores. I’ve got a full-sized slideshow from the pop-up on my flickr.
What do you think of the Place Nationale pieces?
Thanks to Anthropologie’s incredible Community Team for the heads up about the pop-up shop!
Previously:
Eye Candy: Made in Kind May 2012
Made in Kind Update: Place Nationale items hitting select stores
