There’s something about Pierre Hardy’s shoes that are not only chic, but also cool. Whether he’s creating affordable booties for Gap or a sky-high sandal in nearly-neon teals and melons, there’s an architectural, thoughtful element to the form. Which means the final result is not as trendy or frilly as the styles of some of his contemporaries. And that’s a good thing.

Hardy’s new shop in the West Village–his first outside of France–embraces this philosophy. Created in collaboration with MR architecture, the space is a mix of concrete planks with molded wood, concrete cubes where the shoes are arranged, and steal I-beams, which serve as markers, slicing the room into three or four distinct spaces. One section features custom leather flooring and smoked glass screens, which give customers more privacy when they’re trying on shoes.

The designer, whom we met this morning at 30 Jane Street, said that despite the space’s–and the shoes’–industrial feel, in the end they “still have to be feminine.”

Rebecca Minkoff’s accessories have developed something of a cult following. Legions of young ladies are devoted to her studded bags, and now men can worship at the altar of Minkoff too, as she launched an accessories line for men this past summer. But she got her start as an apparel designer (before launching her accessories line in 2005) and last year launched ready-to-wear. She’s building a lifestyle brand so it follows that everything Minkoff should have a brick-and-mortar home.

At our first “How I’m Making It” panel last night (more on that soon), Minkoff revealed plans to open her first store sometime early next year. No word on a location yet, but we’d put money on SoHo or Nolita. While the store will obviously stock all things Minkoff, it will also feature, as Minkoff described it, “things I love.” Think assorted treasures from her travels like journals, books, or even pottery (yes, she said pottery). According to Minkoff’s PR, the store will also aim to support fellow CFDA inductees.