Celebrating 50 years, Fine Linens opens 2nd East Coast location

NEW YORK – Fine Linens, which offers high-end linens and luxury custom work, is branching out.

The business recently opened a new store in Westport, Conn., where it expects to draw traffic from the Westport/Fairfield area.

The original store, located at 1193 Lexington Ave., opened in 1976 a few blocks away from the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It was established by Steven Hirsch, whose son David now runs the business.

“I joined about 20 years ago,” said David, who majored in computers in college. “It was only me and him. Then I built a website to see what would happen, and it took off from there.”

Today, the online operation is at the forefront of the business. It offers luxury bedding, bath, table linens, and home décor from a who’s who of fine linens purveyors. The assortment encompasses more than 700 top-tier brands from the United States and Europe. Run from a facility in Westchester, the Fine Linens site allows the retailer to offer an expanded selection of colors and styles available for immediate shipping.

“E-commerce really pushes the stores,” said David.

The curated Manhattan store serves both walk-in and long-time customers. Primarily, it does a significant custom business, working with designers, interior decorators, and architects.

“Our employees are amazing,” he said. “A lot of them come from other home stores no longer in business.”

The new Westport store is likely to focus on ready-made goods, at least at first. Although the overall retail industry is grappling with economically stressed consumers, high-end households are still shopping.

“People who want luxury lines are going to spend the money,” said David.