We’ve oft lamented the existence of the pointless pop-up. But we always like them when they offer something you can’t get anywhere else.
Case in point: JNBY (Just Naturally Be Yourself.) The line was created in the mid-90s in Hangzhou, China by a collective of fashion school grads.
It’s never been available in the US until this week, though it has 500 standalone stores, mostly in Asia and Europe. They’ve opened a pop-up at 93 Mercer that will be around until they secure permanent retail space in the neighborhood (hopefully by February.)

The pieces are mostly knits, separates and outerwear–more accessories will be arriving shortly. But the coats and jackets are definitely the standouts (and yes, I did get one as a gift and I plan on wearing the hell out of it once it stops raining.) But seriously, they’re structured, fitted and architectural in their lines while still looking like they’ll keep you super warm. The little details in the hoods and zippers are a little something extra and many styles can be worn in reverse or inverted which I really liked. Plus most of them run around $400, which for a well-designed winter coat is not so bad at all.
We highly recommend popping in as this is the only spot in the country you’ll find the line until they launch their wholesale business in 2010 targeting places like Barneys and boutiques along the lines of an Intermix.