Like its elder sibling, Merci 2 is an unusual operation for a neighborhood better known for stylish restaurants than fashion. But it is within an easy walk of the Pinault Collection and the future site of Fondation Cartier. And come spring, its section of the street is scheduled to be replanted and pedestrianized.
Conceived like “a loft in SoHo where a Parisian happens to live,” Mr. Gerbi said, the two-level space has an industrial vibe, with concrete floors, exposed ventilation ducts and a mix of custom and secondhand furniture.
Its offerings include clothing, accessories, design objects and linens. But where the Avenue Beaumarchais store leans feminine, Merci 2 offers a broader men’s wear-and-unisex offering. Niche clothing brands take pride of place on the main floor, among them the Japanese labels The Real McCoy’s, Ordinary Fits and the Corona Utility; the work wear brand Arpenteur, from Lyon, France; and the English haberdasher Drake’s. Women’s wear brands include fashion-insider favorites such as Dôen, Róhe and Cordera.
The former lunchroom space displays a selection of kitchen gadgets and linens; farther along, watches and fine jewelry keep company with what the in-house team calls “Arthur-eries.” Those are the key rings, magnets, sweatshirts, T-shirts, bags and other curios that Mr. Gerbi develops with, for example, Erewhon market in Los Angeles or the New York artist Emma Jaeger. A smaller space is reserved for beauty products, leather goods and footwear.
Arty touches have been sprinkled throughout. A bookstore corner, for example, is anchored by a work in copper and steel by the Dutch designer Piet Hein Eek. And there is a lacquered farm table and jewelry by the Japanese architect Jo Nagasaka. The lone shop window, on the Rue Molière side, was to be dressed with a stained glass-pattern curtain by Adam Pogue, a textile artist in Los Angeles.
Mr. Gerbi characterized the product mix as “ultra-curated” and yet anti-status and anti-snob. “We think of ourselves as post-luxury,” he said.