Back in the U.S.A.

This fall, Esprit will open its first U.S. store in 10 years, a 10,000-square-foot space on Fifth Avenue at 16th Street in Manhattan. Once beloved by teens throughout the U.S., the brand lost cache as Gap, Guess and Levis gained in popularity. After its founders divorced in 1989, a sales spiral ended with the company's purchase by a group of Hong Kong investors in 1996. Madison HGCD brokered Esprit's first new lease. Phase I of the U.S. relaunch will include four or five new stores, ranging from 5,000 to 7,000 square feet, in New York.