Merci Gap Opens

Gap has a new trick up its sleeve this fall. The trusty purveyor of blue jeans and khaki pants has teamed up with Merci, a chic, Parisian lifestyle boutique, to open a pop-up shop in New York City, called Merci Gap. For one month only, Merci Gap will occupy the 500-square foot space next to Gap's flagship store on 5th Avenue.

The original Merci is the brainchild of Marie-France and Bernard Cohen, the founders of Bonpoint (a children's clothing company they sold in 2003, giving them seed money for Merci). Merci is a "concept shop" stocked with unusual housewares, fashions, perfumes and even fresh flowers. All the proceeds from the shop benefit Accueil des Sans-abri, a non-profit that helps Madagascar's homeless. (All profits from Merci Gap will go to various children's charities.)

You can see that Gap and Merci have tried to recreate the look and feel of the original Merci shop in Paris. (See a shot of the Paris shop after the jump.) We love the gray walls, the industrial shelving and the mural by artist Clement Gouta. It's all very Parisian and oh-so chic

The temporary retail location is stocked with everything from Gap "boyfriend" jeans with custom embroidery by Laurence Amelie to candles from Annick Goutal to these pendant lamps made from glass insulators, which were featured in The New York Times.

(We love the so much, but at $125 a piece, we wonder how hard it would be to make them ourselves -- Anyone have advice about drilling through thick glass?) Staying true to Gap's roots there are pieces for as little as $3, but there are also pieces with prices that reach the thousands.

Merci Gap, 680 Fifth Avenue at 54th Street, New York, NY 10019; open until October 4th