“My take on fashion was always that it should be in service to the wearer, and not the other way around, whether you were taking your kids to school, running to the subway, riding your bike, or going to the green market. I never wanted people to have the feeling of, ‘I would do that if I weren't wearing this dress or these shoes.”
- Jen Mankins
For over twenty years, Bird championed the best emerging and established global designers with a focus on locally and sustainably produced independent collections.
Bird believed design should be joyful and inspiring, but always deeply personal and approachable. We loved color, we loved prints and while we were always interested in current trends, we did not believe in following any fashion rules. We thought an outfit was more interesting when it enhanced what the wearer had to say and Bird provided opportunities for individual expression by curating the most unique, beautiful and intelligent designs from around the world. Bird believed in always being curious and always being willing to try something new.
Bird began as a small boutique in Park Slope in 1999 bringing emerging designer collections to Brooklyn for the first time. Baby Bird opened next door two years later catering to the growing number of clients starting families. Over the next two decades Bird sustained steady, organic growth throughout Brooklyn thanks to our incredibly dedicated and passionate staff who established lifelong personal client relationships and the subsequent word of mouth recommendations. In 2006, Bird expanded to Cobble Hill with a prominent corner location on Smith Street. In 2009, Bird opened its flagship location in Williamsburg, offering a permanent men’s assortment in addition to its meticulous women’s curation. In 2016 Bird opened in the iconic French Garment Cleaners building on Lafayette Avenue in the heart of Fort Greene and in 2017 Bird opened its biggest flagship store in the emerging neighborhood of Culver City in Los Angeles. The award winning stores were celebrated for their warm, welcoming, colorful environments designed by owner Jen Mankins supported by the innovative architectural designs of architect Ole Sondresen.
Bird actively promoted strong eco-conscious ideals through its community partnerships, endeavors, and charitable giving. Strict sustainability and green-building standards were maintained throughout the construction of the Williamsburg outpost, resulting in the coveted LEED-CI Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, the first retail establishment to receive this certification in New York.
The large scale of the Williamsburg flagship further enabled Bird’s practice of nurturing cultural creativity beyond the traditional scope of the fashion world. Bird extended its inclusive community influence by hosting exclusive art and music collaborations and rotating art installations. The extensive roster of past contributors include Clara Claus, Sufjan Stevens, Mike Perry and many others.
Jen Mankins
Bird owner Jen Mankins got her start in fashion working as an assistant buyer for Barneys New York, later moving into the position of head buyer for Steven Alan. Inspired by the downtown design scene booming in New York City in the late 90s, Jen went on to co-found the women’s fashion label Charlotte Corday, but quickly realized that retail was her true calling. Bird was the manifestation of this passion, beautifully designed spaces to gather and celebrate thoughtful, independent design. A self-described failed minimalist, Jen’s colorful personal style could be felt throughout the stores and the expansive roster of coveted designer collections.
Our Stores
Designed by owner Jen Mankins in collaboration with architect Ole Sondresen, the designs were strongly grounded in natural materials, deeply influenced by the building practices of Scandinavia and Japan, with additional design influences ranging from Mexico to Marrakech. The stores were the physical manifestation of the Bird Brooklyn aesthetic, warm, colorful and deeply individualistic. They were also more than a place for commerce — continuously hosting donation drives, community events, book launches and art exhibitions. We created spaces to be welcoming and accessible to all, while always striving to inspire and spark joy.
Artists, Collaborators and DJs
Lindsey Adelman・Brian Alfred・Justin Anderson・Jessica Antola・Aux Armes・Baggu・Pattie Lee Becker・Block Shop・The Brooklyn Home Company・Stella Bugbee・Livia Cetti・Cherry Bombe・Tsumori Chisato・Clara Claus・Ross Collab・Confetti System・Damien Correll・Lena Corwin・Justine D.・Jessica Dessner・Kate Diago・Simon Doonan・ Eskayel・Girls at Library・Cameron Goodyear・Jayson Green・Gisela Gueiros・Karin Haas・Dana Haim・Tim Harrington・Morgan Howland・Shaniqwa Jarvis・Gretchen Jones・Ruth De Jong・Joya Studio・Shirley Kaneda・Caroline Kaufman・David Kitz・Pat Mahoney・Jen Massari・Happy Menocal・Tamar Mogendorf・Daisuke Ohba・Ignacio Parodi・J Penry・Mike Perry・Thuy Pham・Hilary Pharr・Raquet Magazine・Audrey Louise Reynolds・Alison Roman・The Rounds・Aaron Ryskiewicz・Sharktooth・Ole Sondresen・Spencer Starnes・Heather Sten・Emma Straub・Studio Bagru・Sufjan Stevens・Elaine Tian・Julia von Eichel・Kira von Eichel・W3LL People・Justin J. Wee・Nancy Whang・Brian Wiggans・Ruvan Wijesooriya・Christian Wijnants・Cole Witter・Anna Wolf・Katherine Wolkoff・Guy Yanai
Philanthropy
Baked into the DNA of owner Jen Mankins and Bird was a drive to give back to our communities and causes close to our heart. Bird took every opportunity to organize, raise awareness, raise money, communicate, donate and volunteer nationally and in our communities - guiding and encouraging others to support as well. Bird donated to countless organizations, both locally and nationally, allowing them to do the work of furthering equality, inclusiveness, representation and social progress we so desperately need.
