Designer Stella Flame calls her new gallery in Bridgehampton an...

Designer Stella Flame calls her new gallery in Bridgehampton an “oasis of sorts."  Credit: Marsin Mogielski

In the world of retail these days, there’s shopping, and then there are shopping experiences. Two new Bridgehampton entities are delving into the latter.

CURIO at Project Hamptons

Project Hamptons co-founder Michael Catalano is hoping to engage shoppers...

Project Hamptons co-founder Michael Catalano is hoping to engage shoppers and the community with a slew of in-store and outdoor activities including exercise classes, product launches and more.  Credit: Curio/Project Hamptons

There’s Curio at Project Hamptons, where Miami-based Curio has brought in its uber-chic assortment of curated apparel (think Tom Ford, Brandon Maxwell, Dolce & Gabbana) for women and men, accessories, eyewear, jewelry and housewares to Project Hamptons, a new multiuse retail and entertainment venue, to launch what’s being self-branded “a luxury retail and lifestyle destination.” 

The place looks like a modern farmhouse and boasts soaring ceilings and dramatic accordion glass doors. It opened as a happening hub in May and will host the Curio at Project Hamptons residency through Sept. 30.

As for the experience part? From 8 to 11 a.m., those tempting racks of clothes and display cases are rolled to the side, and area fitness experts welcome exercise-minded folks to classes such as yoga, body sculpting and core barre. A new “recovery lounge” downstairs offers après workout stretching, massage chairs, and soon, maybe sound baths.

Michael Catalano, the co-founder of Project Hamptons, says, “In this day and age, you have to be more than one thing in retail.” To that end he says, there will be fundraisers, runway events, product launches, dog adoptions, chef demos, book signings, designer meet-and-greets and art shows. On weekends the facility hosts vendors for art-fair-like events. Technically called the “Garden Shops,” Catalano compares these to the Paris flea market. “No matter how great the inventory is, you have to give people another reason to come out and discover,” he says.

Catalano welcomes folks to simply, “Come with a laptop and have a cappuccino in the morning.” There’s an espresso bar courtesy of Lavazza.

“It’s the total opposite of a snooty high-end retail experience here. We want this to be a space where the visitors along with the local community feel very comfortable,” he says.

More info 2183 Montauk Highway; 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily; projecthamptons.com, 631-296-8508

Stella Flame Gallery

Jewelry designer Stella Flame has moved from her tiny shop in Sag Harbor to one five times the size in Bridgehampton. The new Stella Flame Gallery, an architectural space that includes a floating staircase, 20-foot-high ceilings and a Zen garden room has allowed her, she says, “To dive deeper into the artists I was representing and create a more experiential environment. It’s an oasis of sorts. I’ve spent my life traveling around the world and this is a way to take people with me.”

In the expanded space, she’s able to offer a much larger selection of her nature-inspired jewelry from Istanbul-based artisans along with others from Italy including some more minimalist “sculptural pieces.” Added to the mix (and there’s plenty of room) are cashmere shawls, handwoven textiles and pillows, porcelain pieces including shard pottery, jewelry boxes, host gifts and a slew of treasures for the home. Colorful paintings, many with pop-art appeal, line the walls. (One eye-catcher depicting Karl Lagerfeld by Jojo Anavim, is particularly timely).

“I started to notice that, over the years, things started to look the same in the Hamptons and some of the original flavor was lost. There’s no point in doing what everyone else is doing so I wanted to cast a wider net and be different from what you see every day adding a little bit of wit and humor,” she explains.

Flame hopes to entice visitors with panel discussions, whiskey tastings, trunk shows, artist openings, intimate designer dinners and lectures.

More info 2385 Montauk Highway St.; 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily; stellaflamegallery.com, 631-899-4424 

Plus: Givenchy popping up 

But admittedly, for some, a pure shopping excursion is the name of the game. To that end. Givenchy is popping up at the Topping Rose House from July 1 through 14 to celebrate the launch of the Givenchy Plage beachwear collection. Launched for summer, it is being dubbed as the first “city to sand” swimwear collection designed for the House by creative director Matthew M. Williams. Inspired by the lifestyle and soft colors at Hubert de Givenchy’s seaside retreat in Saint Jean Cap Ferrat, find ready-to-wear and accessories including straw basket bags, Marshmallow wedges and classic G-Tote shoppers.

More info 1 Bridgehampton-Sag Harbor Turnpike; 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily; givenchy.com

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