Introducing Fair Harbor’s first-ever retail store.

It may take three highways and a ferry ride to reach Fire Island, but the new Fair Harbor flagship store is bringing the essence of our favorite place to Downtown Manhattan. Step through the door of 19 Prince Street, and its bright, coastal-inspired environment is almost like being transported from the buzzing streets of SoHo to the breezy beaches of Fair Harbor. 

Longtime Fair Harbor friend and interior architect Chris Antista helped execute the Fair Harbor vision to the storefront of a historic former tenement building that dates back to 1800. Chris, who has known the Danehy family for decades, was also the genius behind New York downtown experiential spaces like cocktail lounges Please Don’t Tell and Lansky Lounge. He also happens to be the “Crif” in the eponymous hot dog hangout, Crif Dogs. A modern renaissance man, Chris has a keen eye for design, an encyclopedic knowledge of music, and a penchant for telling a salty story. He’s basically the guy you want at every barbecue.

And he was also the ideal person to bring the store to life, making every aspect of the 700-square-foot nautical space feel considered and authentic. “I want our visitors to feel unencumbered and experience the wide-open joy of being on an expansive beach,” Chris explains of his overall concept for the space and the details within. He sourced the wide-plank reclaimed hemlock floor from a barn in Upstate New York and laid it at a 20-degree angle to replicate the nonlinear direction of the ocean waves at Fair Harbor. The rustic texture counterbalances the stark whitewashed walls and complements the warm, golden light diffused throughout the space. “This store is a physical expression of the dream that inspires Fair Harbor,” says Chris. “A breezy, golden hour at the beach, and an escape from daily life.”

Keeping the beachy vibe intact throughout, a custom-made light birch wood table centers the space with light fixtures designed to resemble Delilah, the brand’s orange 1974 Ford Bronco that appears in our catalogs and ads. The white wood plank walls are decorated with just a few pieces of personalized art, including an image of a Fair Harbor beach that Caroline snapped last summer situated behind the register. In the back across from the outdoor shower stall-style dressing rooms, hangs a replica of the weathered Fire Island Community Association’s welcome sign posted by the ferry. Even the bathroom is unique, featuring hand-painted wallpaper based off of a custom-made birds of paradise print from an archive Fair Harbor trunk.

Another callback is the shingled exterior of the beach shack with a red door modeled after the Fire Island house the Danehy’s rent each summer. The structure is featured at the end of the backyard deck, a calm and welcoming outdoor retreat that hosts a picnic table and blue Adirondack chairs. It’s a quiet respite from the bustle of the city streets. Customers can sit back and relax, fill their water bottles in the filling station by the door, or check out the beach shack for upcoming collections and collaborations. “The back feels like an oasis from the city,” says Jake. “That’s exactly what Fire Island is to us – and that’s what we aimed to build here overall.”

If you’re in the area, please stop by and say hello.