New York

10.16.08

Inven.tory

19 Kenmare, at Elizabeth; no phone

In their race for power and glory, entrepreneurs often overlook the fundamentals -- Pets.com didn't realize nobody'd pay postage on 100lbs of dog food, and Gary and Wyatt forgot to hook up the doll. Resting their biz plan on the basics -- "good" and "cheap" -- Inven.tory.

From two fashion industry vets, In's a brightly-lit, spacious corner boutique hawking threads from premium designers at prices wholesale and below -- like Sam's Club, without the temptation of a pallet of Lean Pockets. Gear's ever-changing, but they're starting out with an all-sizes range of fall & winter pieces from three LA brands: double-breasted wool sweaters and button-downs from Corpus, black leather bombers, jeans, and button-downs from Orthodox, and flossy black nylon jackets from Smooth Company ('til the day they die). In also rocks incredibly soft hand-drawn v-neck tees from a San Diego line called Rxmance -- named after the oldest story there is, falling in love with your pharmacist.

In's still finalizing some arrangements, so for now they're cash only, though maybe that's for the best, given that 2008's "I can't believe we didn't think of that" fundamental is worldwide credit insolvency.