Spiritual America

Profile

The namesake of this gallery turned boutique comes from the title of a 1983 Richard Prince exhibition that was housed in the very same space and featured the infamous photograph of a dolled-up, prepubescent Brooke Shields posing nude in a bathtub. Owner Claire Lemétais has an eye for subtly cheeky décor�dozens of vintage �Nurse� medical-romance novels pepper the store, another wink to the Prince exhibition�but the clothes and accessories are seriously hip. Paris�born Lemétais, who transformed the space after running a gallery there with her artist-husband for eight years, stocks a cornucopia of on-trend brands. European designers such as Vanessa Bruno, Surface to Air, and Wood Wood are mixed with established local lines like Vena Cava and United Bamboo and emerging New Yorkers like Mociun, Morgan Carper, and Marie Turnor. An overhaul makeover of the whitewashed room includes a geometric, fluorescent-light installation and custom-forged tables with soil and cement tops. Natural textures, neutral colors, and subtle greenery contribute to the minimalist vibe, which entices both young, edgy Lower East Side students and a slightly older, art-driven uptown crowd. — Jennifer L. Schwartz