What does it take to build a store from scratch? What happens when you strip retail back to the parts that actually matter? And how do you create an environment where both customers and teams thrive?
To find the answers, it helps to speak to someone who has experienced retail not just as a job, but as a craft.
Aidan Kennedy, store director at NN.07 on Lafayette Street in New York, has spent the last decade working across independent menswear, music, and retail. Originally from Houston, Texas, his journey has taken him from selling high-end Japanese workwear to helping launch NN.07’s first North American store in the heart of Soho.
That journey has been shaped by creativity, culture, and a deep understanding of how retail really works on the ground.
NN.07 - a Copenhagen-based menswear brand known for timeless design, premium fabrics, and a strong focus on sustainability - opened its first US store just over a year ago. And for Aidan, it was the opportunity to do something different. To take everything he had learned and build a store from the ground up.
Because for him, retail is not just about transactions. It is about energy. It is about expression. It is about creating moments that matter.
And when you combine that mindset with a blank canvas, you get something powerful: a new way of thinking about what great retail can look like.
We talked to Aidan about his journey into retail, what it takes to open a flagship store from scratch, how culture shapes performance, and why retail and music have more in common than you might think.
Aidan, you’ve had a pretty unique journey into retail. How did it all begin?
I’ve been a DJ my whole life, played in bands, toured - that kind of thing.
For me, music and fashion have always gone hand in hand. When I wasn’t on tour, I was working in the shop. And working in the shop meant I had great clothes to wear on stage. So the two worlds kind of fed into each other.
What I realized pretty quickly was that retail has a similar energy to performing. When someone walks into the store, there’s a rhythm to it. There’s an opening, there’s a middle, there’s a close. It’s not a performance in the traditional sense, but there’s definitely an exchange of energy.
Once I understood that, and once I started helping other people feel good about what they were wearing, that’s when it really clicked for me.
You’re now leading the NN.07 store on Lafayette Street. Tell me a bit about the brand and the store itself.
NN.07 is a Danish menswear brand from Copenhagen, and this is our first store in the US. We opened about a year and a half ago.
The brand is really focused on timeless silhouettes and high-quality materials. There’s a big emphasis on proprietary fabrics that you won’t find anywhere else, and sustainability is also a big part of what we do.
We’ve also had some really cool cultural moments. One of our signature pieces is the Gael jacket, which got picked up in The Bear. From what I understand, the costume team shortlisted a few options and Jeremy Allen White actually chose that one himself, which was a great moment for the brand.
But ultimately, it comes back to making great products that people connect with.
You helped open the store from scratch. What was that experience like?
It was exciting, but also pretty nerve-wracking.
Everywhere I’d worked before, there was already an established structure. There was a customer base, brand awareness, processes - everything was already in place. You just stepped in and helped keep things running.
This was completely different. This was starting from scratch.
There was definitely a moment where I thought, “Okay, this is going to test whether I actually know what I’m doing.” But at the same time, it was an incredible opportunity. It was a blank canvas.
I could take everything I’d learned over the years - everything I loved, everything I didn’t love - and build something from the ground up. I could bring in the best parts and leave the rest behind.
The brand had already been in the US through department stores and independent boutiques, and being in New York, you also get a lot of international customers who already know it from Europe.
So you get this really interesting mix. You have people coming in who already love the brand, and then you have people discovering it for the first time just by walking past.
That’s been one of the most enjoyable parts - serving both audiences at the same time.
And a year and a half later, the business has grown massively. The reception has been amazing. So it’s been really rewarding to see that approach actually work.
When you talk about bringing the best parts with you, what does that look like in practice?
A big part of it comes down to culture.
I’ve worked in very cutthroat, commission-based environments before, and I always hated it. Even if you get along with your team, if everyone is competing for their own income, it creates tension.
So one of the biggest things I wanted to bring in was a team-based approach.
Instead of individuals competing, the store works toward a shared goal. If the store hits its target, everyone benefits.
That changes everything. People collaborate, support each other, and actually want each other to succeed.
And when that happens, customers feel it too.
You’ve described retail as an exchange of energy. What does a great customer experience look like to you?
For me, it always comes back to people.
You get to meet people from all walks of life, and you get to help them feel confident in how they present themselves. Fashion is such a personal thing, and being able to help someone unlock that is incredibly rewarding.
I always think about it like hosting someone in your home.
If you’re having a dinner party, you want people to feel welcome, comfortable, and relaxed. That’s how a store should feel.
A lot of retail can feel very transactional, and I think the best experiences happen when you break that down. It’s just two people having a conversation.
You talk about music, films - whatever it might be - and through that, you start to understand who they are and what they’re looking for.
That’s when you can really help them. That’s when it becomes personal.
With so much technology and AI coming into retail, what excites you most about the future?
I think it’s actually the human side.
Technology is going to make a lot of things faster and easier, and that’s great. But there’s something you just can’t replicate digitally.
If someone walks into a store and says, “I need something for my sister’s wedding,” that’s a very human moment. It’s not just about product. It’s about understanding the person, their body type, their style, how they want to feel.
You can’t fully replace that with a chatbot.
So for me, the exciting part is doubling down on that human connection. Making in-store experiences even more personal and more meaningful.
What are your top three pieces of advice for retailers looking to build something that lasts?
1. Empower your team
Show them trust. Show them respect. If people feel valued, they will give so much more back. That’s probably been the biggest lesson for me.
2. Invest in the experience
The store environment - the design, the feel, the atmosphere - is what sets physical retail apart from online. It’s where customers can really understand your brand through all their senses.
3. Make customers feel like they’re part of something.
Whether that’s through loyalty programs or just how you engage with them, people want to feel connected to the brands they support. Especially when you’re building something new, that sense of community is incredibly powerful.
And finally - if someone finds themselves in Soho, why should they come and visit you?
Just come by.
The door’s always open. We love having a conversation - whether it’s about clothes, music, culture, whatever.
That’s what it’s all about. Good product, good people, and a good chat.
