Yesterday, designer Maryam Nassir Zadeh announced that her iconic New York store at 123 Norfolk Street will close after 17 years. This marks the end of an era for the Lower East Side. The shop was not only where she presented her own label, but also a key destination for vintage pieces and new designers. It was even featured on the official NYC Tourism website.

While Norfolk Street may never be the same, the store is holding a close-out sale this weekend. Expect long lines—while you wait, here’s what some of Nassir Zadeh’s collaborators, friends, and fans shared about what the boutique meant to them. (And don’t worry, her website will continue operating as usual.)

Chioma Nnadi, Head of Editorial Content, British Vogue
“Maryam has impeccable taste and is an intrepid traveler. Her store felt like a place where someone went the extra mile to find extraordinary, curious things. I’d often stop by to see the latest shoes and end up admiring a treasure she brought back from a trip—like antique terracotta vases. It was a lifestyle concept without ever trying to be one. Her shop truly reflected her bohemian, free-spirited way of moving through the world.”

Thistle Brown, Photographer, Stylist, and Co-Founder of Thistles
“If it weren’t for the MNZ store, my life in New York wouldn’t exist. Maryam saw potential in me when I was new to the city, working as an optometrist’s assistant after moving from New Zealand. From the moment we met, it felt meant to be.

The store became my home—a haven and a gathering place where ideas and friendships grew. Without it, I wouldn’t have become a stylist or started photography. One day, Uday handed me a camera and said, ‘You get it. Shoot.’

What Maryam created left a real mark. Many tried to copy it. I’d see our MNZ shoots referenced on sets or during commercial jobs—her influence was always clear. I believe she deserves more credit for the community she built.

The store connected people, blending high and low with a bohemian sense of quality—and, most importantly, heart, genuineness, and ease. I don’t have any tattoos, but in a way, MNZ is forever a part of me.”

Olympia Gayot, Creative Director, J.Crew
“I’ve been visiting Maryam Nassir Zadeh’s store since it opened. One of the most special aspects of New York’s creative scene has always been spaces like this—independently owned, multi-brand shops that blend the designer’s vision with finds from like-minded artists. Maryam’s store was the purest expression of that. Walking in felt like stepping into her world, one that quietly shaped New York culture and a certain kind of person.

From the objects and jewelry to the shoes, clothes, and colors—the energy of the space and the people there—the store embodied a deeply unique, feminine perspective. It was a place where you could feel taste, intuition, and independence. Maryam became…”She was 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 certain attitude and irreverent confidence. There are very few people like her. I used to visit the store frequently when I first started working in New York City. It was a space that transcended fashion and blew my mind every time. I loved seeing what was new, and she always curated such a beautiful selection that pushed your idea of what is cool. The store created a new downtown culture in New York and was surrounded by a community that still exists and thrives. Its footprint will always be there. I think MNZ created a new DNA for what downtown New York cool can be, which became a global beacon for style and attitude.”

Yara Flinn, Designer, Nomia
“In 2008, a year after I had launched just 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 its authenticity. The way Maryam displayed antiques alongside clothing, her irreverent—or more accurately, ingenious—styling, and 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 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 anytIt was never about trying to “get” something. It was simply about discovering something unusual, beautiful, essential, or all three, and then deciding for yourself what it meant. During collection previews at the store, Maryam would rhapsodize about the perfect grayish-blue shade she’d found for a button-down, then convince me that an iridescent dress was as easy to wear as a T-shirt. As she once said: “I just want to fall in love with something.” It’s remarkable how few stores make you feel the designer or buyer was thinking in such simple, intuitive terms.

Stores like Maryam’s are rare—places where one person’s dreams and desires shine through every single piece. That kind of vision is uncommon, and we are honored to have been seen by it. The closing of MNZ marks the end of an era.

Maryam was one of the first to take a chance on this corner of Manhattan, and that’s what really drew me to open my store in the neighborhood. Her shop was like a candy store; you could tell she herself had touched and loved everything in it. I knew the area for its great dim sum, dive bars, and holistic spas, but now it’s a real center of gravity for what’s new and exciting. 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.

I loved Maryam’s store because it championed and housed so many friends’ independent brands. It felt like a great starting point for a new generation of blossoming talent, and it really energized that part of the Lower East Side.

Frequently Asked Questions
FAQs The End of an Era Maryam Nassir Zadehs Downtown Store

BeginnerLevel Questions

Q Who is Maryam Nassir Zadeh
A Maryam Nassir Zadeh is a highly influential fashion designer and retailer Her namesake store in downtown New York was a cultural landmark known for its unique minimalist and artful curation of clothing accessories and objects

Q What was so special about her store
A It wasnt just a store it was a creative hub It had a distinct airy aesthetic and was known for discovering and launching new designers It represented a specific downtown NYC sensibilityeffortless intellectual and personal style

Q Why did the store close
A The physical store at 123 Norfolk Street in Manhattan closed in 2023 While the official reasons often involve lease issues and the changing retail landscape the closure was widely seen as the symbolic end of an era for a certain kind of independent curated fashion boutique

Q Is the brand MNZ completely gone
A No The Maryam Nassir Zadeh brand continues online and through wholesale The closure specifically refers to the iconic physical location which was the heart of the community

Advanced Cultural Impact Questions

Q What did the store mean to people in the fashion industry
A For insidersdesigners editors stylistsit was a vital discovery platform and a barometer of taste It gave early support to nowfamous brands like Simon Miller Rachel Comey and Jesse Kamm Working with or being sold by MNZ was a major career milestone

Q How did the store influence everyday style
A It popularized specific downtown trends like the block heel slip dresses eclectic jewelry stacks and a general vibe of artgirl chic It made minimalist fashion feel warm and personal rather than cold

Q Whats the difference between MNZ and other boutiques like Opening Ceremony or Dover Street Market
A While all are influential MNZ was smaller more personal and reflected one persons very specific vision It felt more like an artists gallery or a welldressed friends apartment than a largescale concept store