Yesterday, designer Maryam Nassir Zadeh announced that her iconic New York storefront at 123 Norfolk Street would be closing down after 17 years. The news marks the end of an era on the Lower East Side; not only was the shop a place for Nassir Zadeh to showcase her eponymous label, it became an important stop for discovering vintage finds and emerging designers. Even tourists loved the place—the boutique had a write-up on the official NYC Tourism website.
Norfolk Street may never be the same again, but first comes this weekend’s close-out sale. The lines are sure to be long, while you wait, take a look at what some of Nassir Zadeh’s closest collaborators, friends, and fans had to say about what the boutique meant to them. (And don’t worry too much, on the website it’s business as usual.)
Chioma Nnadi, Head of Editorial Content, British Vogue
“Maryam has impeccable taste—she’s also an intrepid traveler—and her store had the feeling of someone who went the extra mile to seek out the most extraordinary and curious things. I’d often wander in to browse her latest shoe collection and find myself lusting over some recent treasure she’d hauled back from vacation—antique terracotta vases, say. It was what you might call a lifestyle concept without ever advertising itself as such, or trying too hard. Her shop was truly a reflection of the bohemian, free-spirited way she moved through the world.”
Thistle Brown, Photographer, Stylist, and Co-Founder of Thistles
“If it hadn’t been for the MNZ store, my life in NYC wouldn’t exist. Maryam saw potential in a fresh-off-the-boat creative like me. I was working as an optometrist assistant in the West Village, newly relocated from college in New Zealand. A friend connected us, and from the moment we met, it felt cosmic.
The store became my home. It was a haven for many, but for me, it provided shelter in countless ways. It turned into a watering hole where ideas flourished and friendships blossomed. Without the store, I wouldn’t have built my career as a stylist, nor would I have ventured into photography. One day, Uday handed me a camera and said, “You get it. Shoot.”
What Mar created with the store left a significant mark—one that many of her contemporaries, as well as the masses, tried to emulate. A friend would send me a photo from a set, or I’d be on a commercial job, and there it would be: a MNZ shoot we did. The influence was always unmistakable. I believe MNZ deserves more credit for the tapestry she wove for countless people who embraced her innate sensibility.
The store resonated with many, bridging gaps between high and low lifestyles with its bohemian understanding of quality—and, most importantly, heart, genuineness, and ease. While I don’t have any tattoos, in a way, MNZ is etched into me forever.”
Olympia Gayot, Creative Director, J.Crew
“I’ve been going to the Maryam Nassir Zadeh store since the week it opened. For me, one of the most special things about the New York creative [scene] has always been these kinds of spaces—single-owner, multi-brand stores that blend a designer’s own vision with discoveries from like-minded artists. Maryam’s store was the purest expression of that. Walking into it always felt like stepping directly into her world; a world that quietly shaped a part of New York culture and a certain type of girl—whether she realized it or not.
From the objects, to the jewelry, the shoes, the clothes, the colors…the energy of the space itself and the people who worked there, the store embodied a deeply unique, distinctly feminine point of view. It was a place where you could feel taste, intuition, and independence. Maryam became a true fixture of the neighborhood, and her presence helped define what the Lower East Side and the eastern edge of Chinatown have become today.
Its closing feels like the end of a chapter—not just for those of us who grew up creatively with the store, but for New York itself.”
Henry Zankov, Designer, Zankov
“I have always admired Maryam’s energy and style. She brings a kind of attitude and irreverent confidence. There are very few people like her. I used to visit the store frequently in the early days when I first started working in New York City. It was a space which transcended fashion and blew my mind every time I went there. I loved seeing what was new and she always curated such a beautiful selection which pushed your idea on what is cool. The store created a new downtown culture in New York and was surrounded by a community which still exists and thrives. [It’s] footprint will always be there. I think MNZ created a new DNA for what downtown New York cool can be, that became a beacon for style and attitude globally. ”
Yara Flinn, Designer, Nomia
“In 2008, a year after I had launched barely a few dresses from my brand, I happened to be walking in the Lower East Side with my mother, and we stopped into Maryam Nassir Zadeh. I had never seen a store like it before, even having grown up in NYC. It was halfway between an art gallery and a fashion boutique, with the most unique home decor and sculptural clothing racks. I immediately felt moved by the authenticity of it. The way Maryam displayed antiques alongside clothing, her irreverent (or more accurately, ingenious) styling, her use [of] street photography for e-commerce, shooting cool artists and downtown women was a very new idea at the time. Having my brand stocked in her store was a goal that I wanted to achieve as much as I wanted my clothing to be sold at Barneys. I feel so lucky that we had that chance, because being a part of that store, where so many brands were launched and nurtured, is such an honor.
Something special happens when someone has a completely decisive vision and their taste comes so naturally to them. It taught me to trust my own intuition. I am so thankful to be part of the MNZ era, and to carry a piece of it forward, as many of us who have been inspired by her store will.”
Joseph Maglieri, Director of Fashion Week Initiatives, CFDA
“The city is a better place because of Maryam. Very few people and places in recent history can be credited—with absolute certainty—for influencing and inspiring the tone and style of the city…and Maryam and the MNZ store can. She created and curated an environment and culture with distinction and aspiration. Maryam’s store represented discovery, and the very things we need now more than ever in fashion: sensuality, togetherness, desire, specificity, and craft. In an industry where many of us long for and admire places and people far away, she gave us something here at home to want and need to be a part of.
MNZ continues to inform and shape how we dress, how we move, and how we relate to each other. Even as the store finishes its time, the world of MNZ is ever-present and remains something to be thankful for. MNZ has become a global reference point for us all. We love you, Maryam.”
Emily Farra, Senior Director of PR and Communications, Tory Burch
“I was lucky enough to attend and cover Maryam s shows in the late-2010s (SS18 being a personal favorite) and there was always a debate among guests who didn t "get it," who couldn t put their finger on what she was trying to say with these collections or why her shows felt like such outliers amid the NYFW chaos. But all you had to do was go to her store on Norfolk to realize there wasn t really anything to “get…” It was just about discovering something unusual or beautiful or essential or all of the above, and deciding for yourself what it means to you. During collection previews, which occasionally took place at the store, Maryam would wax poetic about the exact shade of gray-ish blue she found for a button-down, then convince me that an iridescent dress was as easy as a T-shirt. As she put it once: “I just want to fall in love with something.” It s crazy how few stores give you the sense that the designer or buyer was thinking in such simple, intuitive terms.”
Bror August Vestbø and Benjamin Barron, Designers, August Barron
“Stores like Maryam’s are hard to come by—places where a singular person’s dreams and desires shine through every single piece inside of it. This type of vision is rare, and we are honored to have been seen by it. MNZ closing marks the end of an era.”
Beverly Nguyen, Founder, Beverly 1975
“Maryam was one of the first to take a bet on this corner of Manhattan, and it’s really what drew me to open my store in the neighborhood. Her store was like a candy shop, and you could tell that she herself touched and loved everything in there. I knew the area for great dim sum, dive bars, and holistic spas, but now, it’s such a center of gravity for what’s new and exciting, and her store was where we could discover new items and connect with artists and friends. That wouldn’t exist without Maryam. She’s a pioneer.”
Maria Cornejo, Designer, Zero Maria Cornejo
“I loved Maryam’s store as it championed housed so many friends independent brands. It felt like a great starting point for a new generation blossoming talent, and very much energized that area of Lower East Side.”
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