Inside Kasuri—The Hidden Avant Garde Fashion Boutique in Hudson, New York
The Birth of Kasuri
Painterly Vivienne Westwood corsets, Yohji Yamamoto caps, glittering Noir Kei Ninomiya dresses, and bulbous Comme des Garçons creations. These final looks from the labels’ notoriously intriguing runway shows in Paris are just a few of the things you might find at Kasuri—a boutique in Hudson, New York celebrating 10 years of business in 2024.
Layla Kalin, who originally helmed her own small fashion label open for one-off commissions, founded the boutique in 2014 alongside Jonathan Osofsky, then a recent graduate of the Division of Arts at Bard College. The two shared a love for all things avant-garde and Japanese fashion, and when their paths crossed, the rest was history.
The Concept Behind Kasuri
“Hudson was, at that time, very different than it is now, but there was just lots of interesting people and lots of artists and lots of antique stores and lots of design,” Osofsky tells by phone from his Hudson outpost. “I had always kind of fantasized about having a boutique that was something far more than a boutique.”
Osofsky and Kalin were inspired by Comme des Garçons’ original guerilla style pop-ups from the early 2000s and avant-garde boutiques in London in the 1960s and 1970s. They envisioned Kasuri not just as a store, but as a community meeting hub that fosters creativity and connection.
The Unique Offerings of Kasuri
Stepping through the doors of Kasuri might shock the average tourist visiting Hudson, but also inspire the enclave or well-to-do artists in the area. Positioned not just as a store, but as a community meeting hub, the shop has hosted everything from small gallery openings to movie nights that focus on esoteric aesthetic films.
Amidst a raw, industrial space with high ceilings, the point of it all extends beyond fashion. “It’s a boutique, a community and a political project,” says Osofsky, who has held fundraisers for various social and global issues in Kasuri.
A Destination for Fashion Collectors
Perhaps the biggest fantasy of all is the fact that the boutique is one of the very few locations in the world where you can view and purchase the extravagantly eccentric runway looks from Comme des Garçons and Noir Kei Ninomiya. The shop has attracted fashion world collectors and style icons, making it a must-visit destination for those seeking unique and avant-garde pieces.
Future Plans for Kasuri
Up next, Osofsky is planning potential pop-ups in Hudson and more community events with a focus on high fashion that’s hard to find anywhere else. “Our boutique is kind of supported by a lot of brilliant weirdos; a constellation of fashion weirdos,” he says. “I think we’ve been really lucky that they see us and what we’re doing and allow us to share those kinds of pieces as well.”